Sourdough

By Robin Sloan Atlantic Books, £12.99

In Sourdough, Robin Sloan tells the story of San Francisco-based techie Lois Clary, who takes possession of a mysterious bread starter when her foodie immigrant neighbours have to depart the US at short notice. Her work at a robotics company helps her tame the substance and bake bread that quickly becomes the talk of the Bay Area. Yet the culture has a life of its own and soon begins to push back, leading this whimsical novel into unexpected sci-fi territory and towards a bizarre conclusion. Sloan illustrates the various characters of the experimental food market where Lois sets up shop with humour and warmth, and in its final pages the tale delivers a cautionary message about the dangers of our over-reliance on technology.