Something's Wrong with this A.I. Literature Quiz

The A.I. software got a little confused when I asked it about Joseph Conrad's "Heart of Darkness". This 1899 novella is narrated by Charles Marlow, who recounts his trip to Africa and the Congo. It explores the dynamics of European colonialism of Africa and the struggle for power.

The novel later served as the inspiration for the film "Apocalypse Now". It is not about a literal evil heart as A.I. seems to think.

A.I. got a little confused when I asked it about Dorothy Sayers's classic novel "Strong Poison", which features her gentleman sleuth Lord Peter Wimsey and introduces his future wife, Harriet Vane. The title refers to the poison used to murder the victim, allegedly by his lover.

It is also a quote from the Scottish ballad "Lord Randal". It is not about a physically strong poison or a bodybuilder using poison like A.I. seems to think.

Rudyard Kipling's "The Jungle Book" is about a boy or "man-cub" who is raised by jungle animals such as wolves, and his interactions with them. This 1894 children's story is about the struggle to survive. It was later made into a classic animated Disney film. A.I., however, thought it was about a literal book tossed into the jungle without an animal in sight.

In what might be the most wrong A.I. was for this quiz, it mistakenly thought Richard Adams's "Watership Down" was about a sinking boat. In reality, "Watership Down" is about a warren of rabbits who are forced to flee their home and their search to find a new place to live.

There are themes of survival, power dynamics and violence. Watership Down is the name of their new home where the rabbits struggle to build a new society.

"Lord of the Flies" is a 1954 William Golding novel about a group of boys who crash land on a deserted island and start their own society, as well as the subsequent power struggle. The novel would later serve as the inspiration for the reality show "Survivor". It is not about a kingly or queenly giant fly.

"The Grapes of Wrath" is a classic novel by John Steinbeck set during the Great Depression. It follows the Joad Family as they travel from Oklahoma to California and find work picking grapes. It is not about a bunch of angry grapes with evil eyes and fiendish smile like A.I. software believed.

"The Bell Jar" is a 1963 semi-autobiographical novel by Sylvia Plath. It focuses on Esther Greenwood as she makes her way into the world and navigates her mental health, societal pressure and her own ambitions. The titular bell jar is a reference to the pressure Esther experiences as if she is a gas held under a bell jar. It is not, as A.I. assumed, about a tiny bell in a glass jar.

"The Art of War" is an ancient Chinese text written by Sun Tzu. It is a complex guide to military strategy whose principles have been applied throughout the centuries to all areas of life. It is amongst one of the most influential works of all time. It is not, however, about a painting of a fiery battle like A.I. believed.

"The Tiger in the Smoke" is a 1952 crime novel by Margery Allingham, one of the Queens of Crime. It is often considered her greatest work. Set in London, it stars Albert Campion as he helps a WWII widow after she receives mysterious notes claiming her late husband is actually still alive.

The titlular Tiger in the Smoke refers to the city of London in the aftermath of WWII as it is still a powerful city shrouded in fog. A.I. was wrong to think it was about a literal tiger covered in smoke.

"Lonesome Dove" is the first novel in a popular western series written by Larry McMurtry. Lonesome Dove is the name of a border town in Texas. The novel is about retired Texas Rangers on a difficult cattle drive across Texas that tests their friendship. The novel is not about a single or lonely dove as A.I. seemed to believe.