Guys Read Short Stories

We rarely talk about specific short stories but there’s one that deserves a special mention. Originally copywritten in 1928 and published in The Eternal Moment and Other Stories, The Machine Stops by E. M. Forster is worthy of designation as a masterwork. It’s prescient sight of modern society, it’s delicate treatment of a subject that could, in a lesser work, degenerate into a sermon instead of a story, and the author’s ability to strike that all-to-rare balance between dystopia and hope all combine for a truly powerful effect. It is also a layered piece, on of the few stories that benefit from immediate rereading. The Thin Man read it twice, once to himself and then again to SHE WHO MUST NOT BE NAMED aloud. Each reading was a different experience, the difference in cadences and retracing of steps with fresh eyes revealed nuances and truly artistic touches that are the mark of a truly great piece. We strongly recommend you seek out a copy of this work and read it, at least once. It is, after all, quite fitting for the “spirit of the age”.