Staff Picks: In The Lives of Puppets by T.J. Klune

In the Lives of Puppets by T.J. Klune

In the Lives of the Puppets is a postmodern retelling of the story of Pinocchio that raises timely questions about artificial intelligence and human compassion.  

T.J. Klune’s version of the classic tale takes place in a post-human world inhabited by robots of all shapes, sizes, and temperaments. A fatherly artificial human named Gio uses his engineering skills to create a fairy-tale homestead in the forest where he raises an orphaned human as his son. While Gio spends his time in his shop, his son Victor and two companions—Nurse Ratched (Nurse Registered Automaton To Care, Heal, Educate, and Drill) and a sentient Roomba named Rambo—discover a partially destroyed robot named Hap. More curious than cautious, Young Victor restores Hap’s functionality, only to realize too late that his newest companion is a HARP (Human Annihilation Response Protocol).  

One of my favorite passages in In the Lives of Puppets comes from Rambo the vacuum.    

I know it seems hard, but we have to be brave. Your brain is telling you that you can’t, but you don’t always have to listen to it. Sometimes it tells you white lies.  I know it does to me. It says, “No, you won’t make it because you’ll die a horribly painful death where your entire body will be crushed and all of your innards will fall out." 

In the Lives of Puppets follows two award-winning adult fantasy bestsellers from T.J. Klune. Each of Klune’s adult novels explores male relationships and shows that friendship and love can be found in the most unlikely places. Despite the dark premise of human extinction at the hands of artificial intelligence, Klune's imaginative world is populated with charming and unique characters with relatable concerns.  

The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune

The House in the Cerulean Sea centers around six unusual children—a gnome, a sprite, a wyvern, a blob, a were-Pomeranian, and the Antichrist—all deemed unhouseable by government authorities. Though initially at odds, the children's caregiver and a caseworker assigned to monitor the strange situation begin to develop feelings for each other. In 2021, The House in the Cerulean Sea won the Alex Award which honors adult books that appeal to young adults. The House in the Cerulean Sea also won the Mythopoetic Award for adult literature and Reading List RUSA award for Fantasy. 

Under the Whispering Door by T.J. Klune

In Under the Whispering Door, a self-absorbed businessman meets a not-so-grim reaper at his own funeral and spends some time learning to better understand himself and others at a unique tea shop in the forest run by a ferryman named Hugo. 

If you enjoy thoughtful and offbeat fantasy, add T.J. Klune to your summer reading list. 

Alicia Cavitt

Information Specialist