Klara and the Sun

The novel is set in a dystopian future in which some children are genetically engineered ("lifted") for enhanced academic ability. As schooling is provided entirely at home by on-screen tutors, opportunities for socialization are limited and parents who can afford it often buy their children androids as companions. The book is narrated by one such Artificial Friend (AF) called Klara. Although Klara is exceptionally intelligent and observant, her programming strictly limits her knowledge of the world.

From the window of the store in which she is for sale, Klara learns about the world outside and watches the Sun, which she always refers to as "he" and treats as a living entity. As a solar-powered AF, the Sun's nourishment is essential to her. On one occasion she notices that a beggar and his dog are not in their usual position; they are lying like discarded bags and do not move all day. It seems obvious to Klara that they have died, and she is surprised the next morning to see that they are living and that the Sun has with his great kindness saved them with a special kind of nourishment.

Klara comes to fear and hate what she calls the "Cootings Machine" (from the name printed on its side) which stands for several days in the street outside, spewing out pollution that entirely blocks the Sun's rays.

Klara is chosen by 14-year-old Josie, who lives with her mother in a remote region of prairie. Soon after joining them, Klara learns that the lifting process carries some risk: Josie's older sister Sal had earlier died, and Josie herself is gravely ill. Josie's only near neighbour and childhood friend is Rick, a boy of about her own age. Although academically able, Rick has not been lifted and faces discrimination and reduced career prospects. In spite of this, Josie and Rick have always known that they will be together forever.

From Josie's bedroom Klara has a good view of the Sun's progress across the sky, and comes to believe that he goes to his nightly rest within a farmer's barn that stands on the horizon. With Rick's help, she makes her way there one evening across the grasslands. Although surprised to find the Sun's resting place is not actually in the barn, she pleads with him to pour his special kind of nourishment onto Josie and to save her life, as he did the beggar. She offers in return to find and destroy the pollution-creating Cootings Machine.

Josie's mother unexpectedly asks Klara to imitate Josie, which due to her exceptional powers of observation she can do almost perfectly. The mother regularly takes Josie to sit for her portrait, although unknown to her daughter the artist is making not a painting but a highly-accurate AF body. She intends that Klara will integrate her intelligence into it if Josie dies, believing she will become not simply a facsimile but Josie's true continuation.

When Klara next accompanies Josie into town, she finds and destroys the Cootings Machine, sacrificing in the process some of the P-E-G Nine solution she carries in her head and accepting this loss may result in a reduction in her abilities. However, Josie's condition worsens and the Sun does not respond. Klara returns to the barn to make another plea, reminding the Sun of Josie and Rick's genuine and everlasting love. Several days later as Josie seems near death, Klara suddenly sees the dark clouds part as the Sun sends his special nourishment flooding into her sick room. Josie seems better immediately, and over the following months recovers her health.

As Josie grows older, she starts to drift away from Rick. Klara worries that she has misled the Sun, but Rick comforts her. He explains that although his and Josie's paths in life may differ, their love really was genuine and they will always, at some level, be together. Josie leaves for college and says goodbye to Klara.

Settled in a yard for scrapped AFs, Klara can no longer move around but expresses contentment with her spot and declines to socialise with other AFs. The manager of her old store visits, and Klara recounts her happy memories and the Sun's great kindness towards Josie.