Too Long; Didn't Read
E.M. Forster’s 1909 classic “The Machine Stops,” describes a future where humanity lives underground, separated from the natural world, eliminating all impediments to the growth and final hegemony of “The Machine.” Everyone lives in private rooms, and physical interaction is made obsolete by video-calling courtesy of The Machine. All bodily needs — food, clothing, medical assistance — are taken care of by, you guessed it, The Machine.