Becky Chambers’ cozy, genre-bending “Monk and Robot” duology is a gentle offer to slow down and appreciate the minute joys of life. With the modern holiday season creeping into a celebration of consumerism, Chambers’ eloquently written novels shift focus and gratitude toward community, nature and the act of sharing.
The books, “A Psalm for the Wild-Built” and “A Prayer for the Crown-Shy” follow the adventures of a traveling tea-monk named Dex, and Mosscap, a curious robot that comes from a group of accidentally-sentient technology. The novels are dystopian in nature and technically science fiction. However, at 147 and 149 pages respectively, they are reminiscent of the chapter books that many readers may have devoured over school break when they were young. Chambers writes with eloquent prose directed toward adult readers, but with a wistful and imaginative tone which speaks to the inner child.
The duology explores a future influenced by the fallout of what is referred to as the Factory Age, a time of over-reliance on technology which, by unknown means, gains consciousness. At this point, the robots, which have become sentient and self-aware, choose to separate from human society, going to wild spaces, and (believe it or not) humans respect that decision. The novels break standard dystopian conventions through their slow plot and focus on ecology. Unlike many narratives in the genre, robots in Chambers’ duology love nature and adopt special interests in life and the earth.
`After generations of separation, the inquisitive robots wish to understand the current state of humanity and what people might need. However, Mosscap’s pressing question: What do humans need?, may be more complicated to answer than they expected.
Through the adventures of Mosscap and Dex, Chambers explores community, gratitude and purpose. Chambers’ writing celebrates the joy of being in nature, and the respect with which it is necessary to approach other people, places and animals. The cozy novels, “A Psalm for the Wild Built,” and “A Prayer for the Crown-Shy” work seamlessly in tandem, and are best read together.
Chambers has a nearly poetic way of writing, in which she weaves nature-focused metaphors for navigating the human experience. In the deep woods, Dex and Mosscap consider the ethics of human construction and the comforts of a paved path and a hot shower. They discuss the life cycles of leeches, parasites and wild dogs, and how their role greatly influences and benefits the ecosystems which they are a part of. These experiences are deeply rooted in nature and are a refreshing reminder for readers to give time, energy and gratitude to the people and structures around us which help our personal successes.
The duo inspects the mysteries of crown-shyness, a nod to the second book’s title, and how high-towering trees avoid the top-most foliage of other giants in the forest, creating a stunning pattern and highly efficient environment. Crown-shyness is an unexplained phenomenon in which the strongest trees make room for the success of new growth in the forest.
“Despite their number and close proximity, none of the treetops were touching one another. It was as though someone had taken an eraser and run it cleanly through the canopy, transforming each tree into its own small island contained within a definitive border of blue sky.”
While a lovely duology, the novels don’t cater to readers that long for high-stakes or strong plots, but rather focus on the relationship between Dex and Mosscap, and their interactions with the world around them. However, with an incredibly atmospheric tone and very low-stakes, they offer a great option for those who don’t read much or for readers in a bit of a slump.
The duology promotes a focus on mindfulness, slowing down and being present which can pose a significant challenge in the everyday lives of many readers. With personal responsibilities, busy holiday schedules and a challenging environmental and political climate, Chambers encourages her readers to evaluate the importance of showing up and being kind–both to themselves and others. Through an exploration of what people need, Dex and Mosscap are perfect vessels for readers to gently consider Mosscap’s own fundamental question: How are you doing?
While strongly introspective in nature, Chambers also does a phenomenal job of highlighting the reality of discomfort amidst awe in wild spaces and universal hesitations about being alive. Her humorous tone lightens the strong themes and Dex can frequently be comedically relatable in their struggles. The first line of “Prayer” begins:
“The thing about fucking off to the woods is that unless you are a very particular, very rare sort of person, it does not take long to understand why people left said woods in the first place.”
Through this lighthearted tone, Chambers guides her readers through not only an introspective look at what is valuable in life, but the role of death in creating and amplifying this value.
In one scene, Dex and Mosscap reflect on the forest around them and their relationships with bugs and plants and the people around them. Dex questions if Mosscap can die, and the robot admits that robots collectively decided to not replace their own parts, so that they too experience an end, just like everything else. At the end of the conversation, Mosscap considers the earth beneath itself, and how everything is in the process of dying.
“It absently touched a soft fern growing nearby, petting the fronds like fur. ‘I think there’s something beautiful about being lucky enough to witness a thing on its way out.’”
During the months of turkey leftovers and wrapping paper scraps, Becky Chambers and her cozy duology offer readers a chance to reflect on the things in their own lives that serve them and bring joy. Chambers re-focuses on living slowly and intentionally, combating the commonly adopted holiday habits of elaborate gift-buying, expensive travel or purchasing cheaply-produced decorations. The slow-plot and ecology focus offer a perfect reprieve for all readers looking to reflect on the season and on themselves.
