Audio Book Group: The Machine Stops

FannyCornforth

Have you seen Earlys thread about the new Book Club Lucca?

I shall look forthwith after dentista and doctor appointments

It's vague on that isn't it toscalily? Vashti is in Sumatra or Brisbane - not sure which - and Kuno is in Wessex and that takes two days, I think, so half as fast as we expect in 21C but powered by what? And there are cabin crew so there is a workforce. Forster is vague on detail and was writing with no knowledge of what advances would be made in aviation so it's very speculative but it does sound similar to our modern experience.

> I'm wondering if it was The World in the Air published in 1907 which has been interpreted as anticipating events related to World War I.

I am not familiar with that work.

I saw somewhere a suggestion that the work by H G Wells is The Time Machine.

I have read that, and the Eloi do indeed live an idyllic existence ...

like many sheep in this world ... until!

How is the air travel working, is it the machine guiding it across continents as in the sense of an all powerful robotic entity, or are they individually powered like an automatic electric vehicle, or are there still human beings (pilots) trained to do those things that those living underground know nothing about? slaves of the machine perhaps, kept as lesser beings to work for the machine. Because of Kuno's escape we know the air is still breathable to those adapted to breath the outside air?

nandalot Did anyone else do this in their GCE as part of a book of short stories that also contained ‘The Destructors’ ,’The Secret Sharer’, ‘Odour of Chrysanthemums’ and ‘The Rocking Horse Winner’?

Yes! And "The Lumber Room". I ended up many years later writing my dissertation on it.

Ah, what if……?
There are some excellent “alternative history” works aren’t there (racks brain trying to remember one!)
.

Interesting, Maw. We are getting into the realm of alt-histories. Are we?

I've just borrowed a library book of Forster's short stories so I havent read them yet. In the front flap it says he wrote The Machine Stops as a reaction to one of the earlier heavens of H G Wells. I'm wondering if it was The World in the Air published in 1907 which has been interpreted as anticipating events related to World War I.

The basic assumption behind the plot is that immediately after the Wright Brothers's first successful flight in 1903, all of the world's major powers became aware of the decisive strategic importance of air power, and embarked on a secret arms race to develop this power (there is a reference to the Wright Brothers themselves disappearing from public view, having been recruited for a secret military project of the US government – as were other aviation pioneers in their own respective countries). The general public is virtually unaware of this arms race, until it finally bursts out in a vastly destructive war which destroys civilisation.

We know that air travel still exists in the Machine world but mostly only to convey people to their designated cell and civilization hasn't been destroyed.

But what if we, in the 20C/21C had had no air power?

I find dystopian works like this disturbing - not for the expected reasons of foretelling the future or pessimism, but I wonder how much of my reaction is with the benefit of hindsight.
Yes it is easy to equate the Book of the Machine with Google - but who could have predicted Google?
The concept of living underground in “cells” - does it foretell our insular existence communicating via Zoom and FaceTime- or does it merely look like that from our post pandemic perspective?
And as for the Machine winding down - well look at the NHS, immigration, social care, energy costs even fuel distribution -it could say it all.
But is our perception distorted?
There are so many apparent parallels but I wonder whether, had 21st century life been different, whether other parallels might equally have been drawn?

Lucca

What has google earth maps got to do with book club??

How about a new book ??

The reason I think it relevant here is that people in the story are not going out and are getting experiences remotely.

So I am suggesting that if people here try Google street view for having a look around somewhere like Clos Lucé it may provide insight into whether one can gain an experience to some extent of what somewhere is like without actually going there. Using Google street view is not the same as watching a video about the place.

For comparison here is a really nice long video with a continuous walk around the German city of Mainz, starting outside the railway station.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=scjLxGh17rA

There was a misunderstanding about the TLDR comment. All resolved offstage. Done and dusted and now back to the book.

Thanks for joining in toscalily. Yes, a twist on Darwinian thinking. The fittest are not allowed to survive.

We don’t know how this State has come about, do we? The only plants mentioned are ferns. We know that these are the oldest groups of plants on Earth and help make oxygen. We don’t know if the Machine age came about as a result of some catastrophic global event and Earth is now regenerating itself. There is precipitation: mist and snow and the air is breathable once acclimatized so it is possible to live above ground if there is food and shelter.

We know there is a Resistance, that anyone who doesn’t adhere to rules in the Book of the Machine is expelled and becomes Homeless. Kuno’s request to father children is refused.

The system has the strong killed to keep the population weak, compliant, dependent and alike apart from narrow cultural interests which may or may not be prescribed in the Book. It doesn’t need the classes of society depicted in Huxley’s Brave New World. It doesn’t need a workforce so physical strength becomes redundant.

But a population without practical skills is a dangerous precedent. As the Machine starts to deteriorate: malfunctions can’t be fixed, artifical light becomes poor, water stinks, food is mouldy, the artificial air is foul … and people just accept it. It’s not hard to see parallels in our 21C society. Concerns about our future power supplies, reduced access to medical care, food shortages, petrol queues … and we feel powerless to do anything. The failure of the French power plant in the book really struck me. I don’t know if anyone has read Rumaan Alam’s Leave The World Behind but that starts with a major power outtage in New York - the reason for it is never explained and can’t be discovered because all comms fail. The book is vague and inconclusive (and more about race and entitlement than survival) but one senses it’s the end of the world.

So what’s the moral of this story?

Oh, if we can’t have wine, I’m not coming ?

What about this book

toscalily

I have never participated in an online book club before but surely it should be on the lines of a RL book club (without the wine!) cannot see how we can discuss the book if "we" constantly digress.

Sorry ?????

I’m going to bump the Book Club thread (or try to)

Lucca

What has google earth maps got to do with book club??

How about a new book ??

Indeed

I have never participated in an online book club before but surely it should be on the lines of a RL book club (without the wine!) cannot see how we can discuss the book if "we" constantly digress.

Have you seen Earlys thread about the new Book Club Lucca?

What has google earth maps got to do with book club??

How about a new book ??

Even I am!

I imagine most people are familiar with Google Earth ?

I regularly use Google street view and have found it useful for house hunting, seeing where friends live who have moved away, “revisiting” houses where I have lived and general curiosity.
It can be highly entertaining and time consuming

If readers want to try gaining an experience of going somewhere where you have not been then trying Google stretview is a good experience.

www.google.com/maps

Then search.

Then drag the orange pegman and drop onto a blue line that will appear when dragging.

If you have problems doing this please ask.

A good place to have a look is by searching for

Clos lucé

as there is a theme park in the grounds of the place in France where Leonardo da Vinci lived the final years of his life.

One can move around the large grounds and view the exhibits such as panels with details of paintings that are hanging from trees.

Then one can try a Google street view experience of somewhere you already know well, like your home area and assess whether it is realistic or distorted in some way.

If it isn't meant, why say it, or is this the neuotypical supremacy of the way some people communicate in a peculiar manner that is seen as mainstream in action and socially desirable by some

Absolutely.
Don’t actually understand what neu(r)o typical has to do with anything but it was a silly flippant remark which was entirely unnecessary.
mea maxima culpa

I was trying to help EP
You need to tone it down a bit

FannyCornforth

For heavens sake EP do not make a mountain out of a molehill!
We are chatting with friends on here!
It was a harmless comment from Maw.
No one has taken offence and none was intended

Well, Early was getting apologetic about the length of her post. The TLDR comment was having an effect. All this only joking is what gets said afterwards. No. If it isn't meant, why say it, or is this the neuotypical supremacy of the way some people communicate in a peculiar manner that is seen as mainstream in action and socially desirable by some.