// Workers AI · dad joke modeWhat did the Automatic Noodle say? "I'm a sucker for soup.
Automatic Noodle is a 2025 science fiction novella by Annalee Newitz. It was first published by Tordotcom.
Synopsis
[edit]In a future San Francisco, a group of independent robots — Cayenne, Hands, Sweetie, and Staybehind — open a restaurant, but are faced with review bombing.
Reception and awards
[edit]Kirkus Reviews noted superficial similarities to Travis Baldree's Legends & Lattes, about an orc who opens a coffee shop, but emphasized that Newitz included "social commentary about climate change, PTSD, and [the gatekeeping roles of platforms such as] Yelp and DoorDash", and called the overall work "both heartwarming and pointed".[1]
Strange Horizons, conversely, found that this social commentary "felt (...) somewhat clumsy" (despite the novella as a whole being a "fun and relevant look at modern online culture"), and noted that although the robots have "interesting backstories", they also "came across as too human".[2]
| Year | Award | Category | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Nebula Award | Novella | Finalist | [3] |
| 2026 | Hugo Award | Novella | Finalist | [4] |
| Locus Award | Novella | Finalist | [5] |
References
[edit]- ↑ Automatic Noodle, reviewed at Kirkus Reviews; published August 5, 2025; retrieved August 7, 2026
- ↑ Automatic Noodle by Annalee Newitz, reviewed by Nileena Sunil; at Strange Horizons; published December 1, 2025; retrieved August 7, 2026
- ↑ "2025 Nebula Awards Winners". Locus. 6 Jun 2026. Retrieved 9 Jun 2026.
- ↑ "2026 Hugo, Lodestar & Astounding Awards Winners". Locus. 31 Aug 2026. Retrieved 31 Aug 2026.
- ↑ "2026 Locus Awards Winners". Locus Online. May 30, 2026. Retrieved May 31, 2026.
External links
[edit]- Newitz interviewed about Automatic Noodle, at the Chicago Review of Books
- Automatic Noodle title listing at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database