The Machine Stops (version 4)

"The Machine Stops" is a science fiction story by E. M. Forster. After initial publication in 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 is particularly notable for predicting new technologies such as instant messaging and the Internet. In the preface to his Collected Short Stories (1947), Forster wrote that "The Machine Stops is a reaction to one of the earlier heavens of H. G. Wells." Although not all Wells's stories were optimistic about the future, this implies Forster was concerned about human dependence on technology. - Summary by Wikipedia (1 hr 31 min)

Chapters

The Air Ship	32:39	Read by Phil Chenevert
The Mending Apparatus	29:45	Read by Phil Chenevert
The Homeless	28:59	Read by Phil Chenevert

Reviews

Terrifyingly Prophetic

(5 stars)

psichick

I mean no disrespect to those who believe in the religions of Judaism, Islam or Christianity. But there are Prophets who have lived in other times than those recorded in the texts of those religions I've formerly mentioned. E. M. Forster is among the greatest in this reviewer's mind. And it is this work which makes him so. If hearing this doesn't cause one to contemplate deeply one's life, and to set into motion the necessary changes within one's self to better understand the 'meaning' of Life and to move beyond simply Being into *Becoming*. By this I mean to Realize Living one's Life over merely Existing for Existence's sake, and to take action in order to Become truly alive and utterly free from the electronic ties that bind before it truly is too late.

100 years

(5 stars)

IrialK

It's hard to imagine this was written over 100years ago. And with our obsetion with technology and social media, it's not hard to see this world become a reality.

A thoughly enjoyable short story

(5 stars)

John Catterson

An short and sharp story. Interesting ideas. It's hard to believe it's over a hundred years old. The narrator does a good job too.

narrator

(5 stars)

Lydia Bobidia

really excellent narrator. just enough vocal animation to keep me interested, not too much as to be distracting from the story.

Great!

(5 stars)

John-Paul Murphy

A brilliant story about amazon and youtube. A fantastic job by the narrator at capturing the protagonist's emotional state. Well Done!