Scan barcode
thisisstephenbetts's review against another edition
3.0
Anthology of short stories on the same theme - what would the world be like if our cause of death (but not time) can be foretold by a machine? The predictions are always accurate, but often opaque. There's a wide range of contributors here, and so the stories are a little uneven. Mostly there's some kind of introspective, philosophical bent to them; of course touching on mortality, but also free will, predestination, fate, technology, fear of technology - lots of stuff. It's good fun and occasionally thought provoking. The stories here were chosen as the best submitted (rather than asking for selections and printing them all) and the producers of the book have various affordable ways of reading it (I got it cheap at the SPX comics festival - you can read it for free on their website: http://machineofdeath.net/about/book).
I enjoyed the book, and (perhaps more) am excited and interested to see how they are experimenting with new collaborative publishing models. Check out their website:
I enjoyed the book, and (perhaps more) am excited and interested to see how they are experimenting with new collaborative publishing models. Check out their website:
jwanz86's review against another edition
5.0
TO BE HONEST--I never finished it because I lent this book to someone BECAUSE IT WAS THAT GOOD. It's a short story collection all following the same prompt of: What If a machine vaguely predicted your future with a single slip of paper. All the different authors approach this very differently, with different tones, and it's very fascinating. Also, since they are short stories that are in no way connected, you can pick up this book at any time--EVEN AFTER I GET IT BACK FROM WHOMEVER I LENT IT TO!!
milo_the_moth's review against another edition
This book gave me an existential crisis and I had to quit reading it for 6 months (complimentary). Some of the stories were excellent; most were just okay.
ryan_oneil's review against another edition
4.0
This collection of short stories is all about what happens when people have access to a machine that tells you how you will die but not in a detailed way. For example, if it says, "Car accident," it could be that you get hit by a car but it could also be that you slip on a toy car and fall down a flight of stairs.
The stories range from interesting to funny to sad to thought-provoking. I enjoyed most of them.
The stories range from interesting to funny to sad to thought-provoking. I enjoyed most of them.
nevermore's review against another edition
4.0
A little morbid, but a great concept. I'm really interested by all the different directions the various authors took the basic concept of the Machine of Death.
rheren's review against another edition
5.0
I read this on a lark, and I was amazed at the creativity and cleverness of the amateur authors who penned the collection of stories based on this oddball but intriguing premise. It's mostly full of humor and irony, but there's a good bit of philosophical introspection, too. I enjoyed it immensely. Looking forward to reading the second one.
misterjay's review against another edition
3.0
Flaming Marshmallow by Camille Alexa - Fun and optimistic. 3/5
Fudge by Kit Yona - Cryptic. 3/5
Torn Apart and Devoured by Lions by Jeffery Wells - This was great. Interesting take on optimism. 5/5
Despair by K.M. Lawrence - Thoughtful and sad; about blame and questions. 4/5
Suicide by David Michael Wharton - A little too clever. 3/5
Almond by John Chernega - Great story about the people who run the machine. 5/5
Starvation by M. Bennardo - Good military fiction about survival and fate. 4/5
Cancer by Camron Miller - Sadder than a lot of the other stories here. 4/5
Firing Squad by J. Jack Unrau - One of the better stories here. About the consequences of good deeds. 5/5
Vegetables by Chris Cox - Interesting. First story in the collection to look at the more sinister aspects of knowing how others will die. 5/5
Piano by Rafa Franco - Good; similar to many other stories in that it is a story about how the machines' readings and actual death may differ. 4/5
HIV Infection from Machine of Death Needle by Brian Quinlan - Hah. Kind of clever. 3/5
Exploded by Tom Francis - Good story about the men who invented the machine and how they died. 5/5
Not Waving But Drowning by Erin McKean - I liked this one. It’s got poetry in it. And hope. 5/5
Improperly Prepared Blowfish by Gord Sellar - Good, tight action story about the Yakuza and revenge. 5/5
Love Ad Nauseum by Sherri Jacobsen - Clever take on dating after the machine. 4/5
Murder and Suicide, Respectively by Ryan North - This one left me a little cold. It’s about murder, and suicide. 3/5
Cancer by David Malki - Heartbreaking, but very well written. 5/5
Aneurysm by Alexander Danner - Sleight of hand at a dinner party is almost never a good idea. 4/5
Exhaustion from Having Sex with a Minor by Ben Croshaw - Twist at the end that kind of short-serves the first half. 3/5
After Many Years, Stops Breathing, While Asleep, with Smile on Face by William Grallo - Trying to form relationships when everyone knows how they’re going to die can be hard. 3/5
Killed by Daniel by Julia Wainwright - Sad story about avoidance and acceptance when the name of your killer is the name of your son. 3/5
Friendly Fire by Douglas J. Lane - Interesting story about terrorism in the face of the machine. 4/5
Nothing by Pelotard - Some people get to live forever. The trick is figuring out who they are. 3/5
Cocaine and Painkillers by David Malki - Sales and infomercials sell lots of machines, but at what cost? 4/5
Loss of Blood by Jeff Stautz - Chilling story about a future society where in everyone’s worth is determined by the passivity of their death. 4/5
Prison Knife Fight by Shannon K. Garrity - Is someone whose life is planned from kindergarten to career actually free? 4/5
While Trying to Save Another by Daliso Chaponda - Sad story about true love in the face of certain, inevitable doom. 5/5
Miscarriage by James L. Sutter - Surprisingly, a happy story of sorts. About the decision to have children even when you can know how they’ll die. 4/5
Shot by Sniper by Bartholomew von Klick - Some other sniper, some other war. 5/5
Heat Death of the Universe by James Foreman - The machine is the universe imposing order on itself; even still we cannot know what this means. 4/5
Drowning by C.E. Himont - Psychics and dream readers don’t like the machine. It’s bad for business. 3/5
? by Randall Munroe - Hmm. Not sure what to think about that one; it’s by far the angriest story in the collection. Demanding answers in the face of wilful ignorance. 3/5
Cassandra by T.J. Radcliffe - Nothing like a saving the world story to round out the collection. 4/5
Fudge by Kit Yona - Cryptic. 3/5
Torn Apart and Devoured by Lions by Jeffery Wells - This was great. Interesting take on optimism. 5/5
Despair by K.M. Lawrence - Thoughtful and sad; about blame and questions. 4/5
Suicide by David Michael Wharton - A little too clever. 3/5
Almond by John Chernega - Great story about the people who run the machine. 5/5
Starvation by M. Bennardo - Good military fiction about survival and fate. 4/5
Cancer by Camron Miller - Sadder than a lot of the other stories here. 4/5
Firing Squad by J. Jack Unrau - One of the better stories here. About the consequences of good deeds. 5/5
Vegetables by Chris Cox - Interesting. First story in the collection to look at the more sinister aspects of knowing how others will die. 5/5
Piano by Rafa Franco - Good; similar to many other stories in that it is a story about how the machines' readings and actual death may differ. 4/5
HIV Infection from Machine of Death Needle by Brian Quinlan - Hah. Kind of clever. 3/5
Exploded by Tom Francis - Good story about the men who invented the machine and how they died. 5/5
Not Waving But Drowning by Erin McKean - I liked this one. It’s got poetry in it. And hope. 5/5
Improperly Prepared Blowfish by Gord Sellar - Good, tight action story about the Yakuza and revenge. 5/5
Love Ad Nauseum by Sherri Jacobsen - Clever take on dating after the machine. 4/5
Murder and Suicide, Respectively by Ryan North - This one left me a little cold. It’s about murder, and suicide. 3/5
Cancer by David Malki - Heartbreaking, but very well written. 5/5
Aneurysm by Alexander Danner - Sleight of hand at a dinner party is almost never a good idea. 4/5
Exhaustion from Having Sex with a Minor by Ben Croshaw - Twist at the end that kind of short-serves the first half. 3/5
After Many Years, Stops Breathing, While Asleep, with Smile on Face by William Grallo - Trying to form relationships when everyone knows how they’re going to die can be hard. 3/5
Killed by Daniel by Julia Wainwright - Sad story about avoidance and acceptance when the name of your killer is the name of your son. 3/5
Friendly Fire by Douglas J. Lane - Interesting story about terrorism in the face of the machine. 4/5
Nothing by Pelotard - Some people get to live forever. The trick is figuring out who they are. 3/5
Cocaine and Painkillers by David Malki - Sales and infomercials sell lots of machines, but at what cost? 4/5
Loss of Blood by Jeff Stautz - Chilling story about a future society where in everyone’s worth is determined by the passivity of their death. 4/5
Prison Knife Fight by Shannon K. Garrity - Is someone whose life is planned from kindergarten to career actually free? 4/5
While Trying to Save Another by Daliso Chaponda - Sad story about true love in the face of certain, inevitable doom. 5/5
Miscarriage by James L. Sutter - Surprisingly, a happy story of sorts. About the decision to have children even when you can know how they’ll die. 4/5
Shot by Sniper by Bartholomew von Klick - Some other sniper, some other war. 5/5
Heat Death of the Universe by James Foreman - The machine is the universe imposing order on itself; even still we cannot know what this means. 4/5
Drowning by C.E. Himont - Psychics and dream readers don’t like the machine. It’s bad for business. 3/5
? by Randall Munroe - Hmm. Not sure what to think about that one; it’s by far the angriest story in the collection. Demanding answers in the face of wilful ignorance. 3/5
Cassandra by T.J. Radcliffe - Nothing like a saving the world story to round out the collection. 4/5
theaurochs's review against another edition
5.0
Re-read for the umpteenth time; still a fantastic collection of existentialist short stories.
Ranging from laugh-out-loud funny, to thoughtful, to heartbreaking, to intriguing; there's a little bit of everything is this collection. And yet the central premise ties it all together so as not to feel jarring.
Will keep this review short, as the only other option is a multi-page essay to talk about all my thoughts and feelings about this book.
It's great though, please read it.
Ranging from laugh-out-loud funny, to thoughtful, to heartbreaking, to intriguing; there's a little bit of everything is this collection. And yet the central premise ties it all together so as not to feel jarring.
Will keep this review short, as the only other option is a multi-page essay to talk about all my thoughts and feelings about this book.
It's great though, please read it.
lkthomas07's review against another edition
5.0
I just love both of the Machine of Death books. I adore short stories, and especially when they're (mostly) written by different authors. You get so many different POVs about the machine, the world, etc. Always worth the read!
[12/28/23 edit: Reread and still loved! This year I read it for the PopSugar 2023 challenge prompt: A book you read more than 10 years ago]
[12/28/23 edit: Reread and still loved! This year I read it for the PopSugar 2023 challenge prompt: A book you read more than 10 years ago]