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4.01 AVERAGE
4.01 AVERAGE
This is one of the best dystopian works I have read, especially since it was wtitten so early in the 20th century and predicted so much technological development that we have today. This should be a mandatory read for everyone. So short, but impactful and beautifully written. And it really has a point...because we are partly already living in this dystopia. It blows my mind how he could have predicted this.
So, Forster can see the future... right? because this story was written in 1909 and it is so applicable to today's day and age with COVID (stuck in an endless cycle in our rooms and the only human interaction we have is through the machine).
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
This roughly 20 page story, written in 1909, reads like a good episode of Black Mirror.
Really interesting short story. Simple message: when we become totally dependent on machines we loose our humanity. Beware of becoming so.
But amazingly was written in the early 20th century and has anticipates a lot of 21st century stuff with startling accuracy.
But amazingly was written in the early 20th century and has anticipates a lot of 21st century stuff with startling accuracy.
Yes, I know it was written in 1909 so we're supposed to admire it for the brilliance of what the writer was able to presciently imagine so long ago. So okay - one of the two stars is for Forster's prescient imagination. But ratings (and reviews) are meant to help modern readers decide whether to read the book or not, and I'm not willing to recommend it on that basis.
It's somewhat in the vein of 1984 or Brave New World, with a bit of Rand's Anthem mixed in, but it's less richly developed than any of those, and it's focused more on our increasing dependence on machines rather than on political ideologies. This is mildly intriguing, but in the end the dystopian view, bitter cynicism, and unlikable protagonist make it mostly unenjoyable for me.
On the positive side, it's a short story, and it does make some interestingly correct predictions, so if that's what you're looking for, give it a try.
Note that I read the version available online here, which has a few typos:
http://archive.ncsa.illinois.edu/prajlich/forster.html
It's somewhat in the vein of 1984 or Brave New World, with a bit of Rand's Anthem mixed in, but it's less richly developed than any of those, and it's focused more on our increasing dependence on machines rather than on political ideologies. This is mildly intriguing, but in the end the dystopian view, bitter cynicism, and unlikable protagonist make it mostly unenjoyable for me.
On the positive side, it's a short story, and it does make some interestingly correct predictions, so if that's what you're looking for, give it a try.
Note that I read the version available online here, which has a few typos:
http://archive.ncsa.illinois.edu/prajlich/forster.html
Written in 1909, this story shares a scarily accurate similarity to our modern world and our relationship with the internet. A short story with great impact that left me behind with a slightly uneasy feeling about the way our modern life depends on the internet.
If you can spare two hours, read this!
If you can spare two hours, read this!
