Babel (book)

Babel, or the Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of the Oxford Translators' Revolution is a 2022 dark academia fantasy novel by R.F. Kuang. The novel explores themes of colonialism, language, translation, and revolution within a reimagined 1830s Oxford University.

The story follows Robin Swift, a Cantonese orphan brought to England and trained in languages with the explicit purpose of attending Babel, the Royal Institute of Translation at Oxford. Babel is the world's center for translation and, more importantly, silver-working – the magical process of imbuing silver bars with the power gained from precise acts of translation. This silver fuels the British Empire's global dominance.

As Robin excels at Babel, he becomes increasingly torn between his loyalty to the institution that has provided him with opportunity and his growing awareness of the violence and exploitation upon which the Empire is built. He and his fellow students, all from colonized lands, grapple with the ethical implications of their work and consider ways to resist the imperial machine they are helping to power. The novel explores the complexities of navigating identity, belonging, and resistance within a system built on oppression. The central conflict arises as Robin is forced to confront the reality of the British Empire's brutality and choose a side in the coming conflict, potentially sacrificing everything he has worked for.