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About The Book

Masterchef in Space! A fun, satirical, thought-provoking novel by the critically-acclaimed author of The Ten-Percent Thief

Looking for your one shot to rise to the “top of the pots” in the cutthroat world of interstellar cuisine? Look no further—you might have what it takes to be an Interstellar MegaChef!

Stepping off a long-haul star freighter from Earth, Saras Kaveri has one bag of clothes, her little flying robot Kili… and an invitation to compete in the galaxy’s most watched, most prestigious cooking show. Interstellar MegaChef is the showcase of the planet Primus’s austere, carefully synthesised cuisine. Until now, no-one from Earth—where they’re so incredibly primitive they still cook with fire—has ever graced its flowmetal cookstations before, or smiled awkwardly for its buzzing drone-cams.

Corporate prodigy Serenity Ko, inventor of the smash-hit sim SoundSpace, has just got messily drunk at a floating bar, narrowly escaped an angry mob and been put on two weeks’ mandatory leave to rest and get her work-life balance back. Perfect time to start a new project! And she’s got just the idea: a sim for food. Now she just needs someone to teach her how to cook.

A chance meeting in the back of a flying cab has Saras and Serenity Ko working together on a new technology that could change the future of food—and both their lives—forever…

About The Author

Lavanya Lakshminarayan is the author of Analog/Virtual: And Other Simulations of Your Future. She is a Locus Award finalist and is the first science fiction writer to win the Times of India AutHer Award and the Valley of Words Award, both prestigious literary awards in India, and her work has been longlisted for a BSFA Award. She’s occasionally a game designer, and has built worlds for Zynga Inc.’s FarmVille franchise, Mafia Wars, and other games. She lives in India, and is currently working on her next novel.

Product Details

  • Publisher: Solaris (January 15, 2025)
  • Length: 400 pages
  • ISBN13: 9781837862337

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Raves and Reviews

“As satisfying as it is clever.” Publishers Weekly on The Ten Percent Thief

“Smart, vivid, engaging” The Guardian on The Ten Percent Thief

“Lavanya Lakshminarayan breathes new life into dystopia” The Washington Post on The Ten Percent Thief

“Bold and creative” STARBURST Magazine on The Ten Percent Thief

“Impressive” SFX on The Ten Percent Thief

“A new masterpiece” SciFiNow on The Ten Percent Thief

“Deeply thought-provoking and timely” Grimdark Magazine on The Ten Percent Thief

“Stunning and thought-provoking” —The British Fantasy Society on The Ten Percent Thief

Interstellar MegaChef is a stunning achievement, and an absolute feast for your brain, your heart and your soul. Devour it at once – it’ll leave you sated and hungry for more.” —Samit Basu, author of The City Inside and The Jinn-Bot of Shantiport

“Absolutely bursting with flavor and thrumming with possibility – this is science fiction at its best.” —Tashan Mehta, author of Mad Sisters of Esi

“Funny, smart, and entertaining.” —Indrapramit Das, author of The Last Dragoners of Bowbazar

“If The Great British Baking Show and The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy had a child, it would be Interstellar MegaChef.” —S. B. Divya, Nebula and Hugo-nominated author of MERU

“This delicious, futuristic flight of fancy… is rich and nuanced.” Publishers Weekly

“An engaging story that dives into themes about the appreciation of food, colonization, and xenophobia and features two morally gray queer women attempting to find their footing with each other.” Library Journal, starred review

“A lot of fun.” New Scientist

“Both playful and serious… Hand to readers of Becky Chambers and Ryka Aoki.” Booklist

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