Automatic Noodle

It’s the future in San Francisco and things have gotten pretty terrible. Storms are bad; atmospheric rivers are common. But food has been revolutionized with the click of a button.

A group of abandoned, defunct robots come to life when Staybehind wakes up to find their restaurant business is no more. Once everyone is up and running, they decide to start making delicious food again. They work out the best way to make the most delicious and efficient meals and soon have a long line of customers and deliveries to be fulfilled. But word soon gets out about these bots making food and a slander campaign attacks them with ceaseless negative reviews. If their rating drops too much, they’ll lose their clientele and it’ll be the end of everything. They have to do something to put a stop to it.

Newitz has written an adorable novella that is compelling and makes you quickly care about its robotic cast. In a few pages she skillfully world builds a place you could see yourself living, so long as you can get some of those delicious dishes. In our world where AI is becoming a hateful thing, Automatic Noodle is your little place of calm.