Synopsis

“Whip-smart satire and a cutting-edge premise make Toys in Babylon a tongue-in-cheek romp for savvy language lovers everywhere… A surreal and allegorical ride through our complex contemporary landscape… delivered with linguistic confidence and inimitable creativity.” – John Staughton, Self-Publishing Review

“I absolutely loved the concept of using a language learning app to explore the impact of AI… A thoroughly engrossing infotainer, blending sci-fi and cozy mystery about contemporary AI technology, leaving behind much food for thought. A must read.” – Sonali Ekka, Reedsy Discovery

“Brilliantly eccentric and packed with a colorful and unforgettable cast of characters, readers will instantly lap up Finegan’s effervescent and mindbogglingly enjoyable journey.” – Publishers Weekly, BookLife Fiction Prize Critique

Who murdered the mascot and spokes-bear of the world’s most successful foreign language app? Was it an executive, employee, investor, lover, or one of the company’s animated instructors – endearing cartoon personalities invested with the power of Artificial Intelligence? Things go horribly wrong when a Duolingo-like company replaces staff with AI so adroitly that its cast of cartoon educators begins thinking on its own. What follows is a madcap romp as the company struggles to put the genie back in the bottle. What began as a chain novel prompt along the lines of “It was a dark and stormy night” on a language app fan site morphed into a full-fledged novel and parody by the prize-winning author of Cooperative Lives. The story originally appeared online in thirteen riveting installments but is now expanded and available in book format in both English and German as the definitive parody, page turner, and murder mystery for anyone who has ever studied language with a cast of digital cartoon characters and an anthropomorphic mascot.