First published 2021

147 pages

Sci-Fi, Hopeful, Reflective

In this solarpunk futuristic world, humankind and nature have reached a kind of understanding. People do not want for anything and are supported by the communities they live in. Years prior, all the robots they used in the factories gained sentience and migrated into the wilderness in droves. No human has seen a robot since. Until now. A tea monk stumbles upon one in the wilderness while on a personal journey to find themselves. The robot has volunteered to journey into human civilization and ask them "What do people need?". Mosscap, the robot in question, is about to learn all they can about humankind. He has never met a human before, and his curiosity is contagious. 

Chambers asks insightful and enlightening questions about how we live our lives and where true value lies in the world. This is a hopeful story that reminds us about what is truly important. Chambers hold a light up to humankind and how we live in the world, allowing room for a subversive and unique perspective.

The story is continued in "A Prayer for the Crown Shy" in a similarly hopeful tone, allowing for deeper development and self-exploration. I would highly recommend reading both. They're relatively short, just over a hundred pages, and they read quickly. These books left me in a self-reflective cloud for days after reading them. My eyes felt new; my understanding of the world had shifted. Books that have this effect are my favorite and I will never stop recommending them, hoping that I can spread the experience to as many people as possible.