Reduce! Reuse! Recycle!

A Short Story

By: TJ Klune

Narrated by: Daniel Henning

An android who knows nothing besides his work in a factory is given one final week to explore the world before he is forced to undergo mandatory reprogramming in this bittersweet precursor to TJ Klune’s In the Lives of Puppets, now available in trade paperback!

A Macmillan Audio production from Tor Books.

Great short story!

it's kind of like a prequel! it was very good! highly recommended after reading In the Lives Of Puppets!

Great story

I’m curious if this was written in response to reactions to the robots in “puppets”. Show the robots had no choice but complete destruction of humanity. Or maybe not a reaction but explanation. Regardless it’s a great “prequel “ of sorts

TJ’s Mind?!

I would love to be a fly on the wall to observe TJ Klune’s writing process. It’s got to be so fascinating. This short story manages to hit all the feels. It looks to take place in the same universe as In The Lives of Puppets, where androids are created to serve humans and work without any real purpose.

Douglas has worked in the factory for nine years and 51 weeks. It’s time for him to effectively be retired. At this point, he gets one week in the world to explore before he is recycled. All around him, he sees posters with the words Reduce! Reuse! Recycle! written on them. it’s the mantra in the factory.
While in the real world, Douglas is exposed to certain sites, smells, and sounds that he’s never experienced before. In addition, he comes across a group of humans who treat him respectfully. This is where the story gets real.

TJ Klune’s ability to evoke such strong feelings for inanimate objects and creatures throughout his stories has become a powerful force in his work. I have felt love and affection for a vacuum cleaner. I have had anger towards a dragon. A pack of wolf shifters have left me breathless (and a little turned on), and I have cried over the son of Satan. This time is no different. I shouted out loud in anguish for the plight of an android.

Much of the reason the feelings are so intense comes from the narration by the incomparable Daniel Henning. His characterizations are superb and he brings the story to the next level.

As always, a great story from TJ

Short but sweet, this is an extension of thinking from a a few other books that I enjoyed thoroughly.

4.25 Stars 🌟

Yes, this might be a stand alone novella, but it is also a prequel to In The Lives Of Puppets. I don’t know how I forget - in between his books- how amazing TJ Klune is.

This very short story still had the power to impact me. It also made me want to remember the details of the Puppets book (it’s been a while) to see how they end up being connected. But more than anything, Mr Klune has the power to pull emotion from you when you aren’t even expecting it.

He does it

Every. Single. Time.

He is truly amazing.