‘… it is enough to exist in the world and marvel at it. You don’t need to justify that, or earn it. You are allowed to just live.’

This novella gave me solace when I needed it most. Coming out of university, I was faced with a massive issue: finding work. This is a familiar struggle for most people my age (and beyond), but that doesn’t make it any less stressful. There is significant societal emphasis placed on finding work and building up your career to make enough money to settle well into retirement. While this makes sense, it doesn’t resonate with me as a creative. I want more, a further purpose.

Synopsis

Psalm for the Wild-Built follows Sibling Dex a travelling tea monk who provides words and brews of comfort whilst battling their own inner conflicts. Dex struggles most with finding their purpose and feeling that their work is ‘not enough.’ So Dex decides to go beyond the bondage of Panga’s towns and have their own journey. Not long after, Dex meets a ‘wild-built’ robot, Mosscap, who is eager to learn about humanity after being within nature for so long.

Purpose and Existentialism

After their meeting, the book follows episodic moments of conversation between the two, about human and robot societies, ecocriticism, ecologies and urbanism, desire, purpose and philosophy. For such a short book, it manages to tackle a range of subjects in such a beautiful way. Moments of stillness, of observation (often by Mosscap), are underpinned with long discussions of meaning and searching for one’s purpose. Even something seemingly insignificant, erupts into a larger discussion. For example, on pages 84 to 86, Sibling Dex is worried about walking through the forest where there is no trail. This blooms into a conversation on conservation of ecosystems and human arrogance, but Mosscap guides Dex into thinking of the symbiotic relationship between nature and animals. This is shown in the quote,

‘You’re not cutting a new trail or […] having a party out here. You’re taking a walk with me, and once it’s done, we’ll head right back to the road. I assure you the forest will forget you were here in no time.’

The reader can also infer that Dex’s reluctance to trample within nature stems from their upbringing and their hesitation to explore what hasn’t already been marked out, showing Chambers’s ability to sneak in deeper philosophical observations in moments of stillness. After this conversation with Mosscap, Dex’s reflections on nature have shifted, depicted here: ‘For all Dex’s protesting about the sanctity of trails, it was only in absence that Dex truly understood what a trail was. […] It did not take much brain to make your feet follow a path […]. Walking through uncut wilderness was another matter entirely.’

One of my favourite scenes was near the end of the novella, when Mosscap and Dex are discussing the fluidity of purpose, and Mosscap said this:

‘You’re an animal, Sibling Dex. You are not separate or other. You’re an animal. And animals have no purpose. Nothing has a purpose. The world simply is. […] It is enough to exist in the world and marvel at it. You don’t need to justify that, or earn it. You are allowed to just live. That’s what most animals do.’

And it hit me. A massive wave of guilt, relief, and pent-up frustration whirled over my head. You can just exist. You can just go day-to-day without achieving massive life goals because living itself is an achievement. Living itself is remarkable. After a short cry and some newfound optimism, I finished the last few pages of the book and felt lighter. This constant struggle to find a purpose had dissipated, even if just momentarily, to allow myself to purely exist.

Comfort, Comedy, and Compassion

This book provided me with the comfort I didn’t know I needed. It is short, and I urge you to read it yourself. Philosophical discussions between a human and a robot in a solarpunk novella was not something I thought I needed until I read it.

Chambers’ ease with language allows the reader to comprehend what she is saying without getting lost in all the words. Chambers weaves it into moments within nature, and everyday life, making it relatable to any reader. She manages to take these large-scoped ideas and break them into smaller, digestible discussions, using a robot to explore topics of humanity, and question societal rules, and why we place such emphasis on finding a purpose. Her balance of comfort, comedy, and compassion winds up creating a special-blend of repose. When against the rain and rockslides, we too, can light a fire and share a pot of tea.

Final thoughts

Psalm for the Wild-Built is a book I will carry with me on my metaphorical teacart for the rest of my life. The succinct language Chambers uses to explore philosophical discussions and question existentialism drew me in, and the relationship between Mosscap and Dex kept me flipping pages. Not only did it reshift Mosscap and Dex’s perspectives on life, but mine too, thus awarding itself with the five-star rating it so rightfully deserves.