The Machine Stops

[Muzzlehatch]

Anyone else familiar with this great 1909 story by the author of "Howard's End", E.M. Forster? I'm not sure it qualifies as "pulp" exactly, but it certainly had plenty of influence over early 20th century SF authors, and it's one of the greatest "Wellsian" stories not by H.G. Wells, IMO. I read it online here:

http://c-wd.net/machine/

It's also available in collections of Forster's short fiction and several SF anthologies, frequently mentioned as one of the greatest short stories from that era.

Thoughts, and favorite short stories from the pulp era, particularly from writers like Forster who aren't typically thought of as "pulp"?

[[deleted user]]

Well, while it isn't a short story, one of my favorite early science-fiction novels is The Inheritors by Joseph Conrad and Ford Madox Ford. I picked this up because of my love for Conrad ... and it has some Conradian feel to it ... but it reads like steampunk now with a slipstream society breaking through into a Victorian present.

I don't know if it's in print now ... I picked it up about 10-12 years ago off the shelf at Borders...

[Werner]

"The Machine Stops," is one of my all-time favorite science fiction stories! One anthology that has it is The Science Fiction Hall of Fame --which means the SFWA membership considered it one of the most influential and deserving works in the genre to be written before the annual Nebula Awards were established.

Interestingly, this story is "Wellsian" in the sense that it's "soft" SF, like Wells' own work, and written in his time; but it actually has a very different perspective. It was written to refute the technophilic optimism preached in Wells' A Modern Utopia --and refutes it very well, IMO!

[Muzzlehatch]

"The Inheritors" -- thanks for the recommendation. I actually have a copy of it sitting around somewhere, perhaps I'll bump it up a bit in the to-read queue.

[Steve]

E.M. Forster was a great fiction writer -- and critic. But I never heard of this one. Great find. Thanks! I'm definitely going to check this out. (I shouldn't be that surprised. This reminds me a bit of James and Wharton writing (very good) ghost stories.)