I've been describing my WIP as a "cozy space opera" as I've been pitching it recently. This is mostly a marketing decision, given the success of Becky Chambers, Victoria Goddard, T.J. Klune, and others.
But what does it mean for a book to be cozy? As far as I know, the term is derived from the "cozy mystery" subgenre. In a cozy mystery, there may not even be a murder (Alexander McCall Smith). And I don't think I can improve on the description of a cozy mystery I created for that review: "There are no graphic descriptions or upsetting details, you probably didn't get to know the person well or at all before they were "struck down", and you get the distinct impression that a murder occurred only to give the detective an excuse to poke about, ask questions, and solve a puzzle." The only thing missing is perhaps that cozies are often series, which means that there is a recurring cast of often quirky characters who help or hinder the heroine. (Because it is generally a heroine, isn't it?)
So what makes for cozy SF? I think it comes down to a protagonist is who is flawed but fundamentally decent and relatable, a world that is in at least some ways fair (effort is awarded, villains and plotters can be overcome, most folks are decent and trying to do the right thing, competence is important and appreciated) , there is often a "found family"of characters who love and support one another, personal relationships are an important part of the story, and the stories are generally LGBTQ+ friendly. Of course there is also a happy ending.
Is In the Lives of Puppets cozy? On the negative side, to quote the book itself: "Most unfortunately, in the lives of puppets there is always a 'but' that spoils everything". In this case, the 'but' is the setting. It's a post-apocalyptic world where all humans except our protagonist have been exterminated by robots. Post-apocalyptic worlds are not particularly cozy. Another fly in the ointment -- does it have a happy ending? Without getting into details, the answer is "yes, but" because whatever else happens, our protagonist remains not only the only human, but almost certainly the very last human who will ever exist. So even though there are triumphs and the protagonist achieves a number of goals, the happy ending is shaded. As is the happy ending itself, even on the face of it, because the happiness comes with losses too.
On the positive side, the story is fundamentally a retelling of a fairy tale (Pinocchio), there is a quirky cast of characters (including an over-eager vacuum modelled after the author's Roomba), one of the antagonists becomes an ally, and characters choose good over evil.
Do I recommend the book? "Yes, but" again. Yes, I'm not sorry I've read this. Yes I enjoyed it. Yes I think it was well-done. Yes, I think it was an overall positive experience, and no, I don't think there are any glaring flaws (even though there was a bit of inconsistency in the characterization of the supporting cast towards the end). The only "but" is a relatively minor one, really. "But I'm not going to rush out and read everything else TJ Klune has written." The "but" to that "but" is that's a pretty high bar for an author new to me to cross.
