The Robot and Monk Series

These books are just so lovely. In what other novels can you immerse yourself in the adventures of two non-binary friends, enjoying the hospitality of others and visiting their happy polycule family? Becky Chambers envisions a future in which things are actually a lot less judgmental, and overall just a lot better. 

So far, Becky Chambers's Robot and Monk series consists of two novellas about the adventures of Dex and their robot companion, Mosscap. The first is A Psalm for the Wild-Built, followed by A Prayer for the Crown-Shy.  

We follow a non-binary monk, called Dex, after the fall of the world as we know it. They decide to take on tea service, a role that sees Dex listening to their patrons' problems and prescribing the appropriate tea to alleviate their burdens. For example, a strung-out new father is given tea to help him sleep. 

Dex moves from village to village, becomes a tea service expert, but soon grows restless. They enter the wild, a space that has been taken over by nature and robots. They soon encounter a robot called Mosscap who has volunteered to investigate a question for humans on behalf of all robots- what do humans need? 

Well, it turns out in this post-capitalist society, people want for nothing. Currency has been abolished. Rather, people trade in acts of service. The villages Dex moves through have a real sense of community and support. 

This isn't to say that these stories don't have their points of tension. The main issue is that Dex feels a need to figure out their purpose in life. Despite their monastic beliefs, they feel lost and dissatisfied with the life they lead. In a relatable trajectory, Dex finds that their choices only result in temporary relief from their existential dread. 

These books couldn't have come to me at a better time. Over the last few years, I have moved from goal to goal, which has kept me satisfied for a time. However, like Dex, I have reached an idle moment in my life that has had me reflecting on my next direction. Unlike Dex, I don't have an objective observer to walk alongside me on this journey, as they do in Mosscap, but I do have the insight of friends and family. 

It's the novellas' worthy pursuit to explore the question: What do I do next? Where should I be in the present and future? Nothing is scarier in life than being faced with questions of how to plan for the future. But Chambers' writing provides perspective. Mosscap, and its kind, are distinct from humans in that they feel no restlessness to move between tasks or any pressure to find a life's purpose. Somewhat like a child, Mosscap explores and follows its nose (not that robots need noses, as Mosscap would readily point out). 

At the end of the first novella, Mosscap explains that most life on Earth doesn't search for purpose. It's perfectly acceptable to merely exist and move through the world. It's comforting to read that we don't have to pressure ourselves to fulfil any expectations. Put in simple terms, there's nothing wrong with playing, exploring, or simply hanging out. 

To my mind, Dex is trying their damn best. Their on a journey of self-discovery. They could also benefit from some therapy. Dex embodies a very human anxiety and carries the burden for the reader's benefit. One of the greatest falsehoods we tell ourselves is that happiness should be our constant goal in life. Dex and Mosscap experience happiness sporadically, but they also experience pain, anxiety, and sorrow, along with a full spectrum of emotions. 

At its heart, these stories are about the feelings that coincide with consciousness and how to cope. How to ride the waves. If all of our greed and need to get ahead of others by any means necessary were removed, what could communities look like? Things wouldn't be perfect, but according to these novellas, we could have all of our basic needs met. We would have the time and emotional space to contemplate life's bigger questions. We could even thrive.