Has anyone read “The Machine Stops” by E.M. Forster?   A friend recommended it to me and I thought it was really interesting on several levels.

The story depicts a future in which people have been forced to live underground in little pods because the surface of the earth is contaminated.  In order to survive, a machine was created which provides everything; food, water, light, etc.  Everything is perfect.  People communicate via simultaneous conversations over a network, and they do not interact with each other in person.

As time goes on, the things that had been so perfect start to decay one by one; the lights start to flicker, the air starts to get stale, and the standard of living decays.   People brush off these imperfections and adapt (sound familiar?).  Eventually, the machine stops and everyone is fucked.

One of the most interesting things about “The Machine Stops” is that it was written in 1909, and the parallels to modern society & technology are eerie.  It’s 1200 words, so print it out and read it before bed.

http://www.feedbooks.com/book/2073.pdf?size=A4