In the Lives of Puppets

January 30, 2023
Bestseller Klune (Under the Whispering Door) draws from Pinocchio to create a gripping and heartfelt queer dystopian tale set in a world where humanity has been eliminated by robots. Victor Lawson, 21, was raised by his robot father, Giovanni, in a secluded forest in far-future Oregon. Together with two friends—antisocial Nurse Ratched (short for “Nurse Registered Automaton to Care, Heal, Educate, and Drill”) and neurotic vacuum Rambo—Victor discovers an angry, powerful android in the nearby scrapyard. Hap, as the trio comes to call him, quickly imprints on Victor, who repairs the android’s body with wood and powers him with a carved heart containing a drop of Victor’s own blood. When Giovanni is seized by the law and taken to the City of Electric Dreams, a recorded message from Giovanni reveals that Victor is the last surviving human—and that Hap is a model HARP (Human Annihilation Response Protocol) created by Giovanni to hunt and kill humans before he learned regret. Hap, who doesn’t remember this violent past, promises not to hurt Victor as they concoct a plan to rescue Giovanni. Klune makes the central question of what it means to be human feel direct, urgent, and fresh. Both very funny and deeply touching, this evocative retelling will delight Klune’s fans and newcomers alike.

Starred review from June 1, 2023

A fatherly android inventor named Giovanni lives in a strangely constructed home among the trees, where he raises his human son, Vic. One day, Vic and his robot companions Nurse Ratched and Rambo go to the local dump and salvage Hap, an unknown robot. When Gio discovers that his son has brought Hap home, terrible secrets about Gio's past come to light, and the family's formerly safe life implodes. Unfriendly forces capture Gio, and the family traverses the land to save him. Along the way, Vic comes to terms with uncomfortable truths and discovers that love sometimes comes with strings attached. Klune (The House in the Cerulean Sea) has written a tale of queer joy, found family, and love in unexpected circumstances. Narrator Daniel Henning does a phenomenal job capturing Gio's fatherliness and Vic's early naivete, and he positively shines as the heartless, bloodthirsty Nurse Ratched and the anxiety-ridden robot vacuum Rambo. VERDICT A remarkable, uplifting story, as fans of Klune's other outstanding works might expect. Purchase multiple copies and be prepared for many holds.--Elyssa Everling

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