The Sol Majestic

Jiro Dreams Of Sushi...in space! With chicken soup!! Plus a Charlie and the Chocolate Factory setup, a coming of age story, and a sentient sourdough starter. Plus lots of keen observations and insightful commentary on gastronomy as art, the role of haute cuisine when not everyone has enough to eat, demagogic religious charlatans spouting empty platitudes, poverty and hope, wage slaves, intellectual vs manual labour, etc.

It all fits together surprisingly well, impactful without being overbearing, subtle without being superficial, moving without being maudlin. The pacing is good, slow enough to feel the tension building, fast enough to stay exciting.

The biggest issue I had with the book was the anachronistic elements. Although set in show more the future in a galaxy spanning civilization with advanced technology, social media seems to not have evolved at all since 2019, complete with bloggers and social scoring. While some of the elements in the restaurant (e.g. cooking with flames, prep by hand that could easily be automated) were deliberate attempts to adhere to culinary tradition, others just seemed out of place (e.g. washing dishes by hand) to either further the plot or when the author couldn't think of a futuristic alternative. The contrast was all the more discordant because a lot of sci-fi stuff was also thrown at the food, from stasis to keep foods fresh, to anti-grav bowls allowing the food to float, and various feats of molecular gastronomy that would put today's chefs to shame. Still, a relatively minor quibble that didn't really interfere with the overall flow or themes of the story. show less

From the blurb, I expected a silly romp about a restaurant at the end of the galaxy. Instead I cried through the first chapters.

This is a meditation on food, art, expectations, family, and how to live with oneself.

I've been a fan of Steinmetz ever since [b:Flex|21965714|Flex ('Mancer, #1)|Ferrett Steinmetz|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1417021051l/21965714._SY75_.jpg|41227956], so it doesn't matter what he writes because I'll be there, enjoying the strong creativity and stronger characters.

I honestly didn't even bother to read the blurb. Silly me. But what really woke me up was the fact that I was now reading a FOODIE novel. Yes, indeed, this is a THING. Not only that, it's becoming more and more common in fantasy and SF.

AND I LOVE IT.

So now that Steinmetz is jumping into the mashup stew, mixing a weird social SF with a more traditional Space Opera and making it focus hard on food, food preparation, the show more restaurant biz (Sol Majestic, baby!), and the wonderful world of the MAGIC OF FOOD, I knew that I was in for a real treat.

This particular novel brings in philosophies as a political and religious foundation and it messes with people in very interesting ways, but for the most part, as we follow Kenna, a nearly starving outsider to the whole rat-race, we're focused on survival and the blossoming LGBT love and even stronger love associated with FOOD. :) In particular, he makes dear friends with the restaurant and is catapulted into the Philosophy royalty that seems rather preoccupied with a galactic internet popularity contest... of which he has won the jackpot. :)

Add some funny but dire mishaps, business decisions threatening to destroy the restaurant and a FREAKING TON OF BROTH, not to mention a lot of growing up to do, and I found myself thoroughly enjoying the tale.

I admit, I now have a problem. I'm addicted to foodie fiction. This is probably worse than watching Gordon Ramsey because there simply isn't enough of this particular sub-genre to fill my stomach properly. I CRAVE so much more!

BTW, if you don't think that Foodie Genre fiction is a thing, I invite you to read Andrew Hiller's [b:A Halo of Mushrooms|27504852|A Halo of Mushrooms|Andrew Hiller|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1446817307l/27504852._SY75_.jpg|47544767] and full sequence of books by Mathew Wallace starting with [b:Envy of Angels|25819511|Envy of Angels (Sin du Jour, #1)|Matt Wallace|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1443116470l/25819511._SY75_.jpg|45399552]. Fantasy, SF, wild adventures and all of it about FOOD. :) show less

This is a fascinating book. There were several times throughout the book when I thought it was a good story, but there was too much melodrama. Then it seemed to slow down and even become a bit redundant, but I was already 60% of the way, so might as well finish it. Finally, I go to the last 50 pages (or so) and everything just exploded. It was as if a spring had been slowly winding tighter and tighter, and suddenly it was released and went flying across the room.

In many ways, this reminds me of "A Prayer for Owen Meany" (which I consider one of the gold standards for storytelling). I won't say any more, just that this is well worth your time.

hopepunk sf
Kenna, an aspirational teen guru, wanders destitute across the stars as he tries to achieve his parents' ambition to advise the celestial elite. Everything changes when Kenna wins a free dinner at The Sol Majestic, the galaxy's most renowned restaurant, giving him access to the cosmos's one-percent. His dream is jeopardized, however, when he learns his highly-publicized "free meal" risks putting The Sol Majestic into financial ruin. Kenna and a motley gang of newfound friends - including a teleporting celebrity chef, a trust-fund adrenaline junkie, an inept apprentice, and a brilliant mistress of disguise - must concoct an extravagant scheme to save everything they cherish. In doing so, Kenna may sacrifice his ideals - or show more learn even greater lessons about wisdom, friendship, and love.

Tailored Title:

I chose this book for you because you like humor and science fiction. This upbeat science fiction novel follows a likable protagonist as they search for their life's purpose and, in the process, find their chosen family among diverse, close-knit groups of eccentric but warmhearted space dwellers. show less

I really liked this book. I loved the characters, and the lower stakes. The food descriptions were amazing. I did think the pacing of the romance plot was a bit fast, but overall I enjoyed it. I would recommend to someone wanting a cozy sci-fi book, or likes books about food.

I really enjoyed The Sol Majestic, even though I got a little depressed by the weight of the middle. Pushing through paid off and there's a great warmth in my heart for these characters. Says quite a lot that I cared so much for the characters that I almost couldn't handle the challenges they had to face.