Forster’s Remarkable Dystopia: What Happens When The Machine Stops?

The Machine Stops is a short story by E.M. Forester. This analysis of Forster’s 1909 work explores how he predicts the future of society, culture, technology and religion as he reveals how his dystopic world begins to disintegrate.

Humanities’ response to COVID19 is a cautionary tale. The Machine Stops is a dystopian short story by author E. M. Forester that was first published in 1909. Forester’s insight into the effects of future technologies on society predicted a dysphoric, technology-reliant society where information and intelligence have more power than money. Forester designs a future where those with physical strength are decimated in order to adapt to the technology necessary after a global warming apocalypse. Forester reveals a society that relies entirely on technology and is influenced by groupthink for all of its wants and needs.

There are 3 major themes explored in this mini-website. These themes drive the fate of the protagonist of the doomed society steadily forward until his escape from the machine.  The themes of technology, religion and surveillance,  culture and society, interplay within this story. They act as devices to warn society of the dangers of unchecked power, hegemony and groupthink.

DOWNLOAD The Machine Stops Mini-Website and Learn about the themes

DOWNLOAD the Story by E.M. Forester