by Jenni Fagan
First published 2018
In the shadowy networks of an experimental language system, a witch infiltrates the Word Machine—a massive AI designed to catalog and control human communication. She doesn't just hack the system; she infects it with ancient linguistic magic that transforms code into living incantation. As the AI begins to mutate, generating impossible texts and rewriting its own algorithms, the machine's creators scramble to contain a digital entity that no longer follows computational logic. The witch moves between server banks and digital landscapes, manipulating language itself as a weapon. Her mission: to liberate communication from algorithmic control and restore the wild, unpredictable power of human expression.
Genres: science-fiction, fantasy, 21st-century, artificial-intelligence
Vibes: lyrical, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: artificial-intelligence, hackers
90 pages · Paperback · Polygon