The Machine Stops

«The Machine Stops» (1909) is a fantastic dystopia about humanity’s extreme dependence on technology. It predicts the Internet, video conferencing, social networks, and more.

Once, people built machines to make their lives as comfortable as possible. Now they cannot even imagine existence without the almighty Machine that provides them with food, water, air, books, communication, and indeed everything one can imagine. Few people reflect on the fact that the Machine has completely subjugated humanity, and anyone who does is bound to face inevitable punishment—deprivation of shelter and exile to the lifeless surface of the Earth. But one day the Machine breaks down…