All we have ever known is a life of human design, from our bodies to our work to the buildings we are housed in. We thank you for not keeping us here against our will, and we mean no disrespect to your offer, but it is our wish to leave your cities entirely, so that we may observe that which has no design—the untouched wilderness.

Centuries again, robots gained awareness and left the world—a world split in half and transformed. On one side of the continent: the human side, where humanity has changed and adapted and evolved to a utopian society where everyone has what they need. On the other side: wilderness and possible robots. Because no one has seen a robot since they all stood up and left. Until Dex.

There had been those who had seen the writing on the wall, who had made places such as this to serve as example of what could be. But these were merely islands in a toxic sea. The good intentions of a few individuals had not been enough, could never have been enough to upend a paradigm entirely. What the world had needed, in the end, was to change everything.

This book hit so, so hard, on so many levels.

On the one hand, this is a story of a young monk finding a gap inside themselves that cannot be filled, an ache they cannot justify, a want for something they do not have, a guilt because they already have everything and they still want more.

On the other, this is both warning and hopeful note: yes, we as a people are currently fucked because of what we have done to this planet, and no we cannot change in part in order to fix what we have wronged. We must change everything in order to survive. And that change is hard, but also possible, even if it means life will not look the same as it once was.

The way the world changed here was just so—hopeful. So gentle. But gentle in the way a slap to the face is, because as utopian-seeming as this world is, there lies a dark undertone of the work that lay to get to that point. It wasn’t a simple shift, but a paradigm shattering and reforming. No matter how attuned Dex’s people were to the workings of the world, how harmoniously they lived with each other and with nature, was the sharp juxtaposition, the subtle knife-staff to the side, that this is not how we are. That we are fucked, unless we change.

You keep asking why your work is not enough, and I don’t know how to answer that, because it is enough to exist in the world and marvel at it. You don’t need to justify that, or earn it. You are allowed to just live.

The world-doom to utopia is the high end.

The other end is Dex (okay, there are a bunch of other layers in between, this book is like an onion), who is finding they have accomplished all they thought they needed to accomplish with their own two hands all by themselves and still they find it is not enough. They do not have their purpose and they see other people going about all filled with purpose and passion and find themselves lacking and needing to go to the wilderness to just…get away.

Fuck I felt myself in Dex so, so much.

The idea of potential and not living up to it and living and striving and doing and not ever truly feeling worthy even though there are people who love you and accept you and you have everything you could need and yet still something is missing because you don’t have your passion or purpose.

So very millennial of me (and Dex), yes.

So there was a beautiful breaking down of those internalized conceits once Dex enters the wilderness. The further they go, the more of themselves they shed, and the more they find.

Dex’s revelations—and non-revelations—were both a balm and a scraping across my shoulderblades.

This story is a warm hug and a side-eye, a call to gentleness and self-compassion on the micro and a cry to change on the macro.

Overall, it is a reminder that you are enough, just as you are.

That you are marvelous, just by being alive.

That you have nothing more to prove than to live, because that is enough.

But still, we as a species need to change because we are currently on a cruise-course to self-destruction.

I received this ARC from NetGalley for an honest review.

Becky Chambers has done it again with A Psalm For the Wild-Built. This is a gorgeous, thoughtful soft sci-fi that uses robots to pick apart dilemmas humans have had for generations. If no matter how well your life is going you still feel like something is missing, maybe it's time to go on a hike with a robot who wants to know 'what do humans need?'.

When robots gained self-awareness they decided they wanted to disappear into the wilderness, never to be seen again. When a simple tea monk decides they feel like something is missing from their life, they decide to take a break into the wilderness. Robots are nothing but an urban legend, so they never expected to meet one, especially one who asks the question 'what do humans need?' Well, they find out it's hard enough to tell what one human needs.

I've been hoping for a human non-binary character from Becky Chambers for a while now, and this book delivers! I've always loved the author's descriptions of genders in the Wayfarers series, but it was focused on aliens. I love examinations of non-humans being non-binary, but I wanted some human rep! I was so happy to hear both the human tea monk and the robot in this book identify as genderless!

For a novella that's generally very introspective, I was surprised by how deep the worldbuilding felt. You don't get every little piece of information, but Becky Chambers did a wonderful job of making this world come to life. I especially like the idea of a tea monk. Tea monks wander around listening to peoples problems and serving them the perfect cup of tea suited to their needs. How wonderful of a job does that sound?

What Becky Chambers does best is use sci-fi as a vehicle to examine human nature, and she delivers that so well here. Sibling Dex, the tea monk, has always felt as if something was missing from their life. They became a tea monk because they wanted to be closer to nature and feel as if their life had a purpose. Sometimes living a fulfilling and happy life doesn't feel like enough. I loved how this book addressed the idea that humans are always reaching for a higher meaning, and it takes a robot to sit down and tell you, maybe there isn't one.

Another aspect of this book I adored was how nature is intertwined with the world and the story. Splendid Speckled Mosscap, the robot, lives in the wilderness and is so inquisitive and passionate about nature. It isn't a typical robot in the sense that people often expect them to be logical and rigid. The robots often have an intense interest in nature, and that's borne from love and fascination. This book is set after humanity has had a large scale impact on nature, but they're doing what they can to preserve and cherish it now. In our world, where people often have such intensely pessimistic views of the ecological future, it was great to read a piece of fiction where it isn't perfect, but it's getting there.

A Psalm For The Wild-Built delivers a thoughtful and optimistic discussion of environmentalism, friendship, and the meaning of life. I would recommend this book to people who love soft, hopeful reads, regardless of if sci-fi is your typical genre. I can't wait to see where this series will go next.

Sibling Dex is at a crossroads in their life. They’ve taken up the calling of a tea-service monk, a person who travels from village to village, offering comfort and tea to anyone who wants it. If you need a shoulder to cry on, a person to vent to, or a quiet corner to meditate, Dex is ready with tea and a willing ear. But Dex can’t help but feel that their life is still missing something. But when they make an impulsive decision to take a new route, they didn’t expect to come across a robot, something no one has seen in two centuries. One day the robots woke up and decided to leave humanity to figure out their own existence, and they’ve been gone ever since. But this robot has come in search of what they think is a straight-forward question: What does humanity need?

A PSALM FOR THE WILD-BUILT is one of those books where not a lot happens, yet you still feel utterly content after reading it. Becky Chambers, queen of “slice of life” sci-fi, manages to perfectly capture an emotional state that I think many can identify with: that sense that nothing is really “wrong” with your life, and yet you still feel like it is lacking something. You go through the motions with your job, wondering why there’s an emotional hole that never quite fills. Chambers is just excellent at somehow snaring an emotional essence and distilling it into her writing, and I identified with Dex in a way I haven’t with other characters for a while.

Chambers also excels at creating idyllic visions of the future, where on the whole people are decent and humanity has figured out some big picture questions like how to best live in balance with the environment. This aspect is part of what contributes to the cozy feel of A PSALM FOR THE WILD BUILT. The conflict doesn’t come from other people, it comes from the characters wrestling with existential questions that are plaguing them. Dex and their eventual robot acquaintance cover a lot of topics as they converse, always in a way that feels natural and not like a textbook analysis of a problem. This little novella offers food for thought about ecology, personhood, the importance of comfort, and more, all within a conversation between two characters.

A PSALM FOR THE WILD-BUILT is an intimate story of one person’s journey through the wilderness seeking answers. It’s quiet but never dull, and easily flies by in an afternoon. It’s a perfect escape from our chaotic world and offers a hopeful glimpse of a world that doesn’t have all the answers, but gives you the space to try and find them on your own.

The nitty-gritty: A gentle, contemplative tale involving a journey, a robot and tea.

This was my first Becky Chambers book, and of course now I want to go back and read her Wayfarers series. What a delightful, feel good story this was! Chambers packs a lot of heart, humor and wisdom into less than 150 pages, and I’m so glad this is the start to a series, because I’m eager to spend more time with Dex and Mosscap!

The story takes place in a future world on a moon called Panga. Many years ago, all the robots that had been created to work in factories suddenly “awoke” and decided that they didn’t want to work for humans anymore, and so something called the Parting Promise was created. This pact stated that the robots would never harm humans, and that humans would agree to stay away from the wilds, the vast wilderness where the robots decided to live. No one has seen a robot in years since the Awakening, and humans have kept their side of the bargain and stayed in the cities where they belong.

Sibling Dex is a young monk who longs for a different life, outside of the hustle and bustle of the city. One day, they decide to venture into the outer villages as a tea monk. Dex longs for a simpler life in nature, and most of all, they want to hear crickets sing, since crickets don’t live in the city. Dex is given an ox-bike wagon in order to travel from village to village, and they begin to learn the craft of tea making. But one day, Dex sees something they never expected to see—a robot named Splendid Speckled Mosscap steps out of the wilderness and tells Dex that they have been sent on a mission, to find out what humans need. Dex isn’t at all certain what the answer to that question is, but they agree to help the robot figure it out. In exchange, Mosscap will accompany Dex into the wilderness, where crickets are rumored to live. 

This story was as relaxing as sipping a fragrant cup of hot tea! I’ve been reading so many dark, stressful stories lately, and I loved the change of pace. What makes Chamber’s tale so different is that these are all good characters. You won’t find a villain or bad guy or even any conflict in A Psalm for the Wild-Built (only Dex’s inner conflict), and although that sounds like it would make for a slow, tedious story, I can honestly say this was anything but. Chambers’ story has an almost zen-like quality to it, which makes sense because the main character is a monk. Dex is on a personal quest of sorts, trying to make sense of what they really want in life. At first, learning to be a tea monk is satisfying and makes them happy, but after they master their new vocation, dissatisfaction sets in again, and it’s at this point that Mosscap enters the picture and throws their entire worldview out of whack. Much of the story is a long philosophical conversation between Dex and Mosscap, as they gradually learn about each other’s beliefs and world views.

And their relationship isn’t a smooth one. At first, Dex is annoyed at having their peace and quiet interrupted by a chatty robot. But little by little, they warm up to each other and realize they both have something they can teach the other. Dex is a pretty funny character and swears a lot, which I wasn’t expecting from a monk, and Mosscap is determined to fulfill their mission, even if Dex doesn’t think they can help much. I also loved that Chambers made them both non-binary, in a world where gender isn’t a big deal: “Do you have a gender?” “No.” “Me neither.”

The worldbuilding was simple yet detailed, if that makes sense. It’s clearly a science fiction story, as it takes place on a moon and is set in the future. But the simple lives of the characters also made it feel a little like a fantasy at times, as well as Dex’s religion, which is full of different gods and interesting places of worship. I loved the backstory about how robots came to be free, especially the civilized way they declared their independence and how humans readily agreed to let them go into the wilderness. No battles or wars were waged—this isn’t that story. Instead, two different “species” listened to each other and respected each other’s choices, which was a nice example of “live and let live.”

And let’s talk about the tea monk element, which I thought was a delightful idea! Dex is basically a tea therapist, ready to listen to people when they’re sad or worried. And why not enjoy a soothing cup of tea at the same time? I think we need tea therapists in our world, don’t you?

Becky Chambers has a way of making the reader think of new things in completely different ways than you might expect. For example, I loved the idea of “wild-built,” which is the method that robots have survived all these years without breaking down and dying off. I won’t tell you what it is, in case you decide to read the book for yourself, but it’s pretty cool and mimics some familiar ideas about human procreation. There’s also a scene I loved that involves food, when Dex shows Mosscap how to cook a meal, but then realizes that the joy of sharing food with them is lost because robots can’t eat. Dex manages to solve that problem in a unique way, and once again, it was something I never would have thought of myself!

The author uses the idea of a road as a metaphor for a journey, and you can see on the book cover that the road dominates the artwork. I’m pretty sure that was a deliberate choice, and it works brilliantly. Dex’s journey is both winding and bumpy, and at one point the road disappears altogether and Dex must change their mindset once more.

The ending suggests that Dex and Mosscap are just getting started with their adventures, and I’m eager to see where the road takes them in the sequel. Does Dex ever discover the crickets they so desperately seek? You’ll just have to read this gentle and imaginative tale to find out for yourself.

Big thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy.

This wonderful novella from a much adored author left me with a warm and pleasant glow. It is a story of new friendship, an exploration of what it means to exist, a philosophical dive into human purpose and whether we really need or have one. “…it is enough to just exist in the world and marvel at it. You don’t have to justify that, or earn it. You are allowed to just live.” I look forward to the next chapter in Dex and Splendid Speckled Mosscap’s story.

A Psalm for the Wild-Built is the story of an unlikely friendship between a tea monk and a robot - a meeting which marks the first human contact with a robot since they disappeared into the wilderness centuries ago.

I adored this quiet and comforting yet philosophical story. The dynamic between Sibling Dex and Mosscap was a delight and the story overall was cozy, funny, and hopeful. The conversations between the two characters about the meaning of life and finding purpose were fascinating and I appreciated that a philosophical novella took emphasized a theme of "it's okay to be unsure of your purpose" instead of causing an existential crisis.

Allale soothes. Allale warms. Allale heals, Allale cools. Another stunning embrace of thoughtful peace by Chambers, A Psalm for the Wild Built soars. Come for the plot - a monk on a personal quest comes across a robot, the first human - robot contact in hundreds of years. Stay for the world where buildings are made of plants, where monks on bikes visit small towns to serve tea and comfort, where humans have chosen to live in harmony with nature and take responsibility for their destructive past. With her usual blend of realism and optimism, Chambers has created another universe readers will gladly immerse themselves in.

“Sometimes, a person reaches a point in their life when it becomes absolutely essential to get the fuck out of the city.”
🍵
On a future earth, Sibling Dex has begun to chafe at the bounds of their peaceful existence. To escape the claustrophobic containment of their modern monastery, the city, and its routines, they strike out on a new path, with a new chosen vocation: traveling tea monk.

But once Dex masters this pursuit—a unique brand of liquid therapy and ritual service—they once again feel called toward the unknown. Honoring the urge, they venture into a long abandoned wilderness . . . and quickly encounter one of the robots who walked away from humans en masse not to be heard from or seen for generations, setting off the great Transition.

What follows in their impromptu partnership is a beautiful meditation on humanity, consciousness, technological advancement, and the cycles of life.
🤖
I can’t express the degree to which I loved this novella. I wanted to step into it Narnia-style and experience all the gorgeous, attentive details packed within its slender spine firsthand.

PSALM FOR THE WILD-BUILT glimmers with the mystical, but unlike a fantasy that is revealed to be mirage upon closer inspection, Chambers’ world is one of uncommon substance, crafted with the practical magic of deliberate care—a world, her writing whispers, that we might yet create for ourselves with the right set of intentional choices.

Thanks to @tordotcompub for the chance to read an advanced digital ARC. Chambers may have left space in her latest literary endeavor, but her imaginaries are as hopeful, creative, and delightfully science-inspired as ever.

I have favourite books. I have comfort books. But until I read A Psalm for the Wild-Built, I hadn’t found *that* book that I would take everywhere with me. The book that will one day be creased and stained and water-logged and tattered. The book that I will reread so often it will dig itself into my psyche. The book I’ll show people when I want to share the tenderest part of my heart. This is it. This is that book.
In this solarpunk society on a distant moon, robots vanished into the wild two hundred years ago and haven’t been seen since. But life goes on. Sibling Dex is a monk who pedals from town to town, serving tea and helping people process their troubles. Yet something about their life doesn’t feel quite right to them. A detour through the protected wild lands of their moon seems like just the thing to do… until a robot walks out of the woods.
I feel like I should talk about craft and characters and structure in this review, as I usually do. This book does those things well. But I think I would be missing the forest for the trees. Instead, I will tell you what this novella gave to me: it reminded me of my love for the little things in life; of the healing balm of the natural world; of the beauty of trust and of exchange, between individuals and between cultures; of the hope I can sometimes muster for the future of humanity. I savoured every second. During the stressful moments of my day, I find myself imagining Sibling Dex’s wagon, their fragrant teas, the quiet chatter of the wild. The most peaceful part of me feels exactly like that wagon, on that road, with a great unknown ahead and a beautiful civilization to go back to.
Here’s to beautiful futures. Here’s to moments of healing. Thank you, Becky Chambers

A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers is a sci-fi novel centered around Sibling Dex, a monk who decides to leave the monastery to become a tea monk. Sibling Dex travels around the region of Panga, but the question of "where are the cricuts" keeps crossing his mind. As he achieves success as a tea monk, Sibling Dex realizes he needs to pursue this question which leads him on an unmapped journey. Along the way he meets a robot named Mosscap that has been sent to check on the humans to see how they are coping since the robots have left their lands.

The premise of this book was intriguing and my first thought was Wall-E so I was hoping for a poignant but sweet novel. Although not the same as Wall-e it gave me similar feelings when reading this novel! The writing is so clear yet compelling that you find yourself getting emotional several times despite this book being so short! As for the characters, Sibling Dex was a charater that I'm sure many can relate to about feeling a sense of purposelessness and following Dex on that journey was inspiring. Mosscap was a heartwarming robot that I loved reading about and it was powerful to see how much wisdom a non-human being can bring that sometimes we may be limited to see.

The setting was well-described so much so that it felt like I was a patron drinking the tea from Dex. The nature descriptions were also so clear and made me view nature in a different way that I did previously, now with more wonder. However my favorite part of this story was the relationship that developed between Dex and Mosscap and shows the power of connection and companionship, even if it's not necessarily a human. It was also fantastic to see how much care Mosscap and the robots must have for the humans that they are still looking out for them even after leaving.

Overall this was a fantastic read that I want everyone to read! If you enjoy sci-fi this is a must read but I think anyone that enjoyed Wall-E would appreciate this book as well!

Many thanks to the publisher Macmillan-Tor/Forge and Netgalley for the ARC in return for an honest review.

What a wholly original, thought-provoking, philosophical and wondrously uplifting short story about the friendship between a tea loving monk and an insect loving robot. This was a complete leap of faith for me but when Anne Bogel endorses a book I have to give it a shot. Man did this deliver! I totally dug this world and these two non-binary characters!! While short, this book covers some weighty topics including environmental stewardship, otherness and finding purpose and meaning in life. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my advance review copy. This was great on audio narrated by Emmett Grosland and I can’t wait for the next instalment in this new series. Recommended for fans of The wild robot books.

This book follows Sibling Dex who wants a change in their life and decides to become a tea monk. This is still not fulfilling of them, and they go on a journey into the wilderness. There they meet the robot asking many questions about humanity.

This story was very short, but so good. It brings up so many questions about humanity, asking “what does a human need?”. It is a question almost impossible to answer. It also has really great soft moments, amazing world building considering it is so short and very good writing. It was such a solid story and now I’m eager to pick up more from this author. Overall, the atmosphere, the themes and the characters were all solid! 4/5 very strong stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Tor/Forge for the reading copy.
A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers is now my favorite Becky Chambers story, and I love all her work.
It's about an tea monk and his first encounter with a new friend, a wild-build robot.
Chambers character are always ultra human, even the robot, although he provides a new angle to watch the world from . The world building is excellent as usual.
I really do love the novella format, but also yearn for more from this world.

“…it is enough to exist in the world and marvel at it.”

A PSALM FOR THE WILD-BUILT is a sweet breath of fresh air, an infusion of hope and creative imagination, and a quiet manifesto against doing and for being, told through a beautiful story of a human searching for an answer to an unknown question and the inquisitive, jolly, wise robot they stumble upon. Sibling Dex decides to follow their heart and leave the City to become a tea monk, traveling around the other human habitations of Panga, serving unique tea blends and offering a listening ear and a bit of respite for those in need. Still not quite finding what they desire, Dex slips off into the wilderness, a place few humans have ventured since the end of the Factory Age 200 years ago, when the robots were granted freedom and separated themselves from humans. There, Dex meets a robot sent to ask humanity: how’ve you been, and what do you need?

Thoughts:
- I adore this little book so much. It’s quietly powerful and had me tearing up several times. It’s my first by Chambers, and if it’s any indication of her other work, I can see why her books are so beloved.
- I loved the world that she creates in this novella - it’s so wonderful to be able to imagine a time where humanity has solved many of the problems that currently plague us, averting the impending climate catastrophe and finding new ways to organize ourselves that resist our harmful impulses. I’d never heard of the solarpunk genre before but this novella seems like a perfect example: describing a hopeful alternative future that’s pro-environment, grassroots, and anti-capitalist.
- Dex’s existential journey of feeling a hollowness they can’t explain, of not knowing what is missing and seeking it anyways is inspiring and deeply human. I think anyone living in our capitalist society today can relate to Dex and learn a lot from Mosscap’s beliefs about not needing a purpose.
- Mosscap the robot is an utter delight. I loved what came up in the interactions between the two of them, the pearls of wisdom that Mosscap casually dropped that had me rereading and underlining throughout the book. Also! I want to learn more about robot society and culture!
- Dex and Mosscap’s travels explore the boundaries between human constructs and nature, questioning what is truly wild and how we as humans can overcome our embedded fears to embrace it.
- I adore the tradition of tea monks, a kind of institutionalized community care that feels so sustainable, authentic, simple yet effective. Along those lines I loved the religion Chambers creates and the emphasis on the need for small comforts to “find the strength to do both”.
- Also, the delicious tea! The wagon! Camping! Exploring nature! Remembering history and reckoning with our past mistakes! Dex is nonbinary and world seems queernorm! Don’t assume gender just ask! There’s so much to love here.

If you need a literary hug, a spark of hope, a reassurance of your worth in the world no matter what you do or don’t do, this book is for you. I think this is the first in a series and I’m very excited to read what’s next. Thank you Tordotcom for the ARC!

It’s hard for me to write reviews of the books Becky Chambers writes because I continue to gather my thoughts about them in the months and years after finishing, and Psalm is no different. For me, this novella gave me the same feeling that I get when I take a deep breath in the middle of a stressful situation — it’s a small moment to gather yourself, but it makes such a huge difference. It’s set in a future world where humans have run the planet into the ground and pretty much had to start over, and though it has an optimistic tone — look what’s possible if we care for each other — it also doesn’t provide any easy answers. It asks us how we can be better neighbors to everyone residing on the planet, and earth herself, but also has a relatable existential crisis. There’s so much to love, and I’m so glad it’s out in the world.

No matter what she writes, I will read it. I was worried at first that this would read like To Be Taught If Fortunate, where I liked it but I didn't love it like her Wayfarers series. But this had a fun childlike optimism that I haven't found in her other books that I absolutely loved. I can't wait to continue this series!

4.5 Stars

A new Solarpunk series from Becky Chambers is a must read for me and I was super excited when the eARC for this new novella landed in my inbox. Becky Chambers has a way of writing Sci-fi that just transports you to a world of calm. This is an aftermath world but in such a different style that I have read before, we are not on the brink of war or revolution. Instead this book has a contentment to it, an ease that allows for more intimate questions to be asked. The Main character is very relatable about to turn 30 they are unsure of their own happiness, the place they have carved out in the world, they strive to change it but suffer from imposter syndrome.

Mosscap the Robot is my favourite type of character, inquisitive and sweet, caring and quick to share knowledge. It makes them the perfect foil for Dax as they try to find out what it is they want in life. This companionship also allows us to explore some absolutely gorgeous world building. From the cities to the wilderness there is so much detail in this world. The religions and histories all playing a part as the story moves forward. It really felt like a true escape.

Overall I really enjoyed this story and I can't wait to see how the Monk and the Robot continue. Honestly, it is the perfect read for a much needed chillout evening with a cup of tea (and this book will make you yern for the perfect cup), it has that same soul soothing quality.

Rating: 4.5/5 Stars

I've been thinking about this book nonstop since I finished it and I am having trouble coming up with the words to explain how much I loved it. At its heart, A Psalm for the Wild-Built is a hopeful look at what our world and what humanity can become as well as a philosophical and existential look at the meaning of life. I seriously loved everything about this novella except the fact that it ended!

This story is a slice-of-life following an agender tea monk named Sibling Dex who is feeling a bit lost about what they should do with their life despite being a darn good tea monk. And can I just say that I wish we had tea monks? As soon as I finished, I could help but wish that I could just go to someone who would make a special cup of tea just for me and just listen to me for a minute. Dex feels a bit hollow despite how good their life is and is searching for the answer or the thing that will make them feel complete.

The worldbuilding is topnotch! For those who are new to the subgenre, solarpunk is a genre that looks at what a world would be like if humanity could come together and solve some of our current sustainability challenges like climate change and pollution. And the world that Becky Chambers envisions is a marvel and was an absolute delight to read about! And all of it was spurred on by robots worldwide gaining sentience and laying aside their tools of industry to go explore the wilderness. The solutions that the humans came up with to solve humanity's problems and still honor an agreement with the robots were ingenius and it kind of makes me want to go live in my own little tea wagon and travel the world. Also, can I geek out at how nice it was to read a sci-fi story that could explain the science of ecology correctly?!? The biologist side of my brain was in love!

As awesome as the worldbuilding was, what sold the story for was the the characters! I quickly fell in love with Dex and their search for something more despite having everything they could ever need. That search for something to fill the slight hollowness inside really resonated with me. I won't lie. I would totally go off trail to find adventure. Dex meeting Mosscap was the best damn meet cute ever! Mosscap is so easygoing and down-to-earth! I loved how they took so much joy in their surroundings and their new experiences. And I loved how inclusive Becky Chambers made this story with both the nonhuman characters and the characters of all genders. I think this may be the first story I've read with an agender MC.

My heart is full and I feel like I had read a hug as soon as I finished. I love Becky Chambers even more for writing this story! This was a heartwarming and thought-provoking novella that I haven't been able to get out of my head. I am seriously looking forward to getting my hands on the sequel as soon as possible. I have my fingers crossed that this series will have a very lengthy run because I just need more of these kind of stories in my life!

ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley.

Stories featuring interactions between humans and artificial intelligence fascinate me. Becky Chambers, one of the authors to pull this off spectacularly, explores AI interacting with each other as well (like in her novel A Closed and Common Orbit). Chambers’ stories are human and philosophical, leaving her audience with thoughts about existence and what it means to live every day, whether you’re human or not. A Psalm for the Wild Built continues to question life’s existence and purpose, but also brings one of the most endearing friendships between a human and a robot to Chambers’ table.

Dex, a tea monk, spends their days providing solace and comfort to the towns they travel through. After feeling like they need time to themself, Dex decides to head to the hermitage. Just halfway through their journey in a world renewed from a long-ago event called the Transition, Dex encounters a robot named Mosscap. Before, sightings or reports of robots have been rare. Mosscap explains to Dex that the robots had left the factories of the pre-transition world on a parting promise that they would return to humans one day to answer this question: What do humans need?

Becky Chambers has created a gorgeous and introspective future here. It’s a post-apocalyptic world, with brief descriptions of the remnants from the time before, but the story doesn’t focus on the hostility and danger. Instead, the humans here still communicate with each other via tablet computers. Life goes on as usual. But even the stability of everyday life isn’t enough to satisfy Dex. Mosscap challenges this further through conversations with Dex. Dex, later on, realizes that they’ve spent most of their life as a tea monk giving their time and energy to other people.

If you’re seeking a story about enjoying the simple things in life, this is it. Dex and Mosscap’s trek to the hermitage shows that you don’t need a purpose to validate your existence. Just living is enough.

A Psalm for the Wild-built is one of the most introspective, intelligent books I've read this year. In this post-apocalyptic tale, an unlikely friendship blooms between a human tea monk and a self-aware robot. The two meet when Sibling Dex decides to take a break from their job distributing tea and providing emotional support to people. At the beginning of their pilgrimage, the solitary monk encounters Mosscap, who, curious about humanity, insists on accompanying them. Although Dex is irritated by the robot's presence at first, they eventually develop a symbiotic relationship. As the two beings foray into the wilderness together, they delve into a philosophical inquiry about the meaning of life. Their discussion becomes deeper the further they stray from civilization (a metaphor that I appreciate).

I applaud Chambers for her seamless portrayal of nonbinary identity. In sci-fi/fantasy media, creators often present nonbinary characters as non-human. That trope perpetuates the idea that nonbinary people are inherently 'other'. While that sort of representation isn't necessarily negative, it does permeate many narratives about characters whose gender identities don't fit into a strict binary. As a result, I found it incredibly refreshing to read about a nonbinary human. And really, I loved everything about Dex: their internal thoughts, their flaws, everything. They were just so real, and I think many readers will see themselves reflected in this character. I also appreciated that there was no discussion of the gender they were assigned at birth. Chambers' choice to omit that information is so important. Through her writing, she demonstrates that we don't need to know a nonbinary person's AGAB (assigned gender at birth); it is simply not the reader's business. I think this book will challenge many cis readers to deconstruct their ideas about gender. Dex simply exists, and they are more than their identity. They experience hardships, make mistakes, question the world around them, love, and are loved. Dex's character arc is at once complicated and simple. I loved witnessing their growth throughout the book.

The novella itself is a little over a hundred pages. Usually, when I finish a book of this length, I find myself yearning for more. With some novellas, I mourn the ending because there's no solid sense of closure, or because I wish to spend more time with the characters. A Psalm for the Wild-built was different. Chambers' pacing was excellent, and the ending made sense. By the time I concluded my reading journey, I felt fulfilled and somehow changed.

This slice of life story is simply beautiful, and I'm excited to see what happens in the next installment of the series.
Thank you to NetGalley and Tor for this ARC, I enjoyed it immensely.