Heaven 2023: March Book Group - A Psalm for the Wild Built
The book this month is Becky Chambers' A Psalm for the Wild Built. Its a short novella and a quick read. Although it can be seen as sci-fi it is more of a meditation on different ways of being, so don't be put off if sci-fi isn't your thing. There is a second book A Prayer for the Crown Shy, that you might want to read too if you have time.
As usual questions on or around the 20th.
As usual questions on or around the 20th.
Comments
1. Did the book work as a story for you or did you think of it more as a philosophical text?
Did Sibling Dex and Mosscap's world seem convincing to you. Anything you thought didn't quite work?
Would you avail yourself of a tea monk if you had one in your neighbourhood?
Any thing else you'd like to discuss?
To the broader question: the book REALLY worked for me, to a surprising degree. I normally don't read any sci-fi books set in a futuristic world because it's always dystopian and always depressing, and I find it just affects my mindset in the present too much if I dwell on possible terrible futures.
This book was unique for me in that it's set in a future after a societal collapse, where people have actually managed to rebuild a society that seems to work. It's not utopian; there are things that are obviously difficult and less comfortable than the world we live in, but I love the idea that humans could possibly work together to create a society that works and is sustainable. And I also like the idea that even in this well-functioning society, a person (like Sibling Dex) could feel dissatisfied, could be driven by that sense of wanting something more, or at least different.
I absolutely, unreservedly, love Mosscap. Great character.
I'd like to think a tea monk could help me find a tea I like. I always enjoy the idea of drinking tea but I've never enjoyed any actual tea, and I've tried lots. I found it intriguing the way the tea monk's role was sort of a combination of religious leader, therapist, and barista.
I can't remember reading a book with such an optimistic view of what life could be like after (what I took to be) a disaster. Sibling Dex making the decision to become a tea monk really impacted me...especially when they found out it wasn't exactly as they thought it would be. That idea of serving and listening to people, and Sibling Dex finding out that they were good at it, jives with my idea of what it is to enjoy serving our fellow humans. I loved that!
Mosscap seemed to be so excited to interact with people. I did wonder what the others of its kind thought about its need to be with people. Like Trudy, I love Mosscap!
I'm glad this was the book for March. Yes, I do wish there were tea monks here! I also have hope that whatever disasters we might have already had or will have in the future, that we can make a better world afterwards.
Although the book discussed philosophy and had a simple story line, the description of the world was so beautifully described that I most enjoyed being immersed in the world. I loved the descriptions of Dex's caravan, the monasteries and the natural world.
Did Sibling Dex and Mosscap's world seem convincing to you. Anything you thought didn't quite work?
The world seemed quite Utopian, despite people and robots still having problems. However I enjoyed reading such a positive and hopeful book for a change.
Would you avail yourself of a tea monk if you had one in your neighbourhood?
I would definitely avail myself of a tea monk. There is something about drinking hot beverages in a traditional ceremony or get together that is very comforting. I don't usually drink coffee, except during an Ethiopian coffee ceremony, where the coffee is made from scratch, starting with green coffee beans. There is something about the ritual and social company that makes it very communal and I enjoy joining in, even if I then stay up half the night from the caffeine!
Luckily I drink tea regularly so could join in a tea monk ceremony and still sleep well that night. Once Dex had become experienced in their role as a tea monk, their set up seemed like it would be a wonderful, relaxing place to visit.
Any thing else you'd like to discuss?
Before this I don't think I had read a novel where the characters were non-binary or non-gendered, even robots. We don't get much description of what Dex looks like, but I found I had to keep reminding myself that they were not a woman and that Mosscap was not a male robot. Originally I imagined Dex as bald, as they were a monk, but later the novel discusses their hair.
At times Dex reminded me of Tripitaka from the original 'Monkey' TV series (often know as Monkey Magic), as he is a boy priest played by a woman. See http://www.galiciaguide.com/Tripitaka.html for a photo. My sister and I used to get confused about Tripitaka's gender and also that of Buddha in the TV program who on Earth was a man, but in the TV show's heavenly version often shows up in female form. I think watching a show that led to me asking questions about gender at a young age, helped me better understand and not find transgender and non-binary identities unusual in real life.
I enjoyed both the story and the philosophical musings. The story was very slight but it had a proper story arc and I liked the conversations between Dex and Mosscap about various things.
Did Sibling Dex and Mosscap's world seem convincing to you. Anything you thought didn't quite work?
I did have a bit of a wonder about where we were, why Dex was human and why they were on a moon and not the nearby planet, but I just went along with it all.It was encouraging that the humans had pulled themselves back from the brink of disaster and had a world where people with different views could co-exist in harmony. I wanted to know more about the different monasteries and the various vocations.
Would you avail yourself of a tea monk if you had one in your neighbourhood?
I love tea and I like a chat, so I think I might, though I might have a few prejudices to get over first.
Any thing else you'd like to discuss?
I'd like to know more about what Panga was like pre the awakening, and what sort of technology the humans used now. They seemed to have electricity and the internet.
I found a discussion very early on where Dex didn't want to call Mosscap an 'It', a term the robot was totally comfortable with, was interesting. It highlighted the way people make assumptions about what people are rather than actually discussing it with them.
Did the book work as a story for you or did you think of it more as a philosophical text?
It worked on both levels for me. We gradually learnt details of Dex’s life and how the planet they were on functioned. I loved the gentle philosophy of the conversations between Dex and Mosscap.
I was pleasantly surprised by the humour. I was particularly amused by robots being named after the first thing they saw on awakening.
Did Sibling Dex and Mosscap's world seem convincing to you. Anything you thought didn't quite work?
It was a positive and inclusive world with little or no bureaucracy. It didn’t bother me that no one seemed to be in charge, I just went along with the acceptance and kindness of the atmosphere.
Dex’s religion as described in the decaying hermitage was fascinating; I’d like to know more so I’ve reserved the second book from the library.
Would you avail yourself of a tea monk if you had one in your neighbourhood?
I think so, I love tea, English Breakfast, Green Jasmine, any without rose hips in basically.
And the idea of a comfortable, relaxing, therapeutic space in which to drink it is appealing.
Any thing else you'd like to discuss?
The use of the ‘f’ word I found unnecessary and jarring. May be strange to say that on this site, but as I find it offensive I stick to All Saints and Heaven.
I liked the use of they/them, and that Dex’s non binary status was a given with no explanation. It added to their character.
I’m very grateful to have read this, thank you for the suggestion and inclusion in the programme.
Maybe the utopian part is that everyone seems to have simply accepted things this way and be working together towards similar goals. There's no implication in the novel that this society has, for example, greedy and selfish people trying to hoard all the resources for themselves, or being wasteful. Nor is there any suggestion that there are people who are bigoted towards non-binary people, or any group of people at all.
Mosscap really brings in the only potential source of conflict -- the relationship with the robots. I love the idea that at some distant point in the past, robots and humans simply agreed to go their separate ways and leave each other alone. The reappearance of a robot would obviously call a lot of that into question, but of course that is left for the sequel(s).
Mild spoiler for the next book:
As my son said when discussing one of her other books, Chambers is brilliant at characters, not so hot on plot.
I think they described as "slice of life" books, which is the positive spin on what you describe.
I find that she paints such vivid pictures of those slices, and does so in a humane and reasonably believable fashion, that I end up not caring very much that little of import happens.
I agree, I enjoy being in the worlds she creates a lot. I think I really like these two books as they weren't too long and I twigged they were more like thought experiments, so I wasn't wondering when something was going to happen in the way I've dome with some of her other books.