A newly published historical fiction novel centred on Alan Turing has stirred controversy for rewriting a key element of the gay codebreaker’s life—by imagining he fathered a secret child with a woman.
The Turing Protocol, a thriller by Australian author Nick Croydon, was released in July by Affirm Press and reimagines an alternate history in which Turing invents a time machine to aid the Allies in winning the war. In the book’s timeline, Turing has sex with his Bletchley Park colleague Joan Clarke and secretly becomes a father.
Although Turing was briefly engaged to Clarke in real life, he ended the engagement, later coming out as gay. In 1952, he was convicted of “gross indecency” for a same-sex relationship and was chemically castrated. Two years later, at the age of 41, he died by suicide.
Despite The Turing Protocol acknowledging Turing’s homosexuality, the fictional portrayal of him fathering a child has sparked backlash from critics and readers, many of whom view the creative liberties as disrespectful and unnecessary.
On Goodreads, where the novel has received over 100 ratings, nearly two-thirds have given it the lowest possible score—1 out of 5 stars. Reviewers have not held back, with one labelling it “one of the worst things I’ve ever read.”
“Anyone who is aware of Alan Turing and his prosecution will be scratching their head in disbelief,” one reviewer wrote.
Another added: “Using real figures but keeping them at a distance to establish setting is one thing, writing how Alan Turing, a gay man, experiences having sex with a woman is something else entirely.”
Croydon, who is also the CEO of QBD Books—Australia’s largest bookstore chain—has defended the novel, saying it was intended as a tribute to Turing’s genius and legacy.
Speaking to The Australian, Croydon said, “I wrote this novel as a tribute to him. I wanted to highlight the genius that he was, but also the injustice he suffered.” He also noted that giving Turing a child was “necessary for the plot.”
Despite the controversy, the book is currently being promoted as QBD’s Fiction Book of the Month.
Turing’s historical significance is monumental. His codebreaking efforts at Bletchley Park were instrumental in deciphering Nazi Germany’s Enigma machine, a feat widely credited with shortening the Second World War. He is also considered a foundational figure in the development of computer science.
In 2013, Turing was granted a posthumous pardon by Queen Elizabeth II, following former Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s public apology, describing Turing’s treatment as “appalling.”
