Babbage's Disease : Lulu.com : 9781300728610 : 1300728612 : 11 Feb 2013 : Edwin Birch coughs up an (slightly fictionalized) autobiographical novel on Charles Babbage--inventor of the Analytical Engine, father of the Computer Age--& his diminutive friend, Jiffy: "Hello Jiffy," Babbage murmured, utterly bewildered and transfixed by the strange entity on his lap. "What were you doing in my throat?" he managed at last. It was a reasonable question, and it received a reasonable answer: "I don't know. What's a throat?" "It's what you were in just now." "Oh. I see. I was sitting in it." "Ah. Why?" Jiffy scrunched up his eyes and thought for a bit. "I don't know" he said at last, with a bright little smile. "What's your name, mister?" "Babbage," said Babbage. "Charles Babbage." "That's a stupid name," said Jiffy. "I like you. You're a funny colour. Where are we? What's an analytical engine?" "What did you say?" Babbage hissed. "I don't know. What's an analytical engine?" "How... how did you...