MobileRead January 2010 MobileRead Book Club Vote

[Ea]

Originally Posted by WT Sharpe

I'd like to see that information discussed in the The Machine Stops thread. I'd like to know exactly what he meant by the "heavens of H.G. Wells." (I assume he was referring to Well's love of technology.) I'd also like to know why did he dedicated his story collection to Hermes. I can understand why he didn't choose Prometheus, but why Hermes?

I think it's probably quicker if you just get the whole introduction It adds some context to the story. But we'd better stop now, or else have BOb start a discussion thread right away I think you should ask the question again, when we do get around to discussion.

[kennyc]

Based on that it seem to mean, H.G.Wells. Utopian societies.

[Dr. Drib]

Originally Posted by kennyc

Okay, done with that one. What's next?

Do you mean Stephen King's "Under The Dome"?

Isn't that supposed to be a HORRRRROOOR novel?

Isn't this one about SCARY MONSTERS WHO ARE HUMAN BEINGS???!!!

Such AUDACITY, sir!


Don

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by Dr. Drib

Do you mean Stephen King's "Under The Dome"?

Isn't that supposed to be a HORRRRROOOR novel?

Isn't this one about SCARY MONSTERS WHO ARE HUMAN BEINGS???!!!

Such AUDACITY, sir!


Don

Maybe as the next one on my to read list. I'm reading Pillars of the Earth at the moment while I'm waiting on the discussion thread for Machine to start.

[yekim54]

Originally Posted by Nate the great

We will start the discussion thread for this book on January 6th.

January 6th of what year?

[pilotbob]

Originally Posted by yekim54

January 6th of what year?

Yea, that's wrong. Let's go with the 24th.

BOb

[WT Sharpe]

Originally Posted by Ea

I think it's probably quicker if you just get the whole introduction It adds some context to the story. But we'd better stop now, or else have BOb start a discussion thread right away I think you should ask the question again, when we do get around to discussion.

Thanks! I don't have the Collected Short Stories, and my copy of the "The Machine Stops" didn't have that introduction.

[Dr. Drib]

For those who wish to discuss this story, please see this website for possible ideas for developmental discussion (although this site really doesn't cover specifically the work under discussion, but rather other aspects of Forter's writings).

http://www.literaryhistory.com/20thC/Forster.htm

Forster studies concentrates on such aspects as emperialism and colonialism; historigraphy; polyphonic aspects of storytelling, in addition to gender issues, to name only a few. (I'm particularly fascinated by rhetor Kenneth Burke's dramatistic pentad for excavating motive through action and discourse.)

Additionally, there was a TV adaptation of this novelette [it is not a short story] here:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0060643/

which may be available for purchase somewhere in your area.

Further discussion can be gleaned from here

http://www.britannica.com/blogs/2008...pixars-wall-e/

wherein the author attempts a comparison/contrast on the Pixar film WALL-E.

And finally, a FREE AUDIO BOOK is available from

http://librivox.org/the-machine-stops-by-e-m-forster/

I have not listened to this and can offer no comments as to the audio quality of the production or to the interpretive stanch of the narrator(s).

Hopefully, this information will help jump-start meaningful discussion, to include (as merely one example) a study of Forster's homosexuality and how he might view the technology and ethos of the future.

Happy reading, y'all ! I'll join everyone when we start discussion Stephen King's "Under the Dome."

(Me - I'm back to whipping Zombies and torturing dead cats - and I certainly have my work cut out for me! ACKKKK!!!! )




Don

[pilotbob]

Discussion thread started...

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=70021

@Don, could you re-post that last post in the discussion thread perhaps?

BOb

[Dr. Drib]

Will do.


Don