This week we are discussing A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers, Pgs. 1-End.
Content Warning!!! This book contains situations and subjects related to: death (discussed) and mental illness.
Spoiler Warning!!! This post is full of spoilers for A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers.
Discussion:
Jac: Hello friends, and welcome to our discussion of Psalm of the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers. This is a book very unlike what we’ve read before. We don’t read a whole lot of science fiction, so this was something we were keeping our eyes peeled for when brainstorming our titles for the year. When we came across this one and found that it was also a shorter novel, we thought it would be the perfect choice for February.
This book surprised me in the best way. I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect from it but it definitely wasn’t this. This book was cozy and relatable and meaningful, in spite of taking place in a world in the far future. The idea of living in a world where humans and nature live in a much more respectful balance is lovely, as is a world that is seemingly open to the LGBTQIA community in all its forms.
Michaela: I did not know what to expect from this book but I have seen it recommended all over the internet. Lots of people said this was a cozy read, but so many people have a different idea of what cozy means. But this book definitely fits in the cozy category. Cozy with a philosophical flavoring to it. I didn’t feel like the philosophical ideas were being preachy either, if anyone knows what I’m talking about. Sometimes books that try to broach subjects such as acceptance, human history, and your role in the universe, take it to a level where you feel like the book is trying to force an idea on you. Whereas I felt like this book was a discussion between the two characters but also prompted the same discussion within myself.
I loved how the world operated in this story. Everyone participated in green energy, everyone accepted each other, everyone helped each other. It was simply part of human culture to accept, help, and respect. Obviously an idealist world but I love it; and I think that was a lot of the cozy feeling. There weren’t a lot of high stakes because the human world was trustworthy, whereas you could argue that in the majority of books some form of humanity is often the enemy.
Jac: Sometimes you just need a good low-stakes book. This is part of a series, and although I don’t know much about the other book(s), I think I would pick up the next ones happily. I loved how easy it was for Sibling Dex to change vocations. They were offered an apprenticeship if they wanted it, but their choice was respected to learn on their own. The very idea of a Tea Monk is so lovely. It reminds me of Vera and her tea, from a previous book we’ve read for Shelf Explored - each person’s situation called for a different blend, but more important than the tea was the listening ear.
Mosscap is such a lovely character. It is so eager to learn and experience and understand the humans, but it is also eager for Dex to understand it and the other robots also. I thought it was so interesting that the robots chose to let their parts break down and be recycled into other robots down the line, and that they retain little remembrances from the past lives of the parts. I also find the custom of naming themselves after the first thing they see upon gaining consciousness to be lovely and charming.
I felt like I could relate to Dex’s desire to get away into nature, into a place untouched by humans. We of course don’t have many aspects of our Earth that are untouched by humans, but I often yearn for the places where I’ve felt the closest to that. Those who know me know I talk about Oregon in an almost reverent, spiritual way - being in nature there feels almost like being in an alien environment, where I’m a world away from others, where I can be at peace by myself. I understand enjoying what you do, feeling like you’re making a difference in the world, but still waking up feeling exhausted and unsure why you’ve ended up where you have.
Michaela: The robots having an ‘Awakening’ and going so far as to decide to create their own mortality, was such a cool element to the story. The robots knew that they were created to last but that that wasn’t natural, so they decided that they won’t go against the nature they found themselves in. It felt very self-aware and so full of respect for the world they didn’t have a choice to exist in. Then the humans in this world also saw the robots leaving and decided to let them rather than try to force them to stay which is where a lot of these types of stories like to go.
This book did a wonderful job of approaching difficult subjects and did so in a cozy way, it really was a beautiful read. And I found myself feeling emotional at different lines such as “We don’t have to fall into the same category to be of equal value”, “Ashamed of a past they’d never seen”, and “You are allowed to just live”. These lines or ideas are things we face every day in our lives. In our current society there is a huge emphasis and focus on finding your purpose, just like Dex was feeling, when not everyone needs a purpose. Existing is enough. Mosscap’s views on human culture were so comforting, it felt like it was pointing out these things that should be obvious but are actually extremely hard for us to accept within ourselves. I truly loved this book and I think it’s one of those stories that will stick with you.
That’s it for this one, friends! Until next time!
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