The Machine Stops

by E. M. Forster

eBook, 40 pages

English language

Published by AliceAndBooks.

(32 reviews)

The Machine Stops is a short science fiction novel written by E. M. Forster and originally published in 1909 in The Oxford and Cambridge Review.

The story, divided into three chapters, presents a futuristic world where the population cannot live on the surface of the planet and must be confined underground in solitary, identical lives in which the Machine provides the basic human needs at the push of a button.

Human interaction has almost completely disappeared and there is hardly any physical contact. There are no more coffee meetings or get-togethers with friends, but everyone stays in their own small room and talks to each other through a screen.

One of the characteristics for which this story stands out is its ability to predict technologies that would come almost a century later, such as the Internet and electronic mail. At the time it sounded futuristic and sci-fi, but it is …

The Machine Stops is a short science fiction novel written by E. M. Forster and originally published in 1909 in The Oxford and Cambridge Review.

5 editions

tomek reviewed The Machine Stops by E. M. Forster

Review of 'The Machine Stops' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

EM Forster napisał to w 1909 roku, zanim jeszcze pojawiły się telewizory. Zasadniczo przewidział przyszłą obsesję ludzkości na punkcie ekranów na długo przed innymi, a nawet nadejście wideoczatu. Przewidywał, że ci, którzy sterowali maszyną, będą działać wrogo.

Piękno jego języka tkwi w abstrakcyjnych przedstawieniach technologii. To właśnie sprawia, że idee stojące za nim do dziś są aktualne i futurystyczne.

Dlaczego Maszyna się zatrzymała? Zatrzymała się, ponieważ ludzie w niej utracili wiedzę naukową, której potrzebowali do zbudowania Maszyny. W efekcie Maszyna unicestwiła się, usuwając ludzkość z ludzkości.

Satch reviewed The Machine Stops by E. M. Forster

Review of 'The Machine Stops' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

Wow. Incredible that this was written in 1909.

Danie reviewed The Machine Stops by E. M. Forster

Review of 'The Machine Stops' on 'GoodReads'

4 stars

Considering this book was first published in 1909 it is clearly mentioning technology such as Skype, undersea cables, the Internet, etc. It just blew my mind how this all became reality right down to us living in a room connected to others solely by The Machine.