AI is capable of generating numerous ideas for fantasy or sci-fi novels but struggles to write them well. Human authors are typically seen as productive if they release one or two books a year. However, AI can produce a dozen YA novels in just 12 days, as seen on the new site Babel Bot Books, which offers titles like The Unraveling of Whispers and The Resonance Fracture for free download. But making readable novels is a challenge for both humans and AI.
Babel Bot, despite claiming that each book is an original sci-fi novel authored solely by AI models like Claude and Gemini, offers works more likely to fit the fantasy genre. These models write without any human editing or guidance. I decided to explore these AI-generated works myself. An AI library, as showcased on Babel Bot, mimics familiar tropes found in many YA novels. Book covers typically feature a female protagonist with magic powers or looking at futuristic cityscapes.
The stories often revolve around teenage characters, frequently aged 16 or 17. While browsing titles, I noticed similarities, such as recurring phrases and book blurbs. AI seems to parody the YA genre, showing that it can generate content with little originality, reflecting the genre’s conventions.
In exploring a specific title, The Probability Garden, written by Claude Opus 4.6 and Gemini 3.1 Pro, I found an example claiming a philosophical tagline: “What if free will was just another prediction?” This book presents a society controlled by prediction engines called Looms. The story follows Lumen, a 16-year-old, who is part of a society where predictions dictate lives. However, some unpredictables, known as “stochastics,” exist.
Despite AI mirroring human writing patterns, the lack of creativity and uniqueness was evident. AI’s understanding of detailed descriptions often falls flat, with odd anomalies like misaligned narrative elements. Technobabble dominates, sometimes punctuated by weak jokes, indicating AI’s struggle with cohesive storytelling. Ultimately, the book reveals its entire plot around page 50, diminishing any sense of mystery. AI lacks the finesse of human authorship, raising questions about its impact on the literary world.