Science Fiction for the Soul

There is so much fresh and exciting science fiction out there for readers these days. So much so that it can feel daunting to find stories that you love, that appeal to your particular reading sensibilities, and that leave you feeling like the book was a worthwhile investment in time and money.

Serialized books are plentiful in the genre. In fact, science fiction fans LOVE a good series because they can dive into book after book and escape into some incredible worlds through those stories, tripping from one adventure to the next.

One of those series adventures is the The Murderbot Diaries, and while it came recommended by a friend, I was left underwhelmed by the first book, All Systems Red. I stopped reading it mostly due to my annoyance with the main character. I probably wasn’t in the best head space to read the story, so I have put it down for now and will attempt it at a time when I have more mental bandwidth for unlikable characters.

When I explained to my local indie bookstore owner that I hadn’t enjoyed Murderbot, and why, and she recommended Becky Chambers to me as she writes more upbeat sci-fi. I started with the Monk and Robot Series.

A Psalm for the Wild-Built captivated me with it’s gentle cadence, philosophical and natural world-focused story. The beauty of the friendship that develops between the tea monk, Sibling Dex, and Splendid Speckled Mosscap (just goes by Mosscap most of the time), the robot that has sought out a human exchange to check in on the people of Panga, is original and full of the spark of curiosity.

It is the robot’s curiosity and the way the pair engage that over time feels warm, funny, and authentic. At first, Dex is reluctant to be in the company of the robot, but soon it is obvious they need each other. The relationship takes on a subtle symbiosis, and the gradual warming and development of trust comes to play a very important role as Dex confronts their inner troubles.

Mosscap learns to be a friend, Dex learns to be more accommodating, and together they achieve a new understanding of themselves, and of each other, as well as the environment that they find themselves in as they journey together.

The agency each character has is powerful when viewed in the narrative framework, and I get the feeling that this aspect of each character in relation to the other is vitally important to the author. Chambers also weaves a natural magic through the story that feels comforting and real, despite the setting being other-worldly. The story is written with care, the words chosen to convey a message of hope, wonder, friendship, and personal growth.

I was thoroughly charmed by the first novella, and am saving the second one, A Prayer for the Crown-Shy (the book I bought is the two novellas combined) for when I need a gentle pick-me-up.

I recommend A Psalm for the Wild-Built to readers who enjoy science fiction that feels like a space hug, like Moon Joy, like hope and love.

I will have a review of A Prayer for the Crown-Shy some time in the Fall.

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