A newly widowed mother begins working the night shift at the local aquarium. While mopping floors, she becomes acquainted with Marcellus—a giant Pacific octopus who knows more than his human captors. Thus begins Shelby Van Pelt’s Remarkably Bright Creatures. After being published in 2022, it generated so many word-of-mouth sales that it landed national best-seller lists. The “ultimately feel-good but deceptively sensitive” story is partly narrated by Marcellus. Van Pelt started building his character ten years ago while watching YouTube videos of a captive octopus who was an escape artist. She will be in conversation with novelist Karen Joy Fowler.
Tues, 7pm, $22
Kepler’s Books, Menlo Park
