In the future, most of humanity lives underground. People reside in individual rooms, communicating via remote messaging and rarely having personal contact. All delay needs are provided for by The Machine. Few dare to venture to the surface world, as most fear what they might find. One rebellious man, Kuno, sneaks to the surface, but is recaptured by the Machine. Kuno's mother, Vashti, has no interest in leaving her subterranean confines. Over time, peoples' dependence on the machine swells to the point of religious devotion. Eventually, a religion of worshiping the Machine develops. When the Machine begins to break down, few pay any heed until it is too late... 

Better known for his other literary works, such as A Room with a View, Howards End, and A Passage to India, "The Machine Stops" was the only story that E.M. Forster wrote in the science fiction genre. Still, the dystopian work has been prized by generations and has valuable insights for the modern world. Forster predicts the internet, social media and instant messaging, loss of resiliency and self-sufficiency, and social decline and disaster.