Machine Stops, The

E. M. Forster

ISBN 10: 1531883753 ISBN 13: 9781531883751

Publisher: Speculative!, 2016

Synopsis

“The Machine Stops” describes a world of the future in which humans all remain in their cubicles while all their needs are met by a supercomputer called "The Machine." They communicate with each other and attend "online" classes and meetings through the Machine, and people seldom meet face to face. A problem arises when one man, Kuno, decides he is not satisfied with staying in his room and decides to explore outside. The story has proved to be far ahead of its time, with remarkably accurate predictions of modern technologies such as TV, online chat, and the Internet. This is a truly remarkable story and one that has many lessons of caution for today. After being voted one of the best novellas up to 1965, it was included that same year in the populist anthology Modern Short Stories and in 1973 was also included in The Science Fiction Hall of Fame.

About this title

About the Author

Edward Morgan Forster, OM (January 1, 1879 – June 7, 1970), was an English novelist, short story writer, and essayist. He is known best for his ironic and well-plotted novels examining class difference and hypocrisy in early 20th-century British society. Forster's humanistic impulse toward understanding and sympathy may be aptly summed up in the epigraph to his 1910 novel Howards End: "Only connect." Forster was gay, but this fact was not made public during his lifetime. His posthumously released novel Maurice tells of the coming of age of an explicitly gay male character.

Edition details

• Publisher: Speculative!
• Publication date: 2016
• ISBN 10: 1531883753
• ISBN 13: 9781531883751
• Binding: MP3 CD
• Language: English