A Psalm for the Wild-Built

Once again, Becky Chambers strikes gold with her wonderful and insightful science fiction novella, Psalm for the Wild-Built. The start of a new series, this book presents the reader with a philosophical and thoughtful tale of friendship and finding your purpose.A Psalm for the Wild-Built is a quiet and lovely story, continuing Chambers' streak as the queen of cosy science fiction. This book takes place on a world called Panga, a world that seems to have some similarities to our own, that is in a truly post-industrial age. We follow Sibling Dex as they take up a new vocation as a tea monk -- a member of their religious order who travels around the human settlements, bringing hot tea and a shoulder to lean on. However, Dex feels like there is something missing from their life, prompting the main themes of the book. What do humans need? How do they achieve it within their limited lifespan? How do we find happiness and satisfaction within our world?A major theme of the book is sustainability. Chambers uses the split of robots from humankind and the way people have adjusted their lives to be more sustainable as a launching point for her signature take on a better humankind. However, one of the reasons I love her writing so much is that she doesn't create utopian societies. Despite living in a seemingly wonderful and beautiful place, Dex feels out of place and unfulfilled. In this way, her worlds and her characters always feel so incredibly relatable.I really loved the use of tea and tea rituals to anchor us to this world and way of life. Tea, of course, has a long-standing culture of comfort and sharing and I loved the way that she wove this into the book. Dex is almost like your friendly neighbourhood bartender, always happy to provide you with the drink you need and a place to escape your problems for a little while. They take on the burdens of passers-by and provides a moment of peace, even if only for a short time. In fact, I would have happily read more about their journey across the countryside, serving up comfort to those who need it.The cast of this book is a small one -- we really only follow Mosscap and Dex. While Dex took me a moment to warm to, I immediately fell in love with the wandering robot Mosscap. I am a sucker for cheerful robots trying to understand the complexities of human nature, and Mosscap was no exception. Their chipper and upbeat nature, as well as their differing takes on Dex's questions and problems, was just wonderful. I did come to appreciate Dex and their somewhat bumbling and chaotic nature and really enjoyed watching their character grow as they interacted with Mosscap and faced their problems head-on. The friendship at the core of this book is just so lovely.A Psalm for the Wild-Built was a big hit for me. I really loved what Chambers was trying to do with this book and the ideas she presented, especially sustainability and satisfaction. Much like a hot cuppa after a stressful day, A Psalm for the Wild-Built wraps the reader in warmth and sense of calm, all while making you think.

I don't read spec fic often but bought this on a whim because of the gorgeous cover illustration. I'm so glad I did. It's beautifully written with some wonderful moments that genuinely made me smile.The writing is easy without being condescending or oversimplified. The main character is relatable. The whole book carries some pretty big themes around ecology and the human condition, self, purpose, and mortality without becoming maudlin, trite, or overbearing.Most books I read get quickly donated or passed along, but this one is going to stay on my shelf. I have a feeling it's going to be in regular rotation, not only as a comfort read, but because I'm sure I will have more to discover and think about at each re-read

I love Becky Chambers. Her prose is like a warm cup of tea on an early, cold morning. The woman is a burn storyteller and although she writes in the genre of science fiction, it is not science fiction heavy.As with all her other works, this story is character driven and heavy on themes like life, death and the universal question we all ask ourselves, why are we here!Also, like most of her other works, the use of pronouns outside of he/she takes away from the fluidity of her otherwise flawless prose. The constant ‘they’ in this story can make for clunky reading, and this dampened my overall enjoyment without, however, ruining the experience.I will continue to buy any story she produces because the woman is a gift and I have no doubt she will continue to be for many years to come.

Probably the most original and interesting book I’ve read in a long time. It’s very gentle and for once a writer imagines a more utopian than dystopian future. It’s a fairly short book but still worth reading, I’ve been recommending it to friends and family.

It's a likable enough sweet short story, the backstory could have been developed a little more to help situate the narrative as I was left a little lost trying to work out where and when it was set. I found the handling of the gender neutral language clumsy.