new book alert
automatic noodle
Coming Aug. 5, 2025, from Tor.com
Pre-order now!
You can pre-order Automatic Noodle from Tor.com, or pre-order signed copies from Noe Valley Books or Green Apple Books.
See me on my west coast book tour!
Mark your calendars and get your tickets now! Here's the schedule (more dates may be added later):
8/3: San Francisco, CA — Book Launch Hosted by Noe Valley Books @ Bethany United Methodist Church, w/Alex Hanna
8/6: Los Angeles, CA — Book Soup w/Meghan McCarron
8/7: Phoenix, AZ — Changing Hands Bookstore w/Matt Bell
8/8: St. Louis, MO — Left Bank Books w/Crystal Odelle
8/10: Portland, OR — Powell's Books w/Arielle Duhaime-Ross
8/11: Lake Forest Park, WA — Third Place Books w/Ryan Calo
8/12: Vancouver, BC — Iron Dog Books, w/Hisham Zerriffi
8/13-8/17: Seattle, WA — WorldCon
A cozy near-future novella about a crew of leftover robots opening their very own noodle shop, from acclaimed sci-fi author Annalee Newitz.
You don’t have to eat food to know the way to a city’s heart is through its stomach. So when a group of deactivated robots come back online in an abandoned ghost kitchen, they decide to make their own way doing what they know: making food—the tastiest hand-pulled noodles around—for the humans of San Francisco, who are recovering from a devastating war.
But when their robot-run business starts causing a stir, a targeted wave of one-star reviews threatens to boil over into a crisis. To keep their doors open, they’ll have to call on their customers, their community, and each other—and find a way to survive and thrive in a world that wasn’t built for them.
Praise for Automatic Noodle:
Starred reviews in Publisher’s Weekly, Library Journal, and Booklist
"This is a story—about building community despite adversity, fighting for your rights and individuality, and creating art that you want to see in the world—that I didn't know I needed right now. And it was so much fun to read!” —Martha Wells, author of The Murderbot Diaries and Witch King
"This book will make you hungry. It will also keep you warm." —Becky Chambers, author of the Monk and Robot series
"A deceptively breezy, sneakily poignant, culinary dystopian redemption tale that blends the pleasures of a heist, a satirical romp, and The Bear. Smart, inventive, and fun." —Michael Chabon, author of The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay and Moonglow
"A love letter to community, identity, San Francisco, and noodles, Automatic Noodle also is a searing commentary on capitalism and our algorithm-driven culture. In other words, it's like the perfect bowl of noodles: delicious and comforting with just enough spice to kick your senses and clear your sinuses." —Mike Chen, bestselling author of Star Wars: Brotherhood and A Quantum Love Story
“The characters and their dilemmas are so vivid and believable. I choked up more than once and I cheered. Lovely stuff! A cool, joyous post-apocalyptic fable for our divided times.”—M. R. Carey, USA Today bestselling author of The Girl with All the Gifts
“This heartwarming tale of found family, exquisite food, and loveable bots overcoming society's flawed codes will make readers say, 'Yes, chef!'”—Samit Basu, author of The Jinn-Bot of Shantiport