This was such a strange and original concept and I thought that it worked really well for the most part. I love the idea of a place for imaginary friends to go when they're no longer needed by their creators and I thought that Tyler Hayes did a great job at fleshing out the world of StillReal. The strength of this book for me was the characters - I loved Tippy as our protagonist and thought his friendship with Spiderhand was adorable. This book will definitely not be for everyone, but for those who enjoy the whimsical, weird and surreal like I do, I would recommend it and I really enjoyed my time with it.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

4.5 stars (rounded down)
Where do ideas go when we're done with them? If we believe in an idea enough, it becomes real. But if we abandon an idea that we once really loved, it falls into the Stillreal - a seedy segment of the Imagination. It is here we find Tippy the Triceratops. Tippy was once the imaginary friend of a little girl who created him in order for her to make sense of the grown-up world. But when the girl's father dies, she's forced to face the real world and her imaginary friend Tippy heads to Stillreal. There, Tippy passes the time by taking on odd detective jobs for other unwanted ideas. It's convenient and unremarkable ... until Tippy makes the acquaintance of The Man in the Coat - a nightmare who can do the impossible ... turn an imaginary friend into an imaginary corpse.

This book is ... wow ... I don't know how to define this.

Imagine reading a book the way a child reads a book, believing and accepting the fantastic as possible. Now imagine reading some specific children's books, as adults, and believing in and accepting the implausible as possible - Corduroy, A Dinosaur for Danny, The Borrowers. Now give those same books some more adult themes and we start to inch toward what this book is like.

Wildly inventive is putting it mildly, and honestly, I kept expecting the 'real world' to break in at any moment, as though we were on the outside, looking in, rather than being part of this. I think that's not necessarily a good thing ... but I'm entirely sure because this was so different. This is Philip K. Dick, Lewis Carroll, Fredric Brown, and the Teletubbies rolled into one dark detective fantasy.

I was pulled in to the book right at the start, by the introduction of the highly unusual characters and location. We aren't hit with a bunch of narrative backstory (which is good) and since this is so different we can't help but sit back and hope the author is able to make sense of this world for us. Thankfully, he does.

I love being tossed into a story that's already underway and having to catch up with where we are and what's happening while still following the present action. Fantasy author Roger Zelazny was very good at this, as is Philip Pullman (and now, perhaps, Tyler Hayes).

While this kind of writing and story absolutely thrills me, I can see that this is not something that will appeal to the masses. Read the description, read the reviews, and if it looks like something you might like, then definitely give it a try.

Looking for a good book? The Imaginary Corpse by Tyler Hayes is a very real fantasy/mystery that may bring back some childhood nightmares.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

I am a member of the American Library Association Reading List Award Committee. This title was suggested for the 2020 list. It was not nominated for the award. The complete list of winners and shortlisted titles is at <a href="https://rusaupdate.org/2020/01/2020-reading-list-years-best-in-genre-fiction-for-adult-readers/">

More like a 3.5/5 stars for this book. It's one of the most unique concepts that I've ever read, with Tippy being a delightful protagonist that has a fully realized backstory (for a stuffed Triceratops). I really liked the amount of different locales within the "Stillreal," the place imaginary friends/unfinished ideas, etc. get sent to when they are discarded abruptly/before their time. Tippy is trying to figure out how friends in the Stillreal are being permanently killed, as that is known to be impossible. I did enjoy the concept and a lot of the characters, but the slow-pacing made this book difficult for me to get through. It was sometimes difficult to figure out what was going on and the detailed explanations of the "rules" of the Stillreal created a slog for me personally. Very good messages on friendship and trying to keep the innocence of childhood, even when dealing with the hardships of being an adult. It's kind of like a bizarre version of Sesame Street, but it falls short of the depth that it's looking for where it truly counts.

The best way to describe The Imaginary Corpse is ‘wow.’ This is a unique book, the kind that instantly sends your mind reeling, asking how an author came up with such an intriguing, imaginative idea. The world of make believe has been used time and again, but Hayes takes it to a whole new level, giving us this mix between childlike wonderment and the horrors of real life. As readers, we get to balance on the tightrope between the joys of imagination and the scary parts of life that tear these beings away from their magical worlds into the Stillreal. The whole book is a joy to imagine, filled with vivid imagery and larger-than-life characters you can’t help but follow.

Hayes doesn’t just present a fun idea and then play around in it. He hunkers down, giving us a story with intricate depths that show how important imagination is to people and how it can create worlds of its own. Ideas become tangible things in The Imaginary Corpse, given new life in this veritable island of misfit toys. With them comes a whole host of problems. Some are joyful, filled with bright colors and happy times. Others are horrifying monsters ripped from the most intense of nightmares, who stalk around wreaking havoc. Through it all, we get a fascinating perspective on the psychology of imagination and how we use it to cope with the world around us.

Above all, The Imaginary Corpse will set your imagination on fire. I reveled in this brilliant world and couldn’t get enough of the scrappy stuffed triceratops we had the joy of calling a protagonist. It’s a one-of-a-kind book that demands to be read.

NOTE: I was provided a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest, unbiased review.

Friends are being murdered, not in the normal stay gone for a short time then come back like nothing happened. They are being killed permanently and that has never happened before in the StillReal. Now Detective Tippy is on the case trying to find the monster that is threating all of the StillReal.

Wow this is one of the most original books I have read in a long time. The entire concept of the StillReal and the Friends that live there really impressed me (being written in noir style really got me since I so enjoy that style). The StillReal is where imaginary friends or ideas that have been loved too much to just disappear go. If you can imagine it, it can be found there from a plush yellow triceratops detective named Tippy to a walking hand named Spiderfinger.

This is one of the most original novels I have read in a while. The whole concept of the StillReal is so unique that it was a wonderful escape to a unique land. I found this book whimsical at times, at other times I was fighting back the emotions, and then you have a large fight scene to bring up the pace a little.

This is a very enjoyable book to read that has something in it

Gods above, this was one incredible ride! I finished it in just under 24 hours – and it only took me that long because I had to break for Monday’s workday. But Imaginary Corpse is pretty literally unputdownable.

My mind is so blown.

Imaginary Corpse is the book I didn’t know I wanted. No: didn’t know I needed. I’ve read stories by younger authors, but this is the first book that has ever struck me as Millennial Fantasy, as a book written by someone who understood my generation, for people of my generation. What the hell does that mean, you ask? It’s everything – from the cynical-optimistic voice of the narrator Tippy, to the casually diverse cast of fabulous characters; the normalisation of the question ‘What are your pronouns?’, to the wry black humour; the acknowledgement of trauma, and the rock-solid bonds tying friends and Friends together; the defiant absurdity that’s nonetheless delighted to poke fun at itself – and the sheer awe and wonder and magic of the human imagination, and all that it can create.

I mean – let’s look at my exhibit A for this argument. Tippy, being a yellow plushie dinosaur, has a unique form of self-care: he takes a turn in a dryer. As in, a tumble-dryer machine.

Please point me towards the Millennial who will not read that and immediately think ‘#MOOD’? The moment I described that part of the novel, my husband (a fellow Millennial, ftr) instantly lit up with an ‘I want to go in the dryer too!’ There is just something about the idea of it – the wackiness, the cleverness, the appeal to how many of us are so tired and long for some self-care ourselves – that strikes a chord I haven’t seen struck before.

The entire book is like that. I can’t drop too many examples because honestly, the sheer delight of discovering them for yourself is not something I want to deprive fellow readers of – but the tumble-dryer is the least of it. Superheroines and villainesses making out in alleyways. Big Business. A literally American eagle. Again and again this book made me giggle or laugh out loud as Hayes spun older tropes into something fresh and clever and invented completely new ones – many of which playfully mock themselves and invite you to join in on the fun. I could not stop myself from sharing snippets with the hubby while I was reading, because so many lines or concepts were just that brilliant. Discovering just what it is hard-boiled detectives drink in Playtime Town when they’ve had a rough day – I think that was the moment I knew I was going to love this book hard.

(And no, I’m not going to tell you what they drink. Read the book yourself to find out!)

Imaginary Corpse is not a comedy, though. Hayes’ twisty brilliance might remind me The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy – except with magic instead of spaceships – but he also tackles harder and darker topics like a yellow triceratops charging at a bully. As mentioned above, this is a book where the first questions upon meeting a new person are ‘What can I call you, and what are your pronouns?’ The latter is hardly a common question in most spaces, but in Tippy’s word of the Stillreal, it’s completely normalised. Consent and choice are big themes here too, in many nuances, right down to the sanctity of personal space and gaining permission before entering someone else’s. Hayes’ characters face failure and grieving, and given the premise – that the Stillreal realm is populated by Friends who lost their creators in one way or another, usually to some flavour of tragedy – many, if not all of them, have trauma. Tippy himself has trauma-triggers – and this is known and accommodated by his friends. There’s no judgement here for survivors, no matter what scars they made it through with.

And I want to stress again: all of this is normalised. This isn’t Hayes hitting anyone over the head with The Liberal Agenda; it’s just how his characters talk to each other, and live alongside one another. I’m sure he made the conscious decision to write this book the way he did, but there’s nothing preachy or lecturing about any of it. Hayes makes such a small deal about it that I had to do a double-take more than once – it all flows so naturally that if you’re not on the lookout for it, you might not even consciously notice. It’s just one more feature of a really, really good story.

Which, can we take a second to appreciate how amazing this whole premise actually is??? Ideas – not just imaginary friends, but fictional characters and comics that were never drawn and movies that were never made – that are abandoned or lost have their own dimension, and their own societies, and our first-person narrator is a stuffed yellow triceratops. I want to see the inside of Hayes’ imagination so badly, because I have no idea how anyone could come up with all of this. I mean, the little premise summary I just wrote for you is very simplistic, because Spoilers, but – the way a Person’s experiences affect their Friends and Ideas, even once those Ideas move to the Stillreal; the existence of memories and future-memories; all the ways in which new Friends can be created and come into being… Does Hayes have a background in psychology? Because all of this reminded me of Pixar’s Inside Out (2015), except richer, darker, and more complicated (and diverse). I remember reading that one of the impacts of that movie was that it gave children struggling with mental health issues a way of expressing what they were feeling – doctors and nurses were giving them toys of those characters with which they could explain what was going on inside them. Imaginary Corpse is kind of like that in the way it pulls from psychology and neurology and social sciences as the inspiration/basis for some of its worldbuilding. It is, to say the least, freaking impressive.

This is also a fiercely hopepunk story. I mentioned already that the characters, particularly Tippy himself, have to deal with some dark stuff; with failures and regrets and even depression. It’s not grimdark – there’s too much loveliness, too much to giggle about, too many reasons to hug this book to your chest and not let go. But there are darker parts, parts that will rip your heart out, parts that will make you tear up if you have a working soul. Parts that tap a little too deeply into the feeling of hopelessness that is the undercurrent of so many lives right now. But Imaginary Corpse…

Look: there’s this amazing scene, in Catherynne Valente’s The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making, where September, the main character, meets a soap golem who explains that over time, a person’s bravery gets tarnished, and dirty, and worn-out. And every now and then you have to scrub it clean so it can be all shiny again and you have the bravery and strength to take on the world again.

The Imaginary Corpse is a book that washes your bravery clean again. It gently wipes at your eyes and heart and shows you how to feel wonder again, too; how to find joy in beautiful things and wonderful people and all the incredible things an imagination can do. And it does it while acknowledging how fucking hard that can be, which is what makes the message so potent and so true.

I am slowly assembling a ‘best fantasies of the decade’ list, to be published near the end of the year. Imaginary Corpse is going to be on it.

You are not ready for this level of awesome. But you should absolutely read this book anyway.

I adored Imaginary Corpse! It is an inventive take on a noir private investigator plot using a fantasy setting.

The Stillreal is where ideas that are too real go when their creator abruptly sends them away. Tippy is a stuffed dinosaur who solves crime in the Stillreal. However, even he is perplexed when Spindleman is beaten to “death” by The Man in the Coat. The problem is ideas can’t be killed in Stillreal, they quickly regenerate. When Spindleman doesn’t, Tippy must investigate.

Wow, I love this clever book! I admit I requested this book more for curiosity than for a great plot. I was surprised by the author’s ability to suspend my initial skepticism by chapter two.

All the noir details are here. Tippy has a root beer problem and drinks it out of a flask. He reads Encyclopedia Brown, the real children’s detective series that started my love of mysteries. Despite being a stuffed dinosaur, Tippy is a fully fleshed out character haunted by his person’s rejection of him and the rain that caused that rejection.

Setting it in an It’s a Small World-level childhood dream is a brilliant counterpoint to the usually depressing noir world. Who doesn’t love the concept that beloved ideas live elsewhere after their creators abandon them?

Don’t worry that the Imaginary Corpse will be too kitschy. It will suck you into its universe quickly. If you have read one too many standard mysteries or noirs and feel like a palate cleanser, please take a chance on this book. You won’t be sorry. 5 stars and one of my favorite books of 2019!

Thanks to Angry Robot and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

You might not know this about me (though if you’ve spent any length of time around me in real life, you might’ve figured it out), but I’m a soft-hearted individual. I still have stuffed animals and plushies in my bed. When I take them out of town, I tuck them into my hotel bed because I want them to be cozy. I beg people not to tell me sad stories about pets because they’ll actually make me weep.

I don’t talk about this piece of my heart a whole lot because it’s very much a weak spot. I’ve had people exploit and take advantage of this weak spot. (No, I don’t really want to talk about it.) But it’s a piece of me, much like my love of books.

I’ve yet to have a book that pulled these pieces of myself together and crafted it into a story that had me bawling like an emotionally-repressed adult-type thing.

Not until THE IMAGINARY CORPSE by Tyler Hayes, anyways.

So let’s talk about it.


Detective Tippy (of the Stuffed Animal Detective Agency) lives and works in a realm known as the Stillreal – where ideas beloved enough to be fleshed out and adored go when their creators can’t handle thinking about them anymore. Maybe their creator died, or went through something so traumatic that they can’t deal with anything that might’ve been present during the event – whatever happens, when an idea is loved enough before it’s let go, it winds up in the Stillreal. So we’ve got some superheroes, we’ve got schemas in which children organize their memories and thoughts, we get commercial ideas, we get the personification of Big Business – pretty much anything and anyone you can think of. And Detective Tippy does his absolute best to solve problems, save people, and make the Stillreal a place anyone can call home.

However, there’s something afoot – Friends getting killed. Like, perma-killed in a way that means they don’t come back . . . ever. Which is not how the Stillreal is supposed to work.

In a world of nightmares and screaming corn and supervillains that pull no punches, we meet a real monster known as The Man in The Hat. And it all just gets crazier from there.

The Imaginary Corpse makes quick work of diving to the heart of the matter, and the heart of the reader. I automatically want to blame myself and my soft baby heart, but there’s something about this book that dives into my very soul and tells me what it sees there with no fanfare, no fuss, no judgement. I’m reminded of that Pacific Rim-based Guillermo del Toro quote, “We are all the Jaegers in which scared children hide,” in that this book found that scared child inside my soul and said, “Hey dude, the coast is clear and you can come out now.”


The original Detective Tippy, graciously sent to us from Tyler Hayes!
And as scared as I am, as hidden as I am, as much as I’m still crushing that inner child back into my chest cavity where I can say it’s safe, I want to believe that this is so.

There’s great love in this story, not just for the noir genre – of which I’m also a huge fan – and not just for the items of our youth, but for those that have torn off pieces of themselves in order to stay alive. For those that have had to abandon youthful ideals, leave behind their comforting stories, this story takes you in its arms and says, “I see you, and it’s alright because they’re all okay, see?”

This is my take, anyways. Maybe I read a little deep into it, but how could I not? How could I, a queer person who has notably had to defend their identity against internet-based and physical people alike, not find some comfort in a story where our protagonist introduces himself with, “Hi, I’m Detective Tippy, what are your pronouns?”

Like, call me a fuckin fine Victorian lady because that shit’s got me laid out on a fainting couch while fanning myself.

I can applaud the prose all day – of which I totally will, don’t get me started – and I can wax poetic about the pacing and timing of a novel that’s plotted so expertly I better see most of you taking notes. These things are a given, and you can trust me when I say that I can’t think of a single flaw in this whole book.

But the most important part – the part that you need to absolutely read this book for – is its emotional impact. The delicate nature of how Hayes talks about traumas and dealing with their fallout. The very clear message of, “It’s okay to ask for and need help.” Like, don’t get me wrong, a sad cat story can and will move me to tears. But the emotional punch of this story came from left field, and makes you look it in the eye while it pokes every bruise and soft spot of that thing in your chest that used to be a heart.

I love this book. I interviewed Tyler and y’all should definitely listen to it, but you also – and I cannot stress this enough – need to read this book.

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Reminder that Patreon is running special this month for our 2nd birthday!

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Check out the interview with Tyler on LITCAST OF DOOM, out now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Podbean

I fell in love with a stuffed yellow triceratops called Tippy and a world of discarded Ideas.
It was like travelling to a world out a children drawing: it can make you smile but it can also be full of fears.
This is an amazing book, it can make you smile but there're moments of pure horror.
It's a world full of colours and nice characters but where the villain are really evil.
I was a bit perplexed at beginning because the world building came as a surprise. It's the first time I read about such an amazing and original world building. It reminded me of Roger Rabbit but with a very dark side.
The style of writing is amazing and the characters are fleshed out and Tippy is so lovely that I would have like to give him a hug.
A great book and a great reading experience.
I'd be happy to read again about a yellow triceratops and his friend. I want to discover more of their world and read more about them.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

Even though I knew the basic premise when I started the book, I was seriously surprised at the world building. It was hilarious, but also believable and a little heartbreaking, too. Definitely written for adults, this fantasy world of forgotten ideas, dreams, and imaginary friends reeled me in from the start. I adored every single page of this engaging, fantastical book.

Our gumshoe, a stuffed triceratops named Detective Tippy, may just be my new favourite literary detective. A hardened investigator who is literally soft inside, he is smart, caring, daring and delightful. I love how he drowns his sorrow in root beer, too.

While those within the Stillreal have to adhere to the boundaries of what their original creators imagined, there is some leeway within their makeshift world. However, some things are not supposed to be possible, including true death. When a poor, misunderstood nightmare is murdered and doesn't return, Tippy is on the case because knows something sinister is happening and that their imaginary world might be forever changed.

This was a non-stop, thoroughly entertaining ride with a lot of heart to boot. I went through so many emotions during this truly unique story and am so glad to have been able to read it. The world building was thorough and phenomenal, really making me feel like I was within this land of forgotten make believe. I'll certainly be more careful with my daydreaming in future so that my discarded ideas aren't left abandoned in a world without their creator, no matter how many root beer floats they'll be compensated with.

Full review to come on my blog after publication.

4.5 / 5 ✪

https://arefugefromlife.wordpress.com/2019/09/03/book-review-the-imaginary-corpse-by-tyler-hayes/

The Imaginary Corpse is an adorable book in a number of ways. It’s a cross between Toy Story and Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends, under the night sky of a film-era detective noir. Detective Tippy is a stuffed, yellow triceratops. Yes, you read that right. He’s the head and only detective at the Stuffed Animal Detective Agency. There’s nothing he likes more than root beer floats, long rides in the dryer—and of course—his creator, Sandra.

The Stuffed Animal Detective Agency operates in the Stillreal, a place where capital-F Friends end up when their creators are forced to abandon them. It’s hard to explain, but the book does a stellar job—I’ll give it a quick shot. You see, some imaginary friends are just that: Imaginary. But if a friend is imbibed with such a force of love or affection, or detail to the extent that they’re very real to their creator, they become a Friend. Alternatively, a nightmare that frightens and terrifies can often feel very real in its own right, thus becoming a Friend as well (albeit a different kind). Now, most often these Friends will be parted with or forgotten when a child outgrows them, discarded when an artist or writer moves on or their commission is canceled. But occasionally, there’s an event that leads to a Friend being abandoned. Some trauma, some insight, some… thing else. And the Friend is forcibly ripped from their creator, never to return. These Friends end up in the Stillreal.

Going to the Stillreal is a one-way trip. Friends can get hurt or injured there—most experience trauma, anxiety or worse from their forced separation from their creator—but once arriving in the Stillreal, they can’t actually die. That is, until they start.

When Tippy witnesses this, the case begins. It will lead down paths even dark by Playtime Town standards. It will force Detective Tippy to confront his own issues—the trauma, the loss, and his mounting depression. It may even change him for the better, should he and the rest of the Stillreal survive it. For even in Playtime Town does darkness loom, and Tippy may not have enough in his pocket flask of root beer to see him through it.

What to say about the Imaginary Corpse? Mostly good things, I promise.

I mean, it’s good. It’s definitely worth reading! It’s in a class all on its own, for a whole host of reasons—but mostly because it is adorable. The yellow triceratops lead, the amount of hugs offered and given, the Rootbeerium… And yet the issues these Friends deal with draw a number of parallels to everyday life. The trauma, the loss, the anxiety, the depression they feel; all seems a tangible, weighted thing, that I struggled with in my read through. Some have overcome the lot, though most still struggle on valiantly in a world they can’t escape, a living memory of a life they’re never to revisit, the memory of their creator, their best friend still fresh in their mind and yet irretrievable at the same time. Tippy walks a fine line—love, hope on one end with depression, darkness and loss lurking on the other side.

Tippy may be one of my favorite characters ever. From his time with Sandra, Tippy was imbued with Detective Stuff, a kind of sixth-sense that helped him know things, feel things, gather clues almost as if by magic—as it might seem to a small child who witnesses detectives doing such. Despite this yellow triceratops being filled with no more than root beer and stuffing, he’s more human than most of what you’ll find in media nowadays.

While Hayes starts with an interesting premise, a fantastical setting and a generally entertaining plot, the Imaginary Corpse falls short of perfection. The mystery lets the story down, sadly. And the Detective Stuff—while a powerful tool—is not enough to carry the story by itself. A couple of times I had to backtrack and reread a section where Tippy connected the dots, because it didn’t exactly make sense. Occasionally, the Detective Stuff would just bypass key details and leap on to the next, like they were too hard to explain or write. Though I suppose that’s a good use for a superpower, innit?

TL;DR

The Imaginary Corpse is a fantasy-mystery-noir, set in a strange but delightful world, filled with some of my favorite characters of all-time. And I really can’t say enough good things about it. An immensely entertaining read, the book takes its readers through the trauma and darkness—coaxing them all the while with hope and acceptance, before finally reaching a hard-fought conclusion that is neither, yet somehow both. While the novel’s mystery may be its biggest weakness, the Imaginary Corpse manages to tell the story it set out to, in the manner it set out to, while toeing the line between dark and adorable. And that above all else is its greatest triumph. Quite the debut from Tyler Hayes—one I’ll not be forgetting any time soon!

Detective Tippy (a yellow triceratops) lives in the Stillreal, the place where abandoned Ideas too real to fade away can live and thrive, solving crimes and helping his Friends. When a newly-birthed nightmare – The Man in the Coat – starts murdering other Friends (for real, not just temporarily), Tippy has to work through his own deep-rooted issues and find a way to solve – and survive – the deadliest mystery he’s ever faced.

Imagine a cross between Toy Story, The Lego Movie and a Jasper Fforde-esque noir novel, populated by characters bound by weirdly logical rules, traumatised to varying degrees, and trying desperately to carefully, politely – for the most part – coexist. That barely scratches the surface of this richly detailed story, but should give you an idea of what to expect. It’s a world literally built on imagination, but for all the sweet, fantastical surface elements, underneath this is a story which wants its readers to relate these characters and questions to their own lives. The sweetness and relatively prominent sense of morality might not appeal to everyone, but are entirely in keeping with the world Hayes has built, not to mention being a rewarding tonic to the chaos happening in the real world. It’s a book which perhaps isn’t as fun as you might expect, but pulls powerfully on the heartstrings and offers a compelling reminder to look for positives in spite of everything.

Detective Tippy is good at what he does. Probably the best. He’s also a fluffy and minuscule stuffed triceratops. Nothing shocking in the dreamland of ideas known as Stillreal. As people grow up, they tend to abandon their imaginary Friends who, when it inevitably happens, find shelter in this exact place. Not a perfect scenario, but better than being erased from existence.

When an unidentified resident of the Stillreal goes on a killing spree, no Friend is safe. Detective Tippy applies his detective skills, charm, and empathy to solve the crime. And he gets the job done. He even finds time to go to a bar and sip a root beer, as befits a detective.

Stillreal is a fascinating, and detailed place in which all possible imaginary worlds and landscapes blend into something unique. The action jumps from modern skyscrapers and offices (Big Business operating area) to underwater abysses, and the Avatar city filled with superheroes. Here, nothing is impossible. I would go as far as saying that exploring the place and meeting its wacky residents is the biggest fun the book offers.

Investigations led by Tippy vary in difficulty but they all follow a similar scenario. Some are lighthearted, some dark and scary. Creatures of Stillreal are endearing, but also tragic (abandoned, lonely, trying to build a new life without children who have imagined them). They deal with trauma, but they’re also affectionate creatures, plenty of love and readiness to forgive.

I enjoyed Tippy as a lead, because who wouldn’t cheer for a minuscule triceratops whose favorite pastime is going for a spin in a dryer? Secondary characters like Miss. Mighty, Spiderhand or Dr. Atrocity are memorable but not fully realized. You remember their wackiness and longings, but their motivations fade with time. At least in my case.

The Imaginary Corpse tries something new (even if it’s a bit of everything) and, with few negligible misses, succeeds at creating a memorable story. It mixes humor, horror, intrigue, and action into a singular blend and is emotionally engaging throughout. Highly recommended, especially for fans of Neil Gaiman of Frances Hardinge.

I have a longer review incoming on 12 Sept for a blog tour for this book, so I'll keep this brief.

I loved it. I absolutely loved this book. It made me smile, and it gave me a good dose of the feels about a stuffed dinosaur, and it was absolutely magical. I've already recommended it to a few people that don't normally read fantasy but I think really need a good dose of Tippy the Triceratops in their life. It's one of thoooose books.

Forces of Evil take heed; Dinosaur Detective Tippy is on the job!
Have you ever had an idea so strong it almost had a life of its own? In Tyler Hayes’ debut novel, such Ideas do take on a life of their own, and if they are suddenly abandoned by their creators they live on in the Stillreal. Detective Tippy is a stuffed triceratops who solved mysteries with a little girl until her father died, and now he solves mysteries for the Ideas who live in Stillreal. Ideas who live in Stillreal are those that cannot die, so when a nightmare monster comes that can kill Ideas permanently, Stillreal’s entire existence could be threatened. Tippy faces the biggest mystery of his career.
I read fantasy only rarely, but who could resist the Idea of a stuffed dinosaur detective? (I can fully understand why such a creature would live on and go to Stillreal after his creator gave him up.) As an “only rarely” fantasy reader, though, I am a tough audience. Books in this genre have to be really good to satisfy me. First of all, they have to be imaginative and original; retreads of witches and fairies won’t cut it. Second, although I do not expect it to reflect the real world, the imaginary world must be thoroughly worked out, without contradictions and without provoking major unanswered questions in the reader’s mind. The world of The Imaginary Corpse measured up beautifully to my requirements and delivered a delightful experience.
A great deal of creative thinking went into Tippy’s world, and so it demands a bit of creative imagination on the reader’s part to immerse themselves in it. This is a major part of the fun of the book. For example, Ideas can travel to Ideas other than the one they were dropped in when they arrived in Stillreal by appropriate thinking, but this often requires multiple steps….I had to think about that.
The Stillreal world is a creation fashioned primarily by the imaginations of children. In addition to having a stuffed dinosaur protagonist, there is an octopus named Breaker, and superhero Miss Mighty. Detective Tippy and his friends in Playtime Town frequent a local gathering spot where everyone consumes a lot of beer---root beer---the Rootbeerium, run by Mr. Float.
Despite the smile-provoking worldbuilding and generally wholesome atmosphere (Tippy feels his horns burn when characters say anything stronger than “dang”.), I consider this a book for adults or more mature teens. This is not because of the usual reasons like sex or graphic violence, although some of the experiences children have in Realworld are heart-breaking. There is plenty of whimsy, and a positive message about friendship and being a good person that is a good one for any age, but there is a depth to the story and to the structure of the world that I believe would be a challenge for younger readers.
And if the book had not already won me over, how could I NOT love an author who thanks his CAT in the Acknowledgments!
But what about the story? A novel is supposed to tell a story. Let me reassure you that the world of Stillreal and the characters in it may be the highlights of the book, but the plot is also done well.
As the book closes, Detective Tippy comes to the recognition that solving puzzles is not an end but a tool and that “What I really do is help people, both with their problems and with believing the best of the world.” There is every indication that Tippy and his friends will be back to help more people in the future, and I will look forward to hearing more from Tippy and from Tyler Hayes.

Have You ever had an imaginary friend? Did you ever start a novel, but haven't finished it? Have You ever had an idea that was so close to Your heart it actually felt real? And what if that kinds of ideas went to another realm called Stillreal, after You abandoned them? This novel is exactly about special Friends that weren't need nymore, so they started a new life in another dimension.

It's a mystery story with the triceratops detective as a main protagonist. Tippy is a nice dinosaur and all he want to do is help people. It deosn't always work but he's trying, so when The Tea Man appears and starts to kill Friends for real, he decide to do something about it. And here goes the adventure with Tippy and his friends - other Ideas.

It's really imaginative and quite different from anything I've ever read. But it;s really good book, full of snarky comments and some emotional moments. i really hope that author is going to continue with this world and characters.

When Angry Robot tweeted about this book a few weeks ago, I jumped up and down in excitement and was delighted when I got a NetGalley ARC. The idea of a detective in a dream-land of ideas and stories? Gold. And the detective is a fluffy Triceratops, greatest of the dinosaurs?

I was, and am, actively jealous of Tyler Hayes for having the idea first.

What I didn't know at the time was that the book is written in present tense, which would have cooled my excitement no small degree. That's my one big irrational turn-off and its quite possible my lack of connectionTake it as you will.

Hayes dreamland - the Stillreal - is a cool place. It's like Toy Story meets Sandman. It is also a big place, ranging from kids' toys to conspiracy theories and everything in between. Detective Tippy covers most of it and between that and the need to lay down the logic of the Stillreal, a lot of The Imaginary Corpse is taken up by exposition. Sometimes I actively cheered that choice. Sometimes I felt a little let down; not everything about the Stillreal excited me, which is likely with such a big palette being used.

Either way though, the size of the setting impacted the story itself. Tippy's investigation is straight forwards and there wasn't much of a subplot, with Tippy staying focused on the case. The case itself seemed to be as much about the setting as anything, being more Howdunnit than Whodunnit or Whydunnit. And while that is cool, I think the lack of Who and Why led to a loss of hook in story and in development of the characters. I enjoyed reading about Tippy, Miss Mighty, Spiderhand and all, but none of them are characters I'm gagging to read about again (although a book about Miss Mighty and Doctor Atrocity squaring off would be good value).

Tone wise, it's a slightly dissonant blend between the classic gumshoe "Tough Guy with a Big Mouth" narrator and Disney-esque Power of Friendship moments. The first half of that didn't quite work for me and I think that's partially on a lack of situations to work his big mouth on, but the emotional moments hit home, particularly near the end. But then, when looking back, I see that I liked this story most when it was about the crazy place called the Stillreal and less when it was a detective story. So that might be why.

All in all, The Imaginary Corpse is (for me) one of those books that tries to do everything and has a lot of near-misses on the satisfaction count as a result. It is a pleasant read, but doesn't achieve the sort of hyper-fun romp you get from the best Fantasy Detective stories as a result. But all the elements are there where it will be that romp for someone who does connect with Parsons on what he tries. And there'll be a lot of people who enjoy The Imaginary Corpse simply because it tries something new and larger than life even if they don't enjoy everything in the book. After all, I did, and that's with one of my most hated narrative choices in there.

So if anyone's looking for something different, something whimsical and imaginative and fun, step this way.

(I received an ARC of this book through NetGalley from Angry Robot in exchange for an honest review - thanks peeps!)