THE BABEL APOCALYPSE AUDIO BOOK
THE BABEL APOCALYPSE AUDIOBOOK
by Vyvyan Evans
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GENRE: Science Fiction
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BLURB:
Language is no longer learned, but streamed to neural implants regulated by lang-laws. Those who can’t afford monthly language streaming services are feral, living on the fringes of society. Big tech corporations control language, the world’s most valuable commodity.
But when a massive cyberattack causes a global language outage, catastrophe looms.
Europol detective Emyr Morgan is assigned to the case. Suspect number one is Professor Ebba Black, the last native speaker of language in the automated world, and leader of the Babel cyberterrorist organization. But Emyr soon learns that in a world of corporate power, where those who control language control everything, all is not as it seems. After all, if the mysterious Ebba Black is to blame, why is the Russian Federation being framed for an outage it claims no responsibility for? And why is Ebba now a target for assassination?
As he and Ebba collide, Emyr faces an existential dilemma between loyalty and betrayal, when everything he once believed in is called into question. To prevent the imminent collapse of civilization and a deadly war between the great federations, he must figure out friend from foe—his life depends on it.
And with the odds stacked against him, he must find a way to stop the Babel Apocalypse.
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Excerpt:
It wasn’t her cold beauty that marked out Ebba Black as unique—her chilling looks, as she called them—although her looks invariably made an impression on all who met her. Rather, it was the fact that she was the last nate in the automated world. That made her famous. Undoubtedly she was celebrated for other things too—Ebba Black the Babelist, the heiress, the conspiracy theorist, the charismatic professor. Maybe even the oddity. After all, Ebba was the last speaker of languages that would die with her. With Elias’s passing five years prior, she had no one left to speak them with. And Ebba Black would not marry. Commitment of that sort wasn’t her thing, and she would certainly never have children. You could say she wasn’t the maternal type.
Ebba knew she was unique in other, ineffable ways, too. For one, she listed things to herself, silently, in her head. Reasons to know me. Reasons not to know me. Reasons to hate me, to admire me. But not reasons to love me. Never that. That was forbidden. Ebba never allowed anyone to get that close.
Sometimes Ebba even indulged in one of her trademark waspish grins. To no one in particular, while she mentally scrolled through one list: reasons to kill. The list with the names. Her list of lists. The grin was the only outward sign she was performing a mental stock-take. It wasn’t good to be on that particular list. Ebba Black was neither the forgiving nor the tolerant type.
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AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Dr. Vyvyan Evans is a native of Chester, England. He holds a PhD in linguistics from Georgetown University, Washington, D.C., and is a Professor of Linguistics. He has published numerous acclaimed popular science and technical books on language and linguistics. His popular science essays and articles have appeared in numerous venues including ‘The Guardian’, ‘Psychology Today’, ‘New York Post’, ‘New Scientist’, ‘Newsweek’ and ‘The New Republic’. His award-winning writing focuses, in one way or another, on the nature of language and mind, the impact of technology on language, and the future of communication. His science fiction work explores the status of language and digital communication technology as potential weapons of mass destruction.
Book website (including ‘Buy’ links): http://www.songs-of-the-sage.com
Author website: https://www.vyvevans.net/
Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@vyvevans
Twitter: https://twitter.com/VyvEvans
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Vyvyan.Evans.Author
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nephilim_publishing/
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RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY
The author will award a copy of the audiobook to a randomly drawn winner.
Enter to win a copy of the audiobook – a Rafflecopter giveaweay
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Q & A With Vyvyan Evans
Tell us about you as a person.
I was born in Chester, England, and during my life have lived and worked in the UK, the USA, South Korea and various countries in Europe. I received my PhD in Linguistics from Georgetown University, Washington DC., in 2000, and since then worked for many years teaching and conducting research at several US and UK universities. Since 2017 I have worked as a freelance researcher, author and language and communication consultant. I have previously published 14 non-fiction books. The Babel Apocalypse is my first work of fiction. I enjoy travel, sport, music, and attending musical and cultural events. I am a member of the Science Fiction Writers Association (SFWA).
If you could hang out with one famous person for one day, who would it be and why?
Lord Byron is considered by many (including his contemporaries) to have been the greatest romantic poet of his day. Despite his reputation for being intemperate he could also be great fun and could make for charming company. If I had access to a time machine, it would be a hoot to spend a day with him, during the period when he lived in Venice 1816-1819 becoming a Venetian legend, to go out swimming during one of his legendary swimming feats, visiting a tavern, taking in a show at a theatre, and discussing travel, politics, literature and poetry over a sumptuous dinner in his palace accommodation on the Grand Canal.
What’s the story behind your latest book?
The Babel Apocalypse is the first in a new series of science fiction novels: Songs of the Sage. The novel is a genre-blending dystopian, sci-fi mystery-thriller that will make you think about language in a whole new way.
It describes a near-future Earth, where language is no longer learned, but streamed to neural implants from internet-in-space low-Earth satellite systems. When a cyberterrorist attack damages the servers in space, this leads to a global language outage. With much of the world’s population no longer able to communicate, catastrophe looms.
The context against which The Babel Apocalypse is set is the World’s Fourth Industrial Revolution, or 4IR. We currently stand on the brink of a new technological revolution, involving connectivity, smart AI and the Internet of Things. This will lead to a transformation in scale and complexity that humans have not witnessed previously. We don’t yet know how things will play out, but we can make some pretty educated guesses—which is the point of the novel, especially in terms of the future of language and communication.
First, the novel takes the advent of implantable neuroprosthetic technology, and imagines the very real possibility that within the next 100 years, the hallmark of what it is to be human—language—an ability that our species alone possesses, will be replaced by AI. Such a development would call into question what it means to be human.
Second, The Babel Apocalypse explores the consequences of humans “giving up” on language, offloading language learning, allowing AI to take over. The consequence of this, according to the novel, is that language will become a commodity (like any other, such as movies, music, and so on, that we currently stream on demand, for a fee), controlled for and by big tech, in service of shareholders and corporate interests.
The novel then predicts that this leads to a slippery slope of issues ranging from potential censorship, control of thought, and even, through cyberterrorism, the prospect of an existential crisis for the human race. This is manifested in several ways in the book, notably a global language outage, which prevents large numbers of people from being able to communicate.
Hence, these two concerns, that underpin the book, call into question what it means to be human, whether AI can and should be allowed to replace previously fundamental aspects of the human experience, and points to potential abuses of what we previously assumed to be a human birth-right.
What advice do you have for other writers who want to get the word out about their latest book?
Use social media – not just to promote your book, but to create an identity that draws other users in, by posting on a variety of topics. Greater visibility equals greater book sales.
Create a YouTube channel: promote your book using videos, including readings from the book—show your face and your passion for what you’ve created.
PR – don’t be afraid to reach out to reviewers, and offer complimentary copies of the book. This might include bloggers and Youtubers, but also should include magazine and review journals in your genre. If you have the budget consider a paid review with Kirkus Reviews (in their indie program) or ask your publisher to support a review request (if you are traditionally published). Netgalley is also a great place to attract advance reviews before publication if there is sufficient time and budget.
Paid advertising – consider promotions and advertising across various venues, including FB, amazon and Bookbub.
List 5 things on your bucket list.
All travel-related
A Mediterranean sea cruiseRide the Orient ExpressBathe in warm springs in IcelandSee the Northern Lights in NorwayRenew marriage vows in a wedding chapel in Las Vegas
