A Prayer for the Crown-Shy by Becky Chambers

Genre | Science Fiction Novella
Page #s | 152
Publishing Date | July 2022

After touring the rural areas of Panga, Sibling Dex (a Tea Monk of some renown) and Mosscap (a robot sent on a quest to determine what humanity really needs) turn their attention to the villages and cities of the little moon they call home.

They hope to find the answers they seek, while making new friends, learning new concepts, and experiencing the entropic nature of the universe.

Becky Chambers’s new series continues to ask: in a world where people have what they want, does having more even matter?

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

Goodreads

I adored the first Monk & Robot book, A Psalm for the Wild-Built, so I was surprised to find that I liked A Prayer for the Crown-Shy even more! Where the first book allowed us to meet our two protagonists, this time we get to see them interact with people and towns, which brings out new observations and interactions that are, as always, delightful. If you’re not familiar with Becky Chambers’ work, “delightful” is the watchword. Never has an author so consistently written the literary version of a mental hug.

As Dex takes Mosscap from settlement to settlement, we have the pleasure of seeing a cozy utopia from an outsider’s perspective, from socialist currencies to next generation 3D printers to polyamorous family systems to the simply joy of a satchel. Along the way, the pair continue to have thoughtful philosophical questions, most notably about the ethical limits of medical care.

I am unsure whether or not there will be more novellas in this series, but I desperately hope so. Now that we’ve seen the two meet then visit human civilization, I am crossing all my fingers hoping that Mosscap will take Dex to meet some of the other robots. I’m not ready for this lovely story to be over!

A Prayer for the Crown-Shy is the perfect book for someone who wants to sink into a well thought-out futuristic sci-fi story that provides hope and appreciation for our own world.