In the Lives of Puppets

The No. 1 Sunday Times bestseller and ultimate cosy adventure

By: TJ Klune

Narrated by: Daniel Henning

From New York Times bestselling author TJ Klune, In the Lives of Puppets is a queer retelling of the Pinocchio tale, inviting you deep into the heart of a peculiar forest and on the extraordinary journey of a family assembled from spare parts.

‘A deeply stirring journey through a world of extraordinary robots’ – Chuck Tingle, Hugo-shortlisted author of Camp Damascus

*A New York Times, Sunday Times and Indie Bestseller*
*Winner of the Goodreads Choice Award for Science Fiction*

In a small home, built into the branches of a tree, live a human named Victor and three robots. These are a pleasantly sadistic nurse machine, a small vacuum desperate for love and attention, and a fatherly inventor-android named Giovanni Lawson. Together they’re a family, hidden and safe.

Then Vic salvages an unfamiliar android labelled ‘HAP’. He learns that Hap and Gio share a dark past, where they hunted humans. And Hap unwittingly gives away Gio’s location. Before they know it, robots from Gio’s former life arrive – to capture and return the android to his old laboratory in the City of Electric Dreams.

The rest of the unconventional family must travel across an unforgiving and otherworldly country to rescue Gio from decommissioning. Or worse, reprogramming. Along the way, Vic must decide if he can handle his feelings for Hap – even if they come with strings attached.

Inspired by Carlo Collodi’s The Adventures of Pinocchio, In the Lives of Puppets is a masterful standalone fantasy adventure from the author who brought you The House in the Cerulean Sea and Under the Whispering Door.

In the Lives of Puppets was a No. 1 Sunday Times HB Bestseller w/c 24/04/2023.

Critic reviews

Glorious, a thoroughly entertaining and deeply stirring journey through a world of extraordinary robots. The characters here are so vibrant, and the story proves that love stretches well beyond the world of humans (Chuck Tingle, author of Camp Damascus)

TJ Klune has created an enchanting tale of Pinocchio in the end times, offering up hard truths alongside humor, kindness, love and, most important, hope (P. Djèlí Clark, author of A Master of Djinn)

I dare say I am yet to read more humane robots than I’ve encountered in In the Lives of Puppets . . . One can’t help but fall in love with this book (T. L. Huchu, author of The Library of the Dead)

Readers who loved Klune’s previous works will find plenty of the author’s trademark charm, heart, and bittersweet (Library Journal, Starred Review)

A wholly charming post-robot-apocalypse retelling of Pinocchio. Speculative fiction readers will fall in love with this whimsical, bittersweet fable (Shelf Awareness, Starred Review)

If you've never listened to a TJ Klune do it now

uugh. Epic beautifully written love story as per usual. No smut (well tangential smut 😉) and full on character development. Cried multiple times. Such a beautifully written AI/Dystopian M&M romance. TJ doesn't stick to tropes. Their stories are full of fleshed out characters and interesting story arcs.
In the Lives of Puppets is no exception.
The robot voices are brought to life by the narrator and you can hear the consideration that has been taken to match the voice to the character. While I found some grating to listen to it actually compliments the character and enhanced the narrative.
Buy it. Buy it now 👍

Just wonderful

This is a beautiful book, and the narrator was amazing! Loved every second of it.