A Psalm for the Wild-BuiltA Psalm for the Wild-Built
What it's about
Centuries ago on the moon of Panga, robots became conscious, laid down their tools and walked into the wilderness, never to be seen again. Sibling Dex is a tea monk who travels from village to village serving tea, feeling something is missing in their life. One day, they meet a robot named Mosscap, who has come to ask humanity a question: what do people need?
Why it's worth reading
It was a Goodreads Choice finalist and won the Hugo Award for best novella. It's a short, gentle, hopeful story.
You'll love it if you liked
Legends & Lattes
The Goblin Emperor
Klara and the SunGood to know
It's very short and has almost no conflict. It's the first of two novellas.
By the numbers
- Readers70 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller36 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #122 of the 313 science fiction books we rank
- #189 of the 459 fantasy books we rank
- #231 of the 481 new books we rank
- #1309 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Adventurous, Epic
More by Becky Chambers
A Closed and Common Orbit
The Galaxy, and the Ground Within
Record of a Spaceborn Few
The Long Way to a Small, Angry PlanetIf you like this, read next
The Tainted Cup
A Drop of Corruption
The Will of the Many
The Everlasting
Cloud Cuckoo Land
BabelExplore the best-of lists
All 36 best-of lists →
Quick answers
Is A Psalm for the Wild-Built worth reading?
Yes. It was a Goodreads Choice finalist and won the Hugo Award for best novella. It ranks #1,309 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 69.9 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is A Psalm for the Wild-Built about?
Centuries ago on the moon of Panga, robots became conscious, laid down their tools and walked into the wilderness, never to be seen again. Sibling Dex is a tea monk who travels from village to village serving tea, feeling something is missing in their life. One day, they meet a robot named Mosscap, who has come to ask humanity a question: what do people need?
How long does it take to read A Psalm for the Wild-Built?
About 4 hours (147 pages), or about 8 days at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after A Psalm for the Wild-Built?
If you liked it, try Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree, The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison or Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro.