Paul reviewed The Machine Stops by E. M. Forster
Review of 'The Machine Stops' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
Given the age of this story, it's surprising just how relevant E.M. Forster's dystopia remains.
English language
Published July 10, 2008
The Machine Stops
5 stars
(6 reviews)
"The Machine Stops" is a science fiction short story (12,300 words) 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. In 1973 it was also included in The Science Fiction Hall of Fame, Volume Two. The story, set in a world where humanity lives underground and relies on a giant machine to provide its needs, predicted technologies similar to instant messaging and the Internet.
Paul reviewed The Machine Stops by E. M. Forster
Review of 'The Machine Stops' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
Given the age of this story, it's surprising just how relevant E.M. Forster's dystopia remains.
Frecklemaid reviewed The Machine Stops by E. M. Forster
Review of 'The Machine Stops' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
When reading The Machine Stops, you will inevitably be floored by the fact that it was written in 1909 - a full 98 years before Steve Jobs announced our very own pocketable portal screens in 2007. Just how E.M. Forster was able to capture not only the functioning of our technologies but the nature of their impact so long ago I have no idea. Most notably, his keen understanding of the impact of the separation of the virtual persona from the actual human while, by all measures, one engages with the art, music and ideas of humanity more deeply than most people ever do in physical space. As a result of this virtual existence, the protagonist recoils from the tangible through sunsets to her own son. The failure of the manicured and isolationist ‘society’ in which she lives is similarly rejected, as she bathes in stagnant water and eats rotten …
When reading The Machine Stops, you will inevitably be floored by the fact that it was written in 1909 - a full 98 years before Steve Jobs announced our very own pocketable portal screens in 2007. Just how E.M. Forster was able to capture not only the functioning of our technologies but the nature of their impact so long ago I have no idea. Most notably, his keen understanding of the impact of the separation of the virtual persona from the actual human while, by all measures, one engages with the art, music and ideas of humanity more deeply than most people ever do in physical space. As a result of this virtual existence, the protagonist recoils from the tangible through sunsets to her own son. The failure of the manicured and isolationist ‘society’ in which she lives is similarly rejected, as she bathes in stagnant water and eats rotten fruit before she is finally denied rest. The people of The Machine Stops reject religion as archaic and abhorrent, while coming to worship The Machine itself and the one tangible and personal object which they carry.
Just what was E.M. Forster observing in his own community to inspire this? Perhaps seemingly modern issues aren’t as new as we tend to think, and changes to the way we communicate always usher in challenges and new waves of isolation and hypocritical religiosity. Or maybe he just had a time machine. Above all, I wonder what seemingly insane science fiction written now will turn out to be all too prescient.
Review of 'The Machine Stops' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
Super roman d'anticipation, surtout pour un livre aussi vieux, visionnaire et un peu effrayant dans sa vision futuriste sur a quel point on peut se reposer sur des choses au point d'en oublier le fonctionnement.
