Hey, it's Empire's Book of the Day. I'm Andrew Limbaugh. I love writers who can really write about food and eating in a visceral way.

You know, like writing about violence or sex, those things are inherently exciting. You kind of should be able to write about that in an entertaining way.

Granted, I've read a lot of bad sex writing, but, you know, anyway, eating is

something most of us do every day. And so to make it thrilling, to make it really feel like something,

takes a decent amount of skill. See, Pam Zhang is one of those writers. Her new book,

Land of Milk and Honey, takes place in a dystopian world where climate change has

ruined pretty much everything.

And she talked to NPR's Elsa Chang about approaching writing about food and being a picky eater

growing up.

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T's and C's Apply.

In the U.S., national security news can feel far away from daily life.

Distant wars, murky conflicts, diplomacy behind closed doors on our new show,

Sources and Methods. NPR reporters on the ground bring you stories of real people,

helping you understand why distant events matter here at home. Listen to sources and methods on the NPR

app or wherever you get your podcasts. It's not hard to imagine how terrifying the world will be if we allow climate change to keep unfurling, unfettered.

And maybe that's why it's not a huge leap to believe the dystopian future that C. Pam Zhang lays out in her new novel, Land of Milk and Honey.

A thick smog has ravaged the Earth's ecosystems.

Crops die, biodiversity vanishes, the global food supply chain disintegrates, and the sensual

pleasure of a good meal is a distant memory. For most people, anyway, high on a mountaintop

...