Filmmaker Anand Gandhi and Zain Memon’s upcoming sci-fi fantasy novel, MAYA: Seed Takes Root recently began its funding campaign on the platform Kickstarter. The novel had already blasted past 430% of its funding goal, hours after the launch, making it a record-breaking Kickstarter launch and the fastest-rising debut novel ever on the platform. Written by Anand Gandhi and Zain Memon, the novel marks the beginning of the narrative universe- MAYA.

Kickstarter is the world’s stage for creators, where fans pre-order projects before they are released. MAYA: Seed Takes Root, the debut novel by Anand Gandhi and Zain Memon, will reach readers only in January 2026.

Speaking about the response to the campaign, Anand and Zain said in a joint statement, “Today, we laid down the foundation stone of MAYA. It is simultaneously overwhelming and reassuring to see the world respond with such enthusiasm. This confirms what we’ve long believed - the world is hungry for a new mythology that speaks to the questions of today.”

Maya is a sci-fi fantasy narrative universe created by Anand Gandhi and Zain Memon that will unfold across films, games, books, graphic novels, and immersive experiences. Developed over four years, the first product from the universe is a novel, titled Maya: Book One.

The novel’s synopsis reads, “The Divya Trials have been announced. Billions will compete. One will ascend to godhood. In every future predicted by Maya's vast network, the outcome is certain: the garuda scion Tarkash will win. The Divya cannot allow this. Kshar has rehearsed the assassination a hundred times in Maya’s simulations. In seventeen minutes, a single fruit will begin a cascade that ends in a riot. The plan is perfect. Every angle mapped. Every move predicted. Every breath choreographed. Except one. Yachay, a young manushya, harbors a dangerous secret. He has never seen Maya. And Maya hasn’t seen him either.”