Table of Contents
Preamble
At this point I don’t think it is surprising to anyone that reads this blog that I am a huge fan of Becky Chambers’ writing. I think she is the best contemporary sci-fi writer around. So when I saw that there is a new paperback edition of her Monk and Robot series that combines the two novellas into one book I took it as a sign that I should read this particular duology as soon as possible.
The timing was just right, after finishing the Daevabad trilogy I wanted a palate cleanser and I happen to be at a local book store this past Saturday and saw a copy of Monk and Robot on the shelves which I immediately bought. I started the book on Sunday and finished it in one sitting.
The Monk and Robot duology consists of two novellas (~150 pages each) – the first called A Psalm for the Wild-Built and the second called A Prayer for the Crown Shy. The first book came out in 2021 and second in 2022 so these have been around for a few years now.
Let’s get into it.
Rambling about the book and uh existence?
Every Becky Chambers book has a certain humane vibe running through it – they aren’t cozy, the Wayfarer books deal with some fairly serious topics throughout and describing them as cozy would be a mischaracterization. This duology however leans into the cozy speculative fiction vibes hard and applies solarpunk flavor to it.
The duology follows two main characters – the tea monk Dex and the robot Mosscap as they interact with each other and the lush world around them. Mosscap is on a journey to understand humans and their needs and Dex is on a journey to find purpose. And that is why I think this duology of books as a meditation on the nature of existence.
Fundamentally, the books ask the following questions – What is our purpose? Do we need a purpose? Can we just exist? One of the main characters here Dex has by all appearances got it all and yet they feel a sense of dissatisfaction with their existence, a certain void that manifests in this desire to get the fuck out of the city as the book so eloquently puts it.
I am feeling this book in my soul. These are questions I have been thinking about quite a bit over the last few months. Oscillating between bouts of depression and existential dread leaves me with plenty of mental bandwidth for such questions. The charming and quirky robot Mosscap says that it is fine to just exist. It is a correct and yet dissatisfying answer. Like, that’s it? No grand revelation about the nature of existence and the meaning of life?
No, sometimes the answer is just that mundane and Becky Chambers cuts right to the chase with it. These books pontificate quite a bit but it never felt like I was reading a philosophical text or a moral fable. The author weaves the philosophical musing into the story in a way that feels just right.
Conclusions I Guess
At this point I feel like a broken clock going on about the wonders of Becky Chambers writing. If you enjoy reading speculative fiction go read her books. This duology is perhaps more approachable and accessible than the Wayfarers series, a gateway drug if you will. Read it, and if you find yourself enamored with the writing go read the Wayfarer series.
I am going to go back to overthinking the nature of existence. Or stare blankly out into the distance while soft piano plays in my headphones. Whichever feels right. See y’all later.
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