After robots of Panga gained consciousness, decided to stop working for humans, and wandered into the wilderness, no humans have come into contact with them. For centuries, humans have lived harmoniously with the environment, adopted a community-based society, and provided all that is needed for survival for each other. Until Dex (they/them), the best tea monk in Panga, goes off the beaten path and runs into Mosscap (it/its), a robot on a mission to understand humans. Together, Dex and Mosscap embark on a journey to ask the question, "what do people need?".

The Monk and Robot Series are novellas, each about ~150 pages, where books 1 and 2 can be considered as one. I adore the world-building in the book and would LOVE to live in a community like that, where we are environmentally conscious, inclusive and supportive of everyone, and nobody suffers from material scarcity. The Monk and Robot series explores our purpose and identity in these settings; when you have everything you need to survive, what more is there to want?

I feel like being wrapped in a cozy blanket after reading both books. It's a nice blend between character- and plot-driven, and what blew my mind is just how awesome this distant world is. How we as humans can learn from our mistakes and reverse the environmental damage, how we have the empathy to let robots leave and stop laboring for humans, how we have the compassion to disband currency and adopt a new system that facilitates exchange to benefit the whole community, and most importantly, how it's enough to just be.

The Monk and Robot Series is my first time reading Becky Chambers and apparently she is known for writing comfort sci-fi. I can't wait to read more of her work, especially the Wayfarers Series! The series is unlike most sci-fi books grappling with AI-gone-rogue and climate disasters. Instead, Chambers brilliantly examines the core of humanity with heartwarming storytelling through the unlikely lenses of a monk and a robot.