# The Machine Stops by E. M. Forster

15 Hacker News commenters recommended The Machine Stops by E. M. Forster and 0 criticized it, November 2025 to November 2026. It was recommended in 9 of 13 months. It meets the Hacker Approved badge rule.

**Verdict:** Recommended as a short, prescient story that anticipated instant messaging, social media and dependence on technology. It is public domain, so it is free to read.

## Why people recommend it

- Prescient about modern technology and culture (5 comments): "I think you'd enjoy The Machine Stops by E.M. Forster. It's amazingly prescient, given it was written in 1909." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48826163)) "predicted technologies and cultural impacts similar to instant messaging, social media, and the Internet." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48175103)) "It's the most prescient thing I've ever read, and it's pretty short and a genuinely good story" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46331162))
- Still relevant to technology today (3 comments): "should be assigned reading on an annual basis for everyone working in tech today" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46974230)) "That story is incredible, with insights into what technology would mean" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47674145)) "still pretty relevant imo" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46407098))
- Short, forward-thinking, full of ideas (2 comments): "It's the most prescient thing I've ever read, and it's pretty short and a genuinely good story" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46331162)) "It was very forward thinking, and so full of ideas!" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49895144))

## Alternatives hackers recommend

- [The Last Question by Isaac Asimov](https://hackerapproved.com/p/last-question.md): 50 recommend
- [There Will Come Soft Rains by Ray Bradbury](https://hackerapproved.com/p/there-will-come-soft-rains.md): 27 recommend
- [They're Made Out of Meat by Terry Bisson](https://hackerapproved.com/p/they-re-made-out-of-meat.md): 17 recommend
- [Lena by qntm](https://hackerapproved.com/p/lena.md): 16 recommend
- [The Library of Babel by Jorge Luis Borges](https://hackerapproved.com/p/library-of-babel.md): 11 recommend

## Where to get it

- [See price on Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/dp/1434446255?tag=hackerapprove-20) (affiliate link)
- [Bookshop.org](https://bookshop.org/a/130825/9781434446251) (affiliate link)

## Cite as

Hacker Approved, "The Machine Stops by E. M. Forster", https://hackerapproved.com/p/machine-stops/ (counts from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026).