Made Things

Coppelia is a street thief in a city of secrets — a small-time operator who makes her living with the help of tiny friends: wooden and metal constructs who think, argue, and occasionally save her life. When a discovery beneath the city forces them all to reconsider everything they believed about their world, Coppelia and her pocket companions must navigate threats from above and below to protect the city from something they cannot quite name. Adrian Tchaikovsky's novella works the found-family and urban fantasy registers simultaneously.

Tchaikovsky narrates his own work, a choice that gives the story an intimate authority — his voice carries the affection for Coppelia and her odd household that the emotional climax requires. At just over four hours, Made Things is a novella-length listen, compact and warm, and the author's performance makes the found-family dynamic feel genuinely earned despite the limited runtime. A natural companion for listeners who enjoy Tchaikovsky's longer work and want a single-sitting experience.