Maya (narrative universe)

MAYA Narrative Universe is a narrative universe created by filmmaker Anand Gandhi and game designer Zain Memon.[1] Set on the fictional planet of Neh, the project includes novels, graphic novels, tabletop and digital games, films, and immersive experiences produced by Department of Lore, a studio founded by Gandhi and Memon.[2][3] The first work in the series, MAYA: Seed Takes Root, was launched via a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign in August 2025. The audiobook edition is narrated by actor Hugo Weaving.[4][5][6]

Setting

The narrative is set on the fictional planet Neh, which is inhabited by several sapient species. A network of Maya trees functions as a communication system through which inhabitants enter shared dreamscapes for activities such as communication, learning, work, and recreation.[7] According to the narrative, a group of amortal beings known as the Divyas use information gathered through the network to predict possible futures and influence the behaviour of the population. Published works identify several species inhabiting Neh, including the manushyas (human-like beings), naags (serpent-like beings), garudas (avian beings), vaanars (primate-like beings), and rakshasis.[8] The narrative explores themes including surveillance, predictive technologies, free will, social inequality, and the relationship between data and individual freedom.[9]

Development

Anand Gandhi and Zain Memon began developing MAYA in 2021 following their collaboration on the game SHASN and other media projects under Memesys Culture Lab. Produced through Department of Lore by Shreya Dudheria, the project took roughly five years to create and involved a multidisciplinary team of writers, designers, and consultants.[4] Actress Kani Kusruti also contributed to the project's scene design.[10]

In interviews, Gandhi and Memon described MAYA as a long-term transmedia project exploring themes such as surveillance, artificial intelligence, and social systems. Gandhi referred to the project as "civilizational storytelling", while Memon said that its fictional world was designed from "first principles".[11]

Published works

MAYA: Seed Takes Root

Synopsis

MAYA: Seed Takes Root is a science fantasy novel co-authored by Anand Gandhi and Zain Memon. The narrative begins when the Divyas announce the "Divya Trials," a planet-wide tournament in which billions compete for immortality and near-omnipotence. The Maya network predicts the tournament will be won by Tarkash, a garuda scion of a Divya. A covert naag operative named Kshar is trained by a manushya, Adharvan, to simulate and carry out an assassination attempt against Tarkash within the network. A third figure, Yachay, a nineteen-year-old manushya raised in isolation by his grandfather Daddu, has never connected to Maya and is invisible to the Divyas' predictive systems as a result. The novel follows how these three paths converge.[12]

Publication and reception

The novel was edited by Shreya Dudheria, Aayush Asthana, and Liz Gorinsky. It was initially funded through a Kickstarter campaign launched on 9 September 2025, raising US$426,356 from 4,185 backers against an initial target of $10,000. Including post-campaign pledges, the project gathered over $547,000 from 5,378 backers; ThePrint described the campaign as the highest-funded debut novel campaign in the platform's history.[12]

The trade edition was acquired by Authors Equity for worldwide release, with distribution handled by Simon & Schuster, scheduled for publication on 25 August 2026.[13]

The audiobook edition is narrated by Hugo Weaving, who previously presented Gandhi's 2013 debut feature film Ship of Theseus in Australia.[14] The print edition includes a foreword by neuroscientist Anil Seth, author of Being You: A New Science of Consciousness (2021). The foreword discusses the novel's depiction of sensory experience in relation to neuroscience.[15]

Reception

Variety described the universe as “uncomfortably close to our current relationship with technology and social media algorithms”, and as a deliberate attempt to prompt audiences to examine the systems shaping their consumption.[11] Esquire called the project "a narrative superstructure" and "a story that rewires the way we tell stories in the first place."[14] The Hollywood Reporter described it as "an allegory of our hyperconnected world."[4] Screen Rant characterised the novel as "a sweeping story of chaos and control, the powerful and the expendable.[16]

References

  1. ↑ Paul, Debjani (3 August 2025). "Indian filmmaker Anand Gandhi collaborates with game designer Zain Memon to launch Maya narrative universe". Mid-Day. Retrieved 2026-07-31.
  2. ↑ Das, Santanu (2025-08-14). "Hollywood star Hugo Weaving unveils teaser of Anand Gandhi and Zain Memon's Maya". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 2026-07-31.
  3. ↑ Deep, Aroon (2025-11-08). "Filmmaker Anand Gandhi and game designer Zain Memon on building Maya, a new sci-fi universe". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2026-07-31.
  4. 1 2 3 "'MAYA': Anand Gandhi, Zain Memon launch Ambitious, Eye-Popping Sci-Fi Fantasy Universe". The Hollywood Reporter India. 2025-08-04. Retrieved 2026-07-31.
  5. ↑ Chandani, Priyanka (2025-08-02). "Filmmaker Anand Gandhi And Game Designer Zain Memon's 'Maya' Is Where The Old Gods Meet The Algorithms: 'The Future Needs Its Own Mythology'". ETV Bharat News. Retrieved 2026-07-31.
  6. ↑ Vij, Palak (15 October 2025). "Anand Gandhi's MAYA: Seed Takes Root takes NYCC by storm, ignites global sci-fi fandom". Moneycontrol.
  7. ↑ "'Ship of Theseus' director Anand Gandhi hopes to collaborate with Aamir Khan on 'Maya'". The Times of India. 2025-11-20. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 2026-07-31.
  8. ↑ "Hollywood star Hugo Weaving unveil trailer of Anand Gandhi and Zain Memon's sci-fi novel Maya: Book One". Cinema Express. 2025-08-14. Retrieved 2026-07-31.
  9. ↑ Srinivasan, Neeraja (2025-08-27). "MAYA by Anand Gandhi and Zain Memon". Platform-Mag. Retrieved 2026-07-31.
  10. ↑ Bhardwaj, Kartik (2025-12-09). "Anand Gandhi: We can't stop AI from venturing into filmmaking". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 2026-07-31.
  11. 1 2 Ramachandran, Naman (2025-08-01). "India's Anand Gandhi and Zain Memon on Building 'Maya,' Their New Mythology for the Digital Age: 'Every Hero Is Someone Else's Villain'". Variety. Retrieved 2026-07-31.
  12. 1 2 Kaur, Karanjeet (2025-11-25). "Anand Gandhi is taking his biggest moonshot from Goa—vaanars, rakshasis, manushyas". ThePrint. Retrieved 2026-07-31.
  13. ↑ MAYA: Seed Takes Root. 2026-10-08. ISBN 979-8-89331-189-1.
  14. 1 2 Adlakha, Abhya (2025-09-10). "Anand Gandhi and Zain Memon on Maya, Creative Evolution, and the Bond That Fuels Their Vision". Esquire India. Retrieved 2026-07-31.
  15. ↑ "Omniscient Tree Networks and Immortal Amoebas". nautil.us. 2026-07-28. Retrieved 2026-07-31.
  16. ↑ Grauso, Alisha (2025-08-08). "Hugo Weaving Helps Kick Off Brand New Sci-Fi Fantasy Franchise MAYA". ScreenRant. Retrieved 2026-07-31.
This page is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.