• A Psalm for the Wild-Built

  • Monk & Robot, Book 1
  • By: Becky Chambers
  • Narrated by: Em Grosland
  • Length: 4 hrs and 8 mins
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (2,219 ratings)

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A Psalm for the Wild-Built  By  cover art

A Psalm for the Wild-Built

By: Becky Chambers
Narrated by: Em Grosland
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Publisher's summary

"Narrator Emmett Grosland conjures the essence of a troubled soul in search of peace in this gentle audio."—AudioFile Magazine

In A Psalm for the Wild-Built, Hugo Award-winner Becky Chambers's delightful new Monk and Robot series gives us hope for the future.

It's been centuries since the robots of Panga gained self-awareness and laid down their tools; centuries since they wandered, en masse, into the wilderness, never to be seen again; centuries since they faded into myth and urban legend.

One day, the life of a tea monk is upended by the arrival of a robot, there to honor the old promise of checking in. The robot cannot go back until the question of "what do people need?" is answered.

But the answer to that question depends on who you ask, and how.

They're going to need to ask it a lot.

Becky Chambers's new series asks: in a world where people have what they want, does having more matter?

A Macmillan Audio production from Tordotcom

©2021 Becky Chambers (P)2021 Macmillan Audio

Featured Article: Audible Essentials—The Top 100 LGBTQIA+ Listens of All Time


While LGBTQIA+ creators have been around for millennia, it’s only recently that we’ve been hearing more diverse, more queer-authored, and more queer-performed stories about the entire spectrum of LGBTQIA+ experiences and identities. This list—just like the community it represents—is meant to be fluid. But most importantly, it’s meant to celebrate and reflect on the issues faced by LGBTQIA+ people everywhere.

Editor's Pick

Feel-good, feel all the feels sci-fi
I’m always excited for a new Becky Chambers title—but even more so for a brand-new series. Her distinct style of cozy sci-fi manages to somehow be at once heartwarming and thought-provoking—two things that are exactly what I need right now. Even with her nonhuman characters (here: robots!), her stories restore my hope in humanity. I’m extra thrilled to discover a new narrator in the process, as Emmett Grosland brings voice to an unlikely friendship between a robot and a tea monk. —Sam D., Audible Editor

What listeners say about A Psalm for the Wild-Built

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Can't wait to see where this goes next!

As always Becky Chambers refreshes my hope the human race. Perhaps we'll learn something yet.
My only disappoinment in this book is that the next installment in the (very long, I hope) series is not available to download right now!

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Audio recording uneven

The book is enjoyable. I quickly adjusted to the pronoun use that others have complained about - it's no big deal. The story is calming. What is a little annoying is parts where the narrator's voice changes pitch or tone much lower, possibly as a part that got recorded over later. That took me out of the story every time. I can't tell if that's the performer or the engineer at fault.

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Lovely

Not plot driven, but a lovely meditation on the essential philosophical question, what is the meaning of life?
I love this book.

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    4 out of 5 stars

A quirky delight

A tea monk goes out into the wild lands searching for crickets and something that seems missing from their life. They encounter a friendly self aware robot who offers to accompany them and hopes that they will accompany it as it checks in on the humans that the robots had left many years earlier. Something like friendship ensues. This is a wonderful novella that should leave you smiling like it did me.

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adorable story wonderful narration

if you liked legends and lattes this might be the next read for you !

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I'll be reading for decades

Becky Chambers is an incredible writer. her Wayfair series was lovely and with this new saga her writing has gotten even better. I'm looking forward to these well crafted stories and to read a book 10 years down the road and be blown away yet again by how amazing her writing is.

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Enjoyable

If you like the author’s work, you’ll probably like this. It’s not her best by any means, but it’s nice.

Technically, the recording has a surprising number of re-records that are quite noticeable. In that regard, it’s probably the poorest quality audiobook I’ve experienced.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Refreshing

I very much enjoyed this book. It offers a lovely future I would love to live in. It also have me a lot to think about.
A refreshing read - I'm going to get the next book right away.

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Short and fun with meaning

Really enjoyed this story. Definitely picks up in the last half. Appreciated some of the thoughtful ideas that are mulled over by a couple characters.

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Another Great One

Another day-in-the-life of the Universe story. It is creative and interesting. I really couldn't put it down.

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