A Psalm for the Wild-Built

Generations after robots walked away from human society, a restless tea monk travels into the wilderness and meets a robot who wants to know what people need. A short, gentle novella by Becky Chambers that opens the Monk & Robot series (2021).

• Ep 3 — Science Fiction isn’t about the future (04:49–08:56, 11:10–11:30): Caitlin's example of hopeful sci-fi that reflects the present: a future of public transit, walking paths, and Sibling Dex the tea monk meeting people's emotional needs. She reads the Monk & Robot books as born out of the 2020s push for more care after the pandemic; Rob says they leave him thinking "We'll be okay."