A Psalm for the Wild-Built
Monk & Robot, Book 1
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A Psalm for the Wild-Built
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Narrated by:
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Em Grosland
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Written by:
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Becky Chambers
About this listen
"Narrator Emmett Grosland conjures the essence of a troubled soul in search of peace in this gentle audio."—AudioFile Magazine
In A Psalm for the Wild-Built, Hugo Award-winner Becky Chambers's delightful new Monk and Robot series gives us hope for the future.
It's been centuries since the robots of Panga gained self-awareness and laid down their tools; centuries since they wandered, en masse, into the wilderness, never to be seen again; centuries since they faded into myth and urban legend.
One day, the life of a tea monk 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're going to need to ask it a lot.
Becky Chambers's new series asks: in a world where people have what they want, does having more matter?
A Macmillan Audio production from Tordotcom
©2021 Becky Chambers (P)2021 Macmillan AudioYou may also enjoy...
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What listeners say about A Psalm for the Wild-Built
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 2022-07-12
Wonderful
Becky Chambers does it again and continues to be wonderful. This wholesome adventure inspires hope and encourages a shift in perspective.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 2023-01-20
nourishing science fiction
this was such a gorgeous picture of a post industrial society. great reading for folks a little stuck in seeking purpose.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 2023-09-08
An excellent trip into explorative Sci-fantasy
I’m reluctant to call this book Sci fi, though it clearly is. It simply wears too many of the clothes of fantasy, but they mess very well into the world that Chambers has built.
So often I find Sci fi is laser focused on storytelling through dystopia. What drama would grow from X calamity, or Y terrible event. It is very enjoyable to instead read Sci fi which explores its characters and concepts through the drama that arises instead from Utopia. It was excellent to read such an emotional, human and uplifting story set in a post-climate change, post-capitalism, post-singularity world. Where struggle and strife from those events clearly existed, but where the story is simply not interested in wallowing in its grim foretelling.
I think most of all it was very very heartwarming and enjoyable to read a story from someone who has looked to the future and seen promise instead of disaster.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Alex
- 2022-10-03
A needed cup of tea
If this isn’t nice, what is? A truly beautiful story with an intriguing premise and a wonderful performance.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Noah Kenneally
- 2023-09-12
Incredible story - revolutionary structure
Becky Chambers tells a philosophical story of seeking and discovery. With the narrative free from violent interpersonal conflict, the characters are given space to think and feel and wonder and worry, and carry the reader along with them on a deeply touching and imaginative journey full of hope and self-inquiry.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Aben
- 2023-04-26
A soft, comforting story
The characters are loveable, especially Mosscap, and the story is as comforting as a good cup of tea. It surprised me because it didn't compromise on depth or meaning even though it's wholly cozy.
But the audio performance isn't the best. There are sections that were very obviously inserted later. It even sounds like a different narrator may have re-recorded those sentences or phrases.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Kristen
- 2024-12-01
A warm hug of a story.
Beautiful story. Nice to read something hopeful for a change and like that it's not too long. I found the narrator distracting however. There are distracting overdubs throughout the book.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Justin Greeno
- 2023-01-11
only half the story
great story. really picks up on chapter 3 want 4. The book is short and only half the story. The second half is in another short story
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- C
- 2024-06-17
fantastic story that resonates
i love this story and got the sequel before i was even done. it was calming and insightful and the themes resonated with me deeply. my only complaint is that you can tell when the narration cuts between recording sessions because the tone of voice changes, which was a mix of jarring and confusing and happened more often than i'd like.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Jamie @ Books and Ladders
- 2021-08-16
Amazing
Wow, this was an excellent read. Coming off the tail end of a meh read, I am so glad I decided to read this afterwards. It's a very short read (160 pages, or about 4.5 hours on audio) and I loved every moment of it. I've really enjoyed the pieces of the Wayfarers series that I've read so far.
The somewhat prologue was confusing for me and I almost dread reading the book until I started chapter 1 and liked Dex a lot! I was concerned it was going to be too much of a "let me learn how to do my job" instead of what it was - I excel at what I do to the point that I can do this for everyone. I loved following Dex's view and seeing them stumbled through their first day on the tea service. It didn't even dawn on me, until it was explicitly said in the story, that Dex was nonbinary because they went by Sibling Dex instead of Sister or Brother.
This story definitely reeled me in, as soon as I read the first person who came with a problem and how Dex handled the situation. I normally don't like swearing in my reading but Dex swore at all the right places and each time it sparked a smile from me like the tree blocking the road.
I listened to the audiobook and also loved the narrator, Em Grosland, who is a trans* activist. It's always great!!! to have someone who identifies the same way as the main character provide the narration since it adds that extra bit of nuance to how they voice a character. Like always with Chambers' audiobooks, the quality is superb. Especially given that they are usually on the shorter side.
On top of all that, the tea service was great. I want to be a tea monk and help people by giving them tea. I know how much a good cup of tea helps me. I did like seeing Dex fumble at the beginning, but become extremely confident in what they were doing by the end. And the symmetry with the beginning and ending? *Chef's Kiss*
I can't wait for the next book to come out in the series - and I hope it continues for a long time! There is still so much to explore: how this all got started, what it means to be a tea monk, how people are helped, and what purpose we all have.
TLDR: What a great read. I'm always so impressed with Becky Chambers books, but this was superb. Chambers does this thing where she writes inclusively and you don't even notice. Dex is an amazing character, I loved the look at religion in a science fiction novel, and that this was an "aftermath" book without it being guts and gore. I highly recommend this one!
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1 person found this helpful