Fear of the Machine: how an adaptation of E.M. Forster's The Machine Stops can be used to explore links between science fiction and technological progress.

Abstract

As the present appears to be catching up to visions of the future, the popularity of science fiction is growing among audiences. Although the genre has not often been represented on stage previously, the past few years have seen an increase in science fiction productions; particularly in the form of adaptations of well-known novels. The aim of this study is to explore the connections between science fiction and technological advances. This practice-based research uses the dramaturgical tools of adapting literature for the stage as a critical and creative research method in order to understand how storytelling interprets science and innovation, and how the sciences in turn are influenced by fiction. During the course of the adaptation process, I have discovered a link based around the discussion of humanity versus technology, and specifically natural versus scientifically guided evolution. While the majority of new inventions are designed to make our lives easier, science fiction reflects upon the anxieties of an already technology-reliant society that harbours some fear of the engineered future.