Booksalternative historyBabel, or The Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of the Oxford Translators' Revolution
Babel, or The Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of the Oxford Translators' Revolution,
by R.F. Kuang
by R.F. Kuang
Babel is the world's center for translation and, more importantly, magic. Silver working--the art of manifesting the meaning lost in translation using enchanted silver bars--has made the British unparalleled in power, as its knowledge serves the Empire's quest for colonization.
For Robin, Oxford is a utopia dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge. But knowledge obeys power, and as a Chinese boy raised in Britain, Robin realizes serving Babel means betraying his motherland. As his studies progress, Robin finds himself caught between Babel and the shadowy Hermes Society, an organization dedicated to stopping imperial expansion. When Britain pursues an unjust war with China over silver and opium, Robin must decide... Can powerful institutions be changed from within, or does revolution always require violence?
Add to your library to track progress and write reviews
Find Babel, or The Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of the Oxford Translators' Revolution R.F. Kuang in PDF, EPUB, ebook, audiobook, print, or library editions.
17 books in catalog
Speculative fiction that blends modern East Asian history, translation theory, and academic satire has reshaped contemporary fantasy literature, exemplified by the bestselling The Poppy War trilogy. Author Rebecca F. Kuang entered the genre with this military fantasy sequence before expanding into historical fantasy and satirical fiction. Her writing has earned major recognition, including the Nebula, Locus, Crawford, and British Book Awards, along with #1 New York Times and #1 Sunday Times bestseller status.
Born in Guangzhou, China, in 1996, Kuang immigrated to the United States at age four and grew up in Dallas, Texas. She earned her undergraduate degree from Georgetown University and honed her craft at the Odyssey Writing Workshop in 2016 and the CSSF Novel Writing Workshop in 2017. As a Marshall Scholar, she completed an MPhil in Chinese Studies at Cambridge University and an MSc in Contemporary Chinese Studies at Oxford University. She went on to pursue a PhD in East Asian Languages and Literatures at Yale University, researching diaspora, contemporary Sinophone literature, and Asian American literature. Beyond her graduate studies, she has served as the inaugural Millard Distinguished Writer in Residence at the College of the Holy Cross. She was named to the 2023 Time 100 Next list and selected for the Forbes 30 Under 30 Class of 2024.
Kuang's novels examine the mechanics of imperial expansion, institutional corruption, and the politics of language and publishing. Her military fantasy incorporates meticulous historical research into twentieth-century Chinese military strategy and conflict, while her dark academia and satirical fiction probe how elite academic institutions and literary industries perpetuate systemic inequality. By combining precise historical grounding with sharp social critique, her narratives analyze how individuals navigate, resist, or assimilate into powerful power structures.
