The Machine Stops

Considered one of the best early examples of science fiction, E. M. Forster’s short story, “The Machine Stops,” first published in 1909, is notable for predicting several modern technologies decades before they became practical, including the Internet and instant messaging. Forster's other important works include A Passage to India (1924), A Room with a View (1908), and his seminal work of literary criticism, Aspects of the Novel (1927).

“Part One: The Airship” begins in “a small room, hexagonal in shape, like the cell of a bee” (1). A small, pale woman named Vashti is listening to music and becomes annoyed when a bell rings—she knows thousands of people and is interrupted often. Her chair, which “like the music, was worked by machinery” (1), takes her to the other side of the room to answer the call. She is happy to hear from her son Kuno but is impatient because he is slow to respond and she has to give a lecture in five minutes about “Music during the Australian Period” (1). Kuno’s face appears; he wants to speak to his mother in person instead of through the Machine.