A cozy, heartwarming and surprisingly thought-provoking read. Automatic Noodle is a story about celebrating differences, of found family, and of overcoming limits placed upon you by those who think they are better. This novella covers the intersectionality of topics such as race, gender, equality, immigration, and more from the perspective of sentient robots who are looking to build a successful restaurant and take control of their lives all while serving up delicious noodles. The only negative I had was that I wish it would've been a little longer in order to have a little more backstory on this version of our world and how it came to be the way that it is depicted in the story. You get hints here and there from the robots stories but not as much as to flesh out the whole world. I did receive an audio ARC and I have to say the audiobook narration was fantastic and gave each character a unique voice. Overall, I enjoyed the story and would gladly visit Automatic Noodle if it existed in the real world.

Automatic Noodle is a near-future cozy scifi about a group of robots who are trying to survive and recuperate from an onslaught of one star review bombings.

I want to love cozy books and I am on a quest to find a cozy book that I absolutely adore.
Unfortunately Automatic Noodle was not the one although I did enjoy the story.

Automatic noodle has a little something for everyone. There is a mystery aspects as the robots try to uncover who is leading the charge of one star reviews against their up and coming restaurant. There are conversations around robot autonomy, identity and food.

On the surface it is a charming story of found family and identify , however interspersed throughout is a deeper conversation on belonging, and marginalization.

The audiobook was great. It is just over 4 hours long. It is narrated by Em Grosland whose voice adds that extra coziness that fits very well with the narrative.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for an advanced reader's copy of Automatic Noodle.

What is it about bots that make for some of my favorite stories?

Automatic Noodle joins a Psalm for the Wild Built and In the Lives of Puppets on my list of "these bots got me feeling things". Set in a post-war San Francisco where robots have rights in name but not necessarily practice, a group of bots works together to keep their small freedoms while managing a noodle shop that is being review bombed by robophobes. It's a quirky little story about perseverance, the importance of community, and the joy of good food.

I will preface this by saying I don't normally read this genre. However, I really enjoyed Annie Bot so I decided to give another robot book a try. I liked how short and sweet this was. The robots were likeable and I found myself rooting for them, especially when they were dealing with review bombing!
Thank you MacMillan Audio for the ALC!

This was such a sweet little story about a rag-tag crew of robots opening up a noodle shop. I could see this becoming a cute little series. It's lighthearted but also has some commentary on war, survival, and people's avoidance / mistrust of robots. It's a short read, but it has a lot of heart.

The audiobook was fantastic and the narrator did a great job of creating different voices for each character, bringing them to life. I highly recommend the audio if you're planning to read this.

The vibes: Overcooked (the video game), Murderbot, Treasure Planet

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy for review.

🤖AUTOMATIC NOODLE🤖 by @ghidorahnotweak is a whimsical story with robots serious about their fast food craft. Thank you to the author, @netgalley and the publisher @tordotcompub and @macmillanaudio for the e and audio-ARCs. Happy #bookbirthday to this title today!

🍜🍜🍜

A bunch of robots reboot at the restaurant they were working at before it was shut down by the human owners 6 months ago. Not knowing what else to do with their time, they sneakily transfer the restaurant to themselves and open it back up. As a new restaurant named Authentic Noodle serving noodle dishes in town, they have great success - until they start getting review-bombed with negative reviews. Exposed for being run by robots and dubbed Automatic Noodle as a mocking retort to their restaurant name, this crew of intrepid robots will have to work together to combat this discrimination and catch the review-bomber. Can they figure out who is targeting them and keep the humans happy so they can keep the restaurant alive?

This was a funny, collaborative, community oriented story featuring welcome resistance themes and defiance of the restrictions put on by society. The story is generally about the dangers of othering and assuming everyone in a group is the same, and more locally about the individual robots and their efforts to make a life of their own in a world that does not value them. I truly loved the different personalities and dreams of Sweetie, Staybehind, Hands, and Cayenne among others. This is a clever story that speaks loudly about xenophobia and discrimination through the lens of robophobia.

Read this one if you are looking for a cozy sci-fi filled with fascinating robotic characters, the nostalgia and community that comes with food and eating, and the right for all to dream and make their own way in the world.

3.75🌟 rounded up

Once I saw the adorable synopsis of this, I had to read it. This was my first Annalee Newitz novel, and it didn't disappoint. I loved the near-future sci-fi setting and discussions of robot rights. The robots are sweet and full of personality. The crypto talk lost me a little because I just don't care about that, but it wasn't enough of the book to make me stop listening. This is a fast-paced read, and the audiobook is right over 4 hours at 1x speed.

Em Grosland does the narration for the audiobook. I thought she was perfect for this and I enjoyed her voices for the different robots.

Recommended for lovers of cozy sci-fi novellas.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC.

This happens often with sci-fi novellas: just as I get into the story, it’s over. I wasn’t able to connect much with the characters or world. That said, I think it would be a great read for anyone looking for a sci-fi twist on Legend and Lattes.

The stakes are high for the characters, who are abandoned food bots at risk of being sent back to the government if they don’t pay their fees. Yet, they take it all in stride, embracing their newfound independence and the freedom to express themselves. I love this element, though I do feel it works against the narrative. These robots act so much like humans that there’s almost nothing distinguishing them from actual people—aside from what they’re made of.

My favorite part of the book was the food descriptions. I was craving a bowl of noodles after reading it! Unfortunately, that’s really the only thing that stuck with me.

I need more cozy sci-fi in my life now. This was such a fun, sweet little story, absolutely perfect for devouring in a single sitting.

Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for a ALC in exchange for an honest review!
3.25⭐️
This was so cute, we follow a group of robots as they open their own noodles restaurant and get to see a bit of their past which brought them to where they are now. The book was short and fast paced, the characters were the best part of the story but I have to admit that the main plot was a bit boring for me but I am fully aware that this is a me problem as I am coming to the realization that cozy fantasy/sci-fi is just not for me.
Overall, it was a good book, the audiobook and narrator was great and I loved the commentaries of discrimination gains robots and the overall hostile topic this story touched, so I am glad I read it!

Thank you, @ghidorahnotweak and @macmillan.audio for my free audiobook. #MacAudio2025 #macmillanaudio

📚 #BOOKREVIEW 📚
Automatic Noodle by Annalee Newitz
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / Pages: 168
Genre: Sci-Fi
Audiobook Narrator: Em Grosland
Duration: 4 hours 13 minutes
Release Date: August 5, 2025
🥳#HappyPubWeek!🎉

A group of deactivated robots come back online in an abandoned ghost kitchen in post-war San Francisco. They need to figure out a way to stay in business to avoid getting sold off for parts. So they follow their passion and start a new business making hand-pulled noodles. Will their hard work be enough to keep them in business despite not being legally allowed to work for themselves?

While the political commentary on race, immigration, and gender identity are obvious and clever in this little novella, I personally just enjoyed it for the endearing characters and charm of what many are calling cozy sci-fi.

Em Grosland did an excellent job of bringing all the characters to life on the audiobook.

Automatic Noodle is now out in the world! This is going to be one of my favorite books of the year! Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan for an ALC!

A cozy sci-fi novella centering a group of robots that open up a noodle shop and face discrimination in a near future world where California is its own country. It’s a quirky, sweet, and heartwarming story about finding your community and overcoming obstacles. This novella is full of found family feels and important (and timely) conversations surrounding citizenship, belonging, and community! The plot is simple and cozy with low stakes, but there still is a lot going on with the characters, their backstories, the world, and the thematic conversations occurring that it never feels boring.

I voluntarily listened to and reviewed an advanced copy of this audiobook. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A group of robots, programmed for food service, awaken to find themselves in an abandoned restaurant.

Automatic Noodle is a stand-alone sci-fi novella.

Do not be deceived by how short this book is. The story is well built. It has the perfect mix of humor and tension. Each of the robot characters is bursting with personality. Automatic Noodle really is the sci-fi equivalent to a cozy fantasy.

Em Grosland does a fantastic job with the narration for Automatic Noodle. The audiobook is a little over four hours and I highly recommend it.

I was not previously familiar with the author but I truly enjoyed this novella. I would be interested in reading more of their work in the future.

It’s short and definitely unique and turns a little political in the middle. Something I might not have even noticed before things got so dicey here in the US. Ok I shouldn’t say noticed but it might not have struck the same chord.

It’s a little bit cozy and definitely futuristic. Robots with the capacity to feel and know the world is against them are making noodles in San Francisco. I want to say it’s quirky but it also has a more serious message of how we treat those different than us.

The characters are well developed for it being a short listen and I loved the discussion of the noodles.

Em Grosland Is a new to me narrator and she hit it out of the park bringing the robots and their noodles to life. She was the perfect fit for the book. The robots are voiced as humans and that showcases that they aren’t all that different from the humans. I devoured this in one listen.

If you are looking for something unique for your next listen, you can’t go wrong with Automatic Noodle.

What a fun little novella this was! Set a few decades in the future, when California has become its own nation after a war with the rest of America and robots have gained some measure of autonomy and independence, Automatic Noodle follows a group of four robots who were contracted to a shady fast food company which has seemingly shut their crappy restaurant and abandoned them. They need to find some loopholes around their contracts so they can pay rent and not be sold off, so they need to figure out a great business plan. What will they serve? Only some of the best hand-pulled noodles in the Bay Area! This cozy little scifi book has some poignant moments, a great setup for the near future, and loveable characters. Em Grosland's narration was very good and I really enjoyed this book. If you want a quick, lighthearted but still interesting read, check out Automatic Noodle.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an advanced copy of this book.

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for providing me with an ALC.

This was a heartwarming novella about a bunch of robots starting a noodle shop. The setting was done quite well despite it fundamentally being a not cozy one (post-war, empty cities). The cozy elements meshed quite well with the non-cozy elements. I liked the way they built up everything from scratch, solved their own issues and even had feelings. I love the found family trope. I was rooting for them all along. My only issue was that I personally felt a bit confused about the whole war situation and what was happening/had happened. It would have been nice to see the contrast of the robots' lives before and after the war, for some additional character development. It really reminded me of the Monk & Robot series and I would recommend this to anyone who loved those books.

The narrator did a great job of bringing the story to life, with all the emotions hitting where it should. Listening to the audiobook significantly improved my reading experience.

i went into this thinking it would be a cozy read a la psalm for the wild built...it was that and so much more! the author contextualized the narrative in a really interesting way and leaned into the sci fi aspects even more than i expected (which was a lovely surprise!). i loved the dynamic of the group and their individual backstories, and i thought the narrator did a wonderful job of giving each character their own unique voice. i would both read another one of the author's works and listen to another one of the narrator's audiobooks.

Automatic Noodle by Annalee Newitz was such a cozy, feel-good sci-fi read that still managed to pack in sharp commentary about labor, identity, and resistance. I loved following this group of sentient robots who secretly open a noodle shop in post-war San Francisco—it had that found-family vibe I always gravitate towards. It gave hopeful so-fi similar Becky Chambers.

This is a quick and cozy sci-fi novella that is very timely to the discourse in the US (racial and AI). It really taps into cancel culture in digital spaces. It was a fun read.

An abandoned restaurant full of decommissioned robots makes a comeback after one wakes up and gets the others up and running. Together, they bring back the restaurant in hopes of paying off their contracts and being free robots. However, robots are not citizens in the country of California and cannot own property, so they probably cannot run a business. But who has to know? The robots open the noodle business without mentioning that it is robot-run and find joy in the job. But when they are tanked by one-star reviews, can they come back?

Now, I have to admit that I am extremely suspicious of AI. As my school district pushes us to use more AI and have students use more AI, I am scared of the long-term implications. Then I name our vehicles ridiculous things like A.O. River, Get the Gear, and Belle. I cried while reading Jasmine Warga's A Robot Story. Perhaps my feelings are a bit more mixed. So I found myself contemplating my feelings about artificial intelligence while reading. I quickly found myself getting attached to these robot characters.

This is a short book, and I was sad for it to end. I would read more about these characters and more from Annalee Newitz.

The audio is excellent with fantastic voices. It is a bit confusing as the characters often communicate via chat, but still a worthy listen.

Thank you to Net Galley, Tor Publishing Group, and Macmillan Audio for the ALC. All opinions are my own.