Science Fiction and Dystopia in The Machine Stops

How does E.M. Forster’s, The Machine Stops, fit into the science fiction genre, and how does it compare to longer pieces of literature in the same genre?

The science-fiction nature of E. M. Forster’s, The Machine Stops, is evident almost as soon as the story begins. Dropped in the middle of a picturesque scene of the protagonist's daily life, readers come to the understanding that Forster has created a dystopian universe in his short story. Dystopian universes are often a subset of the larger genre of Science Fiction, as dystopian worlds are just the futuristic version of a science fiction one, and Forster's story is just that. He portrays a dystopian world in which all humans are confined to individual hexagonal housing spaces, as the outside world has become unsafe and too overwhelming for anyone to live. The eminent themes of dystopian society provide both positive and negative renditions of what living within “The Machine” is like. The Machine is this story's version of an overarching government, institution, and technological operation all in one, and therefore marks the prominent feature of why this story would be classified as science fiction. The science fiction genre is known for incorporating themes of the future in accordance with technology and otherworldly creatures and universes. A more formal explanation comes from Brtiannica.com, “The genre formally emerged in the West, where the social transformations wrought by the Industrial Revolution first led writers and intellectuals to extrapolate the future impact of technology.” (Britannica), which is exactly what Forster's short story does. Not only does Forster's novel touch on technologically advanced establishments, but also narrates the brainwashed and controlling systems that dystopian novels depict. 

The dystopian world itself is entirely based around “The Machine”, a large system of various varieties that run the entire lifestyles of the characters. The Machine attends to every possible need of every individual living within its grasp, including bodily and spiritual needs, from procuring a bed, to administering medicine. The Machine itself is the perfect example of science fiction as it ties almost every element of the genre together into one creation, as “The Machine” is the mechanism for how the entire society runs. The characters in the story have turned into lethargic beings, completely reliant on the machine, using it from cross-worldly travel to picking up fallen items off of the floor for them. From some of the first movements in the story, “The Chair, like the music, was worked by machinery and it rolled her to the other side of the room, where the bell still rang importantly.” (Course Reader 51), it is made apparent the extent to which people are dependent on the machine. The character's dependency on such technology is an example of the author's interpretation of a possible future, which is often done in science fiction novels. Another example of advanced technology would be the “aeroships,” which allow people to safely and efficiently travel across the world with the simple press of a call button. Vashti travels in the aeroship, occasionally stealing a glance at the outside world where it is confirmed that they are living on a warped version of earth, a place where everything has been left abandoned in the world on the surface above. The “abandoned earth” and almost rebirth of a new generation of technology is another common theme in dystopian novels as they are able to depict how the previous society failed in one way or another, perhaps as our current one is destined. The surface worms are another example of an “otherworldly” or unknown creature whose purpose is to return people to the surface of the Earth and back down to their hexagonal underground rooms as punishment for escaping. Nonexistent creatures such as these, whose sole purpose of further controlling the life of the world, are also often seen in these types of stories and Forster’s rendition, again, falls into that dystopian narrative.  

Although The Machine Stops was published over a century ago, it depicts the theme of science fiction and dystopia with a relevant take. Stories published in the last 20 years have similar themes to The Machine Stops, specifically in how the authors shaped their respective dystopian worlds. For example, Uglies, by Scott Westerfield is reminiscent in many ways of The Machine Stops and how dystopian worlds societies are run. They both are worlds where technology is extremely advanced and life seems “wonderful”, all the while one or more “rebels” attempt to expose whoever is in charge of their corrupt societies. In The Machine Stops, Kuno is attempting to break out of the machine's grasp and live on the surface of the earth. In Uglies, the main characters attempt to run away from their society and escape to a place where they won’t be found and are forced to return. Both stories also depict future technology and how that is often imagined through flying transportation systems. The Machine Stops uses “aeroships”, while Uglies uses flying hoverboards. Again, incorporating these science-fiction themes of futuristic technology, no matter the storyline or length. 

The theme of religion or worshiping the dystopian government system, however that is manifested in each particular story, is also common. In, The Machine Stops, characters begin worshiping and praying with the book of The Machine, almost as if it were the bible. They begin to see The Machine as almost a human character and give it power through their worshiping behavior, furthering its control over them. Although the Uglies do not have a specific worshiping system, they demand control, order, and respect in their government system, and use force and aggression to maintain control. Many longer novels of science-fiction series are able to be much more descriptive about the corruption of their respective dystopian worlds, and The Machine Stops is only able to provide a smaller introduction to this theme. Other dystopian novels, such as The Giver and Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry both depict worshiping and religious-like practices in their stories. Fear is another common theme used throughout dystopian universes, as controlling a population through fear and technology is a powerful maneuver. These examples show the common thread that most dystopian novels take, and although written in different centuries and with vastly different characters, their underlying themes maintain the same. The Machine Stops is a classic example of a true science fiction novel, whose dystopian universe compares to many others written at different lengths and times, and the feeling it invokes. 

Sources:

https://www.britannica.com/art/science-fiction