A review by gengelcox
A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers

hopeful reflective relaxing medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes

4.0

I’ve been needing to dip into Chambers’ ouevre for some time now and reading for the Hugos ended up being the last nudge to get me to do so. I enjoyed this novella quite a lot. The focus here is on a far future where many of our current issues have been resolved, but it’s not quite utopia, especially for individuals. The primary plot here concerns one monk's need for self-actualization, achieved through the help of a robot he meets along the journey. Even though bigger events are implied—the reconnection of sentient robots with humans—the focus here is much smaller, even cozy. That’s not to say Chambers has little to say, because she gets in quite a bit of social commentary in this journey of the self.