A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers
First, a quick warning: A Psalm for the Wild-Built is a very short book (four hours as an audiobook or only 160 pages), in which pretty much nothing happens. I liked this about it. It was a gentle, sweet and moving journey that I enjoyed relaxing to on my commute from work.
The book is set in what seems to be a far-future utopia. Our viewpoint character is Dex, a monk whose vocation involves travelling from town to town, serving tea and providing ad-hoc counselling services to the locals. On their travels, they encounter Mosscap, a robot exploring human society for the first time. From here, the book gives us a fly-on-the-wall view of Dex and Mosscap’s growing friendship as they travel together and learn about each other’s lives.
It's a pretty philosophical story. Dex and Mosscap have long conversations about why we live the way we live, what makes a fulfilling life and what it means to have a sense of purpose. The fact that it’s framed as a series of chats between two friends keeps it from seeming too didactic, but you will have a clear sense of what Becky Chambers thinks a good world and a good life look like by the end.
A Psalm for the Wild-Built’s cosy, contemplative future is unusual in the science fiction genre, which means it’s still worth a try even if sci-fi is not your usual fare. This strange little gem of a book is available as an eAudiobook through Libby or as a physical book.
A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers
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