The Imitation Game

February 1, 2016
A powerful, sympathetic portrait of one of the 20th century’s great minds, this graphic biography of Alan Turing doesn’t play the usual game of establishing its hero as the only smart person in the room. Here, the great brain of Bletchley Park was just one of many odd geniuses (albeit possibly the most innovative) who helped crack the Nazis’ seemingly unbreakable Enigma code machine. Writer Ottaviani (Feynman) threads the particulars of Turing’s life, from school to top-secret wartime cryptography to postwar scandal. But the book’s thought-provoking core is Turing’s pursuit of his groundbreaking idea of the universal computer and using his imitation game (a method of telling artificial intelligence from the real thing) to plumb the corners of his own personality. Purvis’s sometimes-clunky art suggests a more juvenile volume than is actually delivered in this fully three-dimensional portrait of a man whose contributions—to the modern world as well as the war—was only recognized long after his tragic disgrace.

April 1, 2016

Gr 9 Up-British scientist and mathematician Alan Turing pioneered theoretical computer science and artificial intelligence during the first half of the 20th century. Like many geniuses, he was misunderstood by most of his peers, and he was eventually ostracized because of his sexuality. Regardless, his work was instrumental in ending World War II as well as in revolutionizing computer science. This adaptation uses a pastel palette of watercolors, strong black lines, and dynamic storytelling devices to bring Turing's tale to life. Multiple narratives, including those of Turing, his mother, and several of his colleagues and friends, weave in and out, following Turing from adolescence to the end of his short life. Readers not familiar with the man may be confused by the multiple narrators, who are not clearly identified. Others will enjoy the mystery and putting the puzzle pieces together until a clearer picture of Turing is formed. Teens with math or computer science bent will enjoy this slice of history and will learn about logic and algorithms along the way. Those who are interested in social justice and LBGTQ rights will also be engaged. VERDICT While this graphic novel will appeal to a broad range of readers, the technical language describing Turing's work may dissuade some. An additional, although worthwhile, purchase.-Tamara Saarinen, Pierce County Library, WA

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 15, 2016

The secret that earned Alan Turing (1912-54) an Order of the British Empire--that his cryptographic assistance shortened World War II by years--couldn't be revealed during his lifetime. But the secret that brought his tragic disgrace--his homosexuality--he naively admitted to the British police, and it was publicized widely by the press. Ottaviani's (Feynman) three-dimensional portrait departs from the similarly titled film in painting Turing as a brilliantly eccentric yet social fellow, with friends and pastimes. His so-called "imitation game" turned on whether a man can be taken for a woman or vice versa--and whether a machine can be taken for a human. Voice-overs supply viewpoints from Turing himself and people who knew him, providing both technical and lay accounts of his accomplishments in mathematics, code breaking, and artificial intelligence. Purvis (Suspended in Language) excels with the numerous characters in a basic yet approachable style, depicting Turing's youth in lighter watercolorlike tones and his adulthood with more intense hues. VERDICT Those drawn to Turing's story through the movie as well as others curious about the history of computing will find this nuanced treatment compelling.--MC

The secret that earned Alan Turing (1912-54) an Order of the British Empire--that his cryptographic assistance shortened World War II by years--couldn't be revealed during his lifetime. But the secret that brought his tragic disgrace--his homosexuality--he naively admitted to the British police, and it was publicized widely by the press. Ottaviani's (Feynman) three-dimensional portrait departs from the similarly titled film in painting Turing as a brilliantly eccentric yet social fellow, with friends and pastimes. His so-called "imitation game" turned on whether a man can be taken for a woman or vice versa--and whether a machine can be taken for a human. Voice-overs supply viewpoints from Turing himself and people who knew him, providing both technical and lay accounts of his accomplishments in mathematics, code breaking, and artificial intelligence. Purvis (Suspended in Language) excels with the numerous characters in a basic yet approachable style, depicting Turing's youth in lighter watercolorlike tones and his adulthood with more intense hues. VERDICT Those drawn to Turing's story through the movie as well as others curious about the history of computing will find this nuanced treatment compelling.--MC

Copyright 2016 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 15, 2016
Ottaviani is well known for his graphic biography of Richard Feynman (Feynman, 2011), and here he turns his attention to another giant of science: Alan Turing. In a kind of disembodied interview, Turing's words appear in conversation with his friends, colleagues, and family, all of whom appear in muted gray tones suggestive of the afterlife. Interspersed with these remembrances are colorful scenes of Turing's life, from his childhood struggles in school to his groundbreaking research in mathematics and computing to his top-secret work at Bletchley, all culminating in his infamousand recently contested, as noted in Ottaviani's afterworddeath by cyanide poisoning. Purvis' naturalistic watercolor art makes pleasant work of Ottaviani's script, even in moments where the bulk of the action is talking heads. Most heartbreaking, of course, is the depiction of the lead-up to Turing's indecency trials, during which the hapless obliviousness to consequence that so charmed his colleagues bore terrible fruit in his personal life. This moving, sensitive account artfully balances conveying both the life and the pioneering discoveries of a fascinating, vitally important scientist.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)

October 1, 2016

Much like he did in Feynman (SLJ's Best Adult Books 4 Teens title of 2011), Ottaviani delivers a substantial introduction of Alan Turing. Different parts of his life are introduced by family, friends, and colleagues who are being questioned by an unseen interrogator. These panels are in soft black-and-white, with the interviewer's words in pink boxes; the main action is depicted in full color, with Turing's own commentary in yellow. This structure may be initially confusing but works well once decoded. Starting with Turing's troubles at school-untidiness and a lack of desire for much beyond advanced mathematics-the book moves through his days at Cambridge, Princeton, and then code breaking at Bletchley Park. After World War II, Turing tried to find an academic home but was arrested in 1952 for homosexuality, forced to undergo hormone treatments, and committed suicide. Readers will be shocked to learn how homosexuality was a punishable crime in England and how secret his war work had to be for the rest of his life. This secrecy is played for comic effect in a job interview but is shown to be devastating at his trial, as character witnesses were unable to say anything about how many lives were saved due to Turing's efforts. Readers may not fully understand the explanations of Turing's mathematics and its applications, but they'll be in good company-most of the people to whom he explains his thought process in the book are equally confused, emphasizing how ahead of his time he was. VERDICT An excellent introduction to a long overlooked genius; a wonderful addition to graphic novel and biography collections.-Jennifer Rothschild, Arlington Public Library

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.