Benny the Blue Whale, the forthcoming hilariously creative adult nonfiction book by bestselling children’s author Andy Stanton, has been recommended by award-winning booksellers Much Ado Books.

Including Benny among their newsletter staff recommendations, Much Ado writes:

“Buckle up tight, because Nash has opted for a wild ride with author Andy Stanton and ChatGPT in Benny the Blue Whale (£16.99).

Andy is celebrated for his children’s books (Mr Gum ring any bells?). But this is a very grown up book – and I’m not sure I shouldn’t add another ‘very’. Andy became obsessively interested in ChatGPT and what he could do to make it create a story. But this isn’t a computer-generated novel. It is also… oh, gosh, what is it? Where will we shelve it?:

• An extraordinary exploration of what a story is? Yes.
• A extraordinarily funny exposition on the limitation of artificial intelligence? Yes
• An extraordinary thoughtful, philosophical, and maybe even wise guide to the importance of words? Yes.
• A slightly filthy and rather extraordinarily metaphysical meta-tale about a whale with a tiny . . . er, member, and the cult that worships it, and the octopus cult that guards it, and the intelligence that spawns it, and the choices that make it, and – oh, and lots more? Yes again.

I didn’t exactly annoy Cate with my laughter, but not many books are quite so entertaining and at the same time thought-provoking and wild. And, really, where will we shelve it?”

Benny the Blue Whale: A Descent Into Story, Language and the Madness of ChatGPT will be released by Oneworld on 2nd November. Pre-order your copy here now.

Follow him @AndyStanton15.