Machine of Death bookcover

Machine of Death

A Collection of Stories about People Who Know How They Will Die

Ryan North 

(Editor)

David Malki 

(Editor)

et al.

Randall Munroe 

(Contribution by)

Kate Beaton 

(Contribution by)

4.9/5.0
21,000+ Reviews
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Description

Machine of Death tells 34 stories about people who know how they will die. The machine doesn't give the date or specifics; using only a blood sample, it just spits out a sliver of paper upon which are printed, in careful block letters, words such as drowned, cancer, old age, or choked on a handful of popcorn. The realization that we could now know how we are going to die changes the world: people became at once less fearful and more afraid. For every possibility the machine closes, it seems to open several more, with varying degrees of plausibility. Over time the machine is reverse-engineered and duplicated. Eventually there are machines in every doctor's office and in booths at the mall. People can pay someone or perhaps get it done for free, but the results are the same no matter which machine is used -- they are, at least, consistent.

Machine of Death features stories by Randall Munroe, Ben Yahtzee Croshaw, Tom Francis, Camille Alexa, Erin McKean, Jeff Stautz, and many others. The book also features illustrations by Kate Beaton, Kazu Kibuishi, Aaron Diaz, Jeffrey Brown, Scott C., Roger Langridge, Karl Kerschl, Cameron Stewart, and many others.

Product Details

PublisherMachines of Death
Publish DateOctober 13, 2010
Pages464
LanguageEnglish
TypeBook iconPaperback / softback
EAN/UPC9780982167120
Dimensions9.0 X 6.0 X 1.0 inches | 1.3 pounds
BISAC Categories: Popular Fiction,

Reviews

Machine of Death is a marvelous collection, riddled with intelligence, creative reach, and a frankness that makes the best use of the central gimmick. -- Tasha Robinson, The Onion A.V. Club

For an anthology that deals with the inevitability of death, Machine of Death is a lot of fun. The editors knew not to start off heavy, nor does the tone of the anthology lean too long in any direction, providing a lot of singular entertainment for the reader . . . Highly engaging, interestingly crowdsourced, and crafted with a great deal of care. You'll be thinking about it long after you're through reading. -- Chris Greenwood, TOR.com

The only consistent entity is the presence of the Machine of Death; the appearance of the machine, the depth of its integration into culture, and peoples' responses to it and its predictions vary from story to story. This is both wonderful and frustrating -- each story offers up a uniquely interesting take on the Machine of Death, which is impressive, but sometimes I found myself so taken in by one writer's universe that I wanted it to serve as canon to the rest of the book. It's not a bad complaint to have, and it's the only one I can muster . . . The book is just too good to pass up. -- Andrew Cunningham, Charge Shot!!!

Picking just one good story in the Machine of Death anthology is like any of its characters escaping their foretold deaths -- impossible. Rating: 4/4 -- Christine Cabalo, Hawaii Marine

Recalls the best writings of Harlan Ellison and Charles Beaumont and easily one of the most engaging slices of short stories I've had the pleasure to read in quite a long while. After all the years of picking up short story collections that inevitably disappoint, Machine of Death brought me laughs, terror and tears . . . Highly recommended. -- Maurice Greenwood, Paradox Magazine

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