A Psalm for the Wild-Built
Centuries before, robots of Panga gained self-awareness, laid down their tools, wandered, en masse into the wilderness, never to be seen again. They faded into myth and urban legend.
Now the life of the tea monk who tells this story is upended by the arrival of a robot, there to honor the old promise of checking in. The robot cannot go back until the question of “what do people need?” is answered. But the answer to that question depends on who you ask, and how. They will need to ask it a lot. Chambers’ series asks: in a world where people have what they want, does having more matter?
A Prayer for the Crown-Shy
After touring the rural areas of Panga, Sibling Dex (a Tea Monk of some renown) and Mosscap (a robot sent on a quest to determine what humanity really needs) turn their attention to the villages and cities of the little moon they call home.
They hope to find the answers they seek, while making new friends, learning new concepts, and experiencing the entropic nature of the universe.
Becky Chambers’s new series continues to ask: in a world where people have what they want, does having more even matter?
They’re going to need to ask it a lot.
My Take
I’ve been saving these books until I was ready to savor them. It was time, after reading a particularly dark and violent couple of books, for something more calming. It’s like a tea service in book form. I love the idea of a tea service; something I think a lot of people could use. Dex and Mosscap are so fun to hang out with, and I would love to go on vacation in Panga. Okay, I think I’d like to live in Panga. Just read these books. They’re so good, just like her Wayfarers series.