Description
By: Edward M. Forster (1879-1970)
In The Machine Stops, Edward M. Forster creates a dystopian world where humanity lives underground, isolated in individual cells and communicating solely through a technological network called The Machine. This network controls every aspect of their lives, from providing food and entertainment to regulating their schedules and controlling their thoughts.
The story follows Vashti, a devout follower of The Machine, and her son Kuno, who begins to question the reliance on technology and longs for human connection and physical experiences. As The Machine starts to malfunction and break down, the characters are forced to confront their dependence on it and venture to the surface for the first time in generations.
Forster’s depiction of a society consumed by technology and lacking in genuine human connection is eerily prescient, especially in today’s digital age. The themes of isolation, complacency, and the consequences of technological advancement are effectively explored throughout the novel.
Overall, The Machine Stops is a thought-provoking and cautionary tale that raises important questions about the impact of technology on society and the importance of human connection. Forster’s writing is both compelling and relevant, making this novella a must-read for anyone interested in exploring the potential pitfalls of a heavily technologically-dependent future.
Book Description:
“The Machine Stops” is a science fiction short story by E. M. Forster. After initial publication in The Oxford and Cambridge Review (November 1909), the story was republished in Forster’s The Eternal Moment and Other Stories in 1928. After being voted one of the best novellas up to 1965, it was included that same year in the populist anthology Modern Short Stories. The story describes a world in which most of the human population has lost the ability to live on the surface of the Earth. Each individual now lives in isolation below ground in a standard ‘cell’, with all bodily and spiritual needs met by the omnipotent, global Machine.
