Leo Song’s Reviews > A Psalm for the Wild-Built > Status Update

As the story finishes, Dex ends up in the mountains surrounded by nature, while Mosscap moves closer to the cities. When I noticed this, I immediately thought about the book cover. Even though Dex and Mosscap meet in the same place, their paths do not intersect and eventually lead in different directions. I think the author intentionally shows this to highlight how two beings can connect yet grow in separate ways.

It was interesting to see Mosscap observe humans constantly staying busy, even when they already have what they need to live well. From an outside perspective, that endless striving seems unnecessary. I think the author is pointing to our modern world, where people rarely pause to appreciate what they have. Instead of always chasing the next goal, we should sometimes step back and recognize how far we have come.

The first thing Mosscap, the robot Dex encounters, asks is, "What do people need?" This relates to his name Mosscap, which comes from a mushroom. What mushrooms usually do is help others, such as eating up dead things and returning nutrients to the soil. Therefore, I think the author tried to show that just like how mushrooms are mostly beneficial, Mosscap will also keep trying to find a way to help.

Dex leaves the City because of his curiosity on the sound of crickets, which seems like an oddly small reason to abandon a paradise like city. As I went through the book, I found an irony, that once they was in the wilderness, they heard many noises from birds, insects, wind, and water, yet not the crickets. I think the author does this to highlight that the crickets represent the deeper emptiness Dex feels inside.

I found the futuristic setting peaceful and sustainable rather than dark. The City feels almost ideal, which makes Dex’s decision to leave it more interesting. There is nothing obviously broken, yet Dex still feels restless. I think the author does this intentionally to show that even in a perfect society, personal dissatisfaction does not disappear. External problems can be solved, but internal questions remain.