Automatic Noodle

This is a cozy sci-fi novella that feels like a blend of Murderbot Diaries and Death of the Author, but with a sweet tone. It’s sharp and funny while still engaging with big themes of automation, political division, and climate change. It’s short, it drops you straight in, and moves quickly. It isn’t action-packed, but the pace keeps it moving. The characters are universally lovable, easy to root for, and full of love for each other. It’s a refreshing contrast to heavier, more cynical sci-fi. It’s a light and thoughtful read, comforting without being shallow, witty without being cold. A lovely little break if you want something quick, kind, and smart. Give it a read!

Thanks to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for access to this.

Staybehind and bot friends Cayenne, Hands, and Sweetie wake up to discover that they have been powered down for months and the humans who ran the restaurant they all worked in have gotten out of dodge. The robots, though, along with a human, Robles, decide to make a go of running a noodle restaurant, despite the anti-robot sentiment surrounding them in San Francisco, California.

I have really enjoyed reading some of the great novellas that have been coming out lately, especially in the science fiction and fantasy genres. This one may be set in a post-apocalyptic California after it's become its own country after a war with America, but the challenges the robots run into because of their status as free-but-not-free, not-quite-human are show more easily recognizable as issues that we are dealing with right now as we define who has the right to exists and on what terms in multiple countries and multiple arenas. And yet, there's a bit of hope as these bots carve out a niche for themselves in their world. As entertaining, mind-stretching and thought-provoking as I've come to expect from Annalee Newitz. show less

IN A NUTSHELL
Automatic Noodle' is a remarkable speculative fiction novella. It's original, engaging, thought-provoking and hopeful. I think it makes a particularly poignant read given the current attempt by Project 2025 to dismantle democracy in America. I read it in a single sitting, not just because it's short but because it's compelling, relevant and well-written. I recommend the audiobook. Em Grosland's narration made the novella even more engaging.

The audiobook version of 'Automatic Noodle' is only a little over four hours long, but it delivers a whole novel's worth of ideas and emotions. I found myself completely engaged in the hopes, loves, fears and regrets of the main characters, which is remarkable given that the plot is show more linear, simple and focused on the establishment of a noodle restaurant, and the main characters are sentient bots. What makes it work is the depth and power of Annalee Newitz's imagination and the originality of their perspective.

The novella combines strong world-building, a bot-centric narrative and plot about succeeding against the odds by claiming your own identity and building Found Family, to produce an uplifting and stimulating story.

'Automatic Noodle' is set in a plausible, perhaps even probable, near-future San Francisco recovering from the devastating effects of a war in which California won its independence from the United States of America.

It's the story of four sentient bots, three of whom lived through the trauma of the war, who reboot after months of anenforced shutdown, to discover that they've been abandoned by the company that ran the fast food franchise they worked in.

I liked that the bots felt like people but didn't feel like mechanical humans. These bots don't want to be human. They justwant to be themselves. Their abilities and needs, even their relationship with their own bodies are fundamentally different from those of humans, except that, like humans, they have the capacity for love, joy, friendship, fear, grief and guilt. I loved getting to be inside the heads of each of the bots and coming to understand how they saw the world.

In Newitz's near-future United States, sentient bots are owned. The newly independent California has determined that sentient bots have the right to be free. That sounds wonderful until you unpack the details. I won't share those details here as discovering the limits on bot freedom was a fun part of reading the novella, but I was aware that many of the restrictions mirrored how 'freed' slaves were treated in various States under the Jim Crow laws.

I've seen 'Automatic Noodle' described as Cozy Science Fiction. That wasn't my experience of it. To me, Cozy implies the acceptance by writer and reader that the story takes place in an infeasibly nice world offering a sort of bubble-wrapped experience where nothing really bad will be allowed to happen. 'Automatic Noodle' is born out of trauma, takes place in a devastated environment and requires the main characters to deal with hate-driven aggression. It's a story about the resilience of hope in the face of hate and the universality of the need for love and friendship. show less

This book is pure magic, of the Becky Chambers “Angry Planet” variety, but all its own. I absolutely loved it and heartily recommend its mix of coziness with clear eyed acknowledgement of the times we are living through, and what they portend, and what comes after, as a perfect little read. Just fantastic.

I am not a huge science fiction fan, but the cover and premise of this book intrigued me (look at how beautiful that cover is). Ultimately, I was quite pleasantly surprised. This was so cozy and warm. I loved the dynamic of all the robots and it was just so unique. Becky Chambers wrote one of the blurbs on the back and it gave me a lot of the same vibes as A Psalm for the Wild Built. If you liked that book, you would probably like this one too.

The thing is though, AI really stresses me out. As somebody with a computer science background, I feel like I have a pretty solid understanding of where we are and where we're going. I know the pros and cons. Given the current landscape of ChatGPT and generative AI I would say that I am mostly show more wary of the direction we're going in. I probably have a significant amount or robophobia although in the context of this world it's a little bit different... I think if all of this happened I would be able to accept that once HEEI robots are developed you have to treat them as people like in the book. Maybe, let's just not do that and then we won't have to worry about it!!

Either way this setting sort of just filled me with existential dread. The idea of developing strong AI in my lifetime is borderline unfathomable. I just don't want that. Period. I think there's a limit to advancement and a lot of the structure of this world stresses me out. Yes, it's cozy but at the same time it's a post-war sort of grim setting. It just left me with so many questions and worries about how much things can and might change within the next 50 years because if you look back at where we were 50 years ago from now..... It's crazy.

Also, I'm a middle school computer teacher with a computer science degree so I'm always worried about my job changing or all of the things I know becoming obsolete. It's already happening. I know there are other things I could do and would enjoy doing, but the state of the USA doesn't exactly give me hope that I could find another job. I feel like no matter what learning critical thinking and artistic skills as they can be developed using computers will be useful, but... You never know. Somebody should probably continue to teach others about how the technology in our life works. We should understand the world around us. ANYWAYS. None of that was directly about the book, but as you can see it did sort of put me in an existential crisis (as science fiction often does for me). I'm not sure if that's good because it means the book was effective at making me think or bad because now I'm stressed. I could probably write about all my technology related anxieties forever, but there's not much we can do but wait and see. I hope that if HEEI robots ever do exist that they would like to make cute little noodle shops like the one in this book. :)

I know I said at the beginning that this was cozy, but then the way I described how it made me feel is probably not giving "cozy". I think both can be true at the same time. This was cozy, but it was also thought-provoking and heavy. The writing is nuanced and addresses many facets of this future society in a short amount of time. It's a story full of hope and rebuilding, and I think that's what makes it the most cozy. show less

**received as an advance copy from the publishers

Considering that I’m not actually into robots, Chinese noodle-based soups, or post-future civil war American fantasies, there was little reason for me to want to pick up Automatic Noodle. And yet, I couldn’t resist the tantalizing cover festooned with an ombréd bowl of juicy noods (lol) and figured that was excuse enough to delve into a story that I would usually pass by. Once inside the pages, Newitz’s easily readable prose quickly introduces us to a cast of intriguing robotic protagonists who have just a mere novella’s worth of time to make their technically illegal noodle shop successful. Packed in these less than 200 pages we’re treated to moments of humour, political show more commentary, and an almost surprising amount of character development against the backdrop of a newly independent California and the bowls of (not so) automatic noodles that the enterprising crew whip up to serve their lines of customers. Short and sweet, the book was just enough to satisfy without getting too weighty with the human (read: robotic) rights subtext and focused perfectly on exploring the stories and unique personalities behind each ‘bot. Much more and the stark reality of the harsh future they live in would have made the story far too much of a manifesto, but the narrative built around their struggle towards success was just enough to paint a brief glimpse into their world while simultaneously opening our minds to reconsidering the struggles of any marginalized community. Now maybe it’s time to go find some biang biang noodles and see what all the fuss is about! show less

While San Francisco rebuilds from war, a group of abandoned food service bots take over their own delivery app account and rebrand as the best hand-pulled noodle shop in the neighborhood. There’s just one little snag - someone-or something- is negative-review bombing their restaurant’s page and plummeting their ratings! Can the bots figure out who's doing it and put a stop to the review bombing before it’s too late for the restaurant?

One of my supervisors sent me the link to this when it was first announced and I immediately put it on my TBR. Why?

Look at this cover and tell me you’re not intrigued!
Robots who start a noodle shop?!
It’s a novella (and novella just hit different)

So, after reading it, what are my thoughts?

Did I show more know there was such a thing as a cozy sci-fi? Sure - but I hadn’t read one yet! Also add in some found family and challenge the norms and you’ve got yourself this novella!

It was an amazing read filled with an alternative America, commentary on identity, fear, and challenging biases. Though it was about robots, they were definitely stand-ins for how we as people can treat others based on gender, sexuality, and immigration status.

Overall, a wonderful novel, perfect for those who love sci-fi and want a cozy little read about a hand-pulled noodle shop run by robots.

Now excuse me while I go find a hand-pulled noodle shop to go try!

*Thank you Tordotcom and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review show less