At 6pm each day, the airconditioner in my office makes a loud rumble and then shuts down. Suddenly, the already quiet office space becomes even quieter. It then becomes eerily quiet without the humdrum of the aircon. Every day when it happens, I am reminded of the short story The Machine Stops by E M Forster. I first read this story when I was in secondary 3 (or was it 4? I can’t remember! My fellow secondary school classmates please help me out here!) and it left a very deep impression on me.
Set in a dystopic world several thousand years into the future, The Machine Stops depicts a world in which humans live under the earth’s surface because the surface is no longer inhabitable by humans due to destruction caused by the latter. Blue skies, the sea, and green grass are alien to the people of this civilization. The “outer air” on the surface of the earth kills, because their lungs are so accustomed to breathing air that has been generated by the Machine which controls every single aspect of life.
There is no face-to-face interaction, instead human ‘interaction’ takes place through the Machine with its screens and other technological contraptions. People see the Machine as being omnipotent and every single being relies on it for his existence. No one can seem to function without it. All these sound scarily akin to how dependent we are now on computers!
First published in 1909, this short story presents lessons that are still applicable to us today, almost a century later. Though dystopic, the story ends on a bittersweet note, reminding us that there is still hope for us yet. I shan’t say anymore but shall instead let you read it for yourself here.