Word Puppets

Word Puppets is a 19-story collection of short speculative fiction by Mary Robinette Kowal, arranged in chronological order of writing. The stories span fantasy, science fiction, alternate history, and related modes, with many standalone pieces and a few that connect to one another or to the Lady Astronaut universe.

Across the collection, characters face prophecies, alien cultures, time travel, puppetry, cloning, artificial intelligence, weather control, and other unusual systems. The stories often center on intimate human problems inside speculative frames: family obligation, love, memory, identity, grief, ethics, and the costs of power.

The volume includes an introduction by Patrick Rothfuss and ends with stories tied to the Lady Astronaut continuity, including a new story original to this collection. Readers repeatedly note the collection’s range, emotional intensity, and the visible development of the author’s craft over time.