kylearnzen's review against another edition
4.0
Pleasantly surprising; I was expecting a lot of stories revolving around the most creative ways to kill people, but most of the focus was on how just knowing the cause of your death can be life-changing, and the implications that can follow.
hasseltkoffie's review against another edition
4.0
A collection of short stories based on the idea of a machine predicting a persons cause of death explained in this comic: http://www.qwantz.com/index.php?comic=675
Some morbid, some funny, some very touching, but all delightfully interesting.
Some morbid, some funny, some very touching, but all delightfully interesting.
bjacobscrouse's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
lighthearted
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
mpedone's review against another edition
4.0
A fun ride. It gets a little repetitive, but it's a collection of short stories, so it's not like you have to read it straight through, or even all at once.
albon's review against another edition
4.0
2014 review:
This books is a collection of short stories, all centered around a world where a machine exists that can tell you how you are going to die. They can be very ambiguous, like it tells you "BOAT" and you stay away from boats and the ocean and the sea, but then one day you get hit by a boat being towed by a car. But there is actually a lot less death in this book than you would expect. Most of the stories are about how the world and the people in it reacts to having these machines, and each story comes up with a different reaction and society.
I LOVED this! I'm not a big fan of anthologies or short stories, but this concept was intriguing enough for me to pick it up, and I'm so glad I did. This book is avaviable online for free, legally, so I think you need to check it out asap! Just scroll down this link and you'll find it.
I have a mini review and a rating for every single story, excluding the two first as I read those as soon as I bought the book and can't really remember them.
Torn Apart and Devoured by Lions: I kept imagining Chris Traeger (Rob Lowe) from Parks and Recreation when reading this story. He would not be pleased with the idea of dying, but I can hear him say "Devoured by lions? That is literally the coolest thing I've ever heard!" This was a very funny look at the situation, and I loved seeing how the machine affected the insurance business. 4/5
Despair: It was interesting seeing the effect this had on the hospital and the nurses. I loved the different meanings and the plays on words, it was so clever. I also loved the twist at the end. 5/5
Suicide: So, this machine is inescapable? I really liked seeing the man trying to find a way of it and trying to prove it wrong, it was very fascinating. 4/5
Almond: Basically, a man slowly goes insane watching the machine and watching everyone get their cards. He feels like they are doomed, and he refuses to get his own card. This was a very interesting perspective into a human mind. Loved it. 5/5
Starvation: This was a very fascinating story about war and abandonment. Also, in my notes I have written "do it again." I'm not sure what I meant by that. 4/5
Cancer: This wasn't funny or dramatic or interesting. It didn't do anything for me. 2/5
Firing Squad: This was actually really creepy. The only problems I had was that 1) he never actually seemed to be in any danger, although he claimed to be terrified and 2) the ending was just meh. It didn't have a real conclusion. 3/5
Vegetables: I didn't get this story. I don't know what else to say. 3/5
Piano: Not horrible, but again, didn't do much for me. 3/5
HIV Infection From Machine of Death: One line long and to the point. 5/5
Exploded: *Yaaaawn* The characters confused me and the story was boring. 2/5
Not Waving but Drowning: It was very interesting that this was told from a child's POV. That's what sold this story, and it was very refreshing. 4/5
Improperly Prepared Blowfish: There were too many names for such a short story. I don't know what was going on in this. 2/5
Love ad Nauseun: Short, sad, and to the point. 5/5
Murder and Suicide, Respectively: Maybe I'm just stupid, but this went a little over my head. 3/5
Cancer: Sad, but not extremely interesting. 3/5
Aneurysm: I laughed a lot reading this, but at the same time it was kinda scary. I take my hat off (if I wore one) to the main character, he was one sly bastard. It's also very creepy to think of something as horrible as a death machine being turned into a party game. 4/5
Exhaustion From Having Sex With a Minor: Finally we got to see some more unique POVs! There were some interesting twists in this story. 4/5
After Many Years: Cute, but not very special. 3/5
Killed By Daniel: Okay, this must be one of the scariest predictions to get. Imagine if you get tested and it tells you your own family is going to kill you. I wouldn't want to be in his shoes. Or Daniel's shoes for that matter. Also yay for representation! 4.5/5
Friendly Fire: The idea behind this was really good. I don't doubt there would be a lot of anger about a machine like this, and I'm sure we would see some revolutions. This was however too short to really make an impact, but I can totally see this become a dystopian book. 3/5
Nothing: This was really, really cool. It was different from the others, and had a paranormal-ish feeling to it that I really liked. 4/5
Cocain and Painkillers: This was a good origin story about them trying to figure out how the machine worked, but I just thought it was way too long. 3/5
Loss of Blood: Eight words: I NEED THIS TO BECOME A FULL BOOK!!!!! 3.5/5
Prison Knife Fights: This was also a nice look at how the machine messes with people's lives. However, I would have liked a better conclusion to this. 3/5
While Trying to Save Another: Another really good solid story. I really liked the idea of a few people having an Exact Date, and I loved that it brought the characters together, and I loved the love story between our two main characters. However, there were a few things that other characters did I had some problems with. I still cried at the end. 4/5
Miscarriage: WOW THIS HAD SOME EXCELLENT WRITING!! I LOVE RYAN AND ANNIE SO SO SO MUCH FOREVER, THIS STORY MAY NOT BE EXTREMELY SPECIAL OR MIND BLOWING BUT THE GOOD FEELINGS IT GAVE ME CANNOT BE DENIED. I LOVE THEM SO MUCH AND I LOVE THEIR BABY. 5/5
Shot by Sniper: I don't really have any feelings about this story. It was alright. 3/5
Heat Death of the Universe: Pretty interesting, but again, science isn't really my thing so I didn't fully understand or love it. 3.5/5
Drowning: I have no idea what this is even about. The plot went right over my head, it didn't make any sense. I just didn't get it. Maybe I'm stupid. 2/5
?: The last lines of this gave me chills. 4/5
Cassandra: I feel like this was very good and thought-provoking, but again, science isn't my thing, so both the plot and the science wnet over my head. 3/5
I am so, so excited to pick up "This is How You Die", the companion book! That needs to happen soon.
This books is a collection of short stories, all centered around a world where a machine exists that can tell you how you are going to die. They can be very ambiguous, like it tells you "BOAT" and you stay away from boats and the ocean and the sea, but then one day you get hit by a boat being towed by a car. But there is actually a lot less death in this book than you would expect. Most of the stories are about how the world and the people in it reacts to having these machines, and each story comes up with a different reaction and society.
I LOVED this! I'm not a big fan of anthologies or short stories, but this concept was intriguing enough for me to pick it up, and I'm so glad I did. This book is avaviable online for free, legally, so I think you need to check it out asap! Just scroll down this link and you'll find it.
I have a mini review and a rating for every single story, excluding the two first as I read those as soon as I bought the book and can't really remember them.
Torn Apart and Devoured by Lions: I kept imagining Chris Traeger (Rob Lowe) from Parks and Recreation when reading this story. He would not be pleased with the idea of dying, but I can hear him say "Devoured by lions? That is literally the coolest thing I've ever heard!" This was a very funny look at the situation, and I loved seeing how the machine affected the insurance business. 4/5
Despair: It was interesting seeing the effect this had on the hospital and the nurses. I loved the different meanings and the plays on words, it was so clever. I also loved the twist at the end. 5/5
Suicide: So, this machine is inescapable? I really liked seeing the man trying to find a way of it and trying to prove it wrong, it was very fascinating. 4/5
Almond: Basically, a man slowly goes insane watching the machine and watching everyone get their cards. He feels like they are doomed, and he refuses to get his own card. This was a very interesting perspective into a human mind. Loved it. 5/5
Starvation: This was a very fascinating story about war and abandonment. Also, in my notes I have written "do it again." I'm not sure what I meant by that. 4/5
Cancer: This wasn't funny or dramatic or interesting. It didn't do anything for me. 2/5
Firing Squad: This was actually really creepy. The only problems I had was that 1) he never actually seemed to be in any danger, although he claimed to be terrified and 2) the ending was just meh. It didn't have a real conclusion. 3/5
Vegetables: I didn't get this story. I don't know what else to say. 3/5
Piano: Not horrible, but again, didn't do much for me. 3/5
HIV Infection From Machine of Death: One line long and to the point. 5/5
Exploded: *Yaaaawn* The characters confused me and the story was boring. 2/5
Not Waving but Drowning: It was very interesting that this was told from a child's POV. That's what sold this story, and it was very refreshing. 4/5
Improperly Prepared Blowfish: There were too many names for such a short story. I don't know what was going on in this. 2/5
Love ad Nauseun: Short, sad, and to the point. 5/5
Murder and Suicide, Respectively: Maybe I'm just stupid, but this went a little over my head. 3/5
Cancer: Sad, but not extremely interesting. 3/5
Aneurysm: I laughed a lot reading this, but at the same time it was kinda scary. I take my hat off (if I wore one) to the main character, he was one sly bastard. It's also very creepy to think of something as horrible as a death machine being turned into a party game. 4/5
Exhaustion From Having Sex With a Minor: Finally we got to see some more unique POVs! There were some interesting twists in this story. 4/5
After Many Years: Cute, but not very special. 3/5
Killed By Daniel: Okay, this must be one of the scariest predictions to get. Imagine if you get tested and it tells you your own family is going to kill you. I wouldn't want to be in his shoes. Or Daniel's shoes for that matter. Also yay for representation! 4.5/5
Friendly Fire: The idea behind this was really good. I don't doubt there would be a lot of anger about a machine like this, and I'm sure we would see some revolutions. This was however too short to really make an impact, but I can totally see this become a dystopian book. 3/5
Nothing: This was really, really cool. It was different from the others, and had a paranormal-ish feeling to it that I really liked. 4/5
Cocain and Painkillers: This was a good origin story about them trying to figure out how the machine worked, but I just thought it was way too long. 3/5
Loss of Blood: Eight words: I NEED THIS TO BECOME A FULL BOOK!!!!! 3.5/5
Prison Knife Fights: This was also a nice look at how the machine messes with people's lives. However, I would have liked a better conclusion to this. 3/5
While Trying to Save Another: Another really good solid story. I really liked the idea of a few people having an Exact Date, and I loved that it brought the characters together, and I loved the love story between our two main characters. However, there were a few things that other characters did I had some problems with. I still cried at the end. 4/5
Miscarriage: WOW THIS HAD SOME EXCELLENT WRITING!! I LOVE RYAN AND ANNIE SO SO SO MUCH FOREVER, THIS STORY MAY NOT BE EXTREMELY SPECIAL OR MIND BLOWING BUT THE GOOD FEELINGS IT GAVE ME CANNOT BE DENIED. I LOVE THEM SO MUCH AND I LOVE THEIR BABY. 5/5
Shot by Sniper: I don't really have any feelings about this story. It was alright. 3/5
Heat Death of the Universe: Pretty interesting, but again, science isn't really my thing so I didn't fully understand or love it. 3.5/5
Drowning: I have no idea what this is even about. The plot went right over my head, it didn't make any sense. I just didn't get it. Maybe I'm stupid. 2/5
?: The last lines of this gave me chills. 4/5
Cassandra: I feel like this was very good and thought-provoking, but again, science isn't my thing, so both the plot and the science wnet over my head. 3/5
I am so, so excited to pick up "This is How You Die", the companion book! That needs to happen soon.
READING PROGRESS
October 22, 2014 – Started Reading
October 22, 2014 – Shelved
October 22, 2014 –
page 22 4.87% "I'm not really into short stories, but this concept is so interesting that I have to read this. Plus the illustrations are super pretty."
page 22 4.87% "I'm not really into short stories, but this concept is so interesting that I have to read this. Plus the illustrations are super pretty."
October 24, 2014 –
page 132 29.2%
page 132 29.2%
October 25, 2014 –
page 190 42.04% "Completely unrelated to the book (it's amazing btw), but twitter won't load and I'm really annoyed. Someone fix it."
page 190 42.04% "Completely unrelated to the book (it's amazing btw), but twitter won't load and I'm really annoyed. Someone fix it."
October 25, 2014 –
page 190 42.04% "Completely unrelated to the book (it's amazing btw), but twitter won't load and I'm really annoyed. Someone fix it."
page 190 42.04% "Completely unrelated to the book (it's amazing btw), but twitter won't load and I'm really annoyed. Someone fix it."
October 27, 2014 –
page 252 55.75%
page 252 55.75%
November 13, 2014 –
page 264 58.41%
page 264 58.41%
November 13, 2014 –
page 318 70.35%
page 318 70.35%
November 15, 2014 –
page 376 83.19%
page 376 83.19%
November 15, 2014 – Shelved as: favorites
November 15, 2014 – Shelved as: read-in-english
November 15, 2014 – Shelved as: read-in-2014
November 15, 2014 – Finished Reading
francesh's review against another edition
This book contained at least 50 short stories from different authors of varying skill. I read a few, but the conceit holding all of the short stories together did not hold my attention for as long as the book was
raloveridge's review against another edition
4.0
A really interesting collection of stories that look at a world where people know how they'll die, but not when. On the whole, the stories are uneven--some are really thrilling or poignant, and others are only so-so.
But what impresses me most about this book is that the authors gave it away for free (check out: http://machineofdeath.net/) as a way to communicate that consumers will pay for content that they find worthwhile. On the last page of the free PDF, which I read on my Kindle, was the message: "thank you for reading our book." I'll be putting in an order for a paper copy as soon as I get hit with another payday, and plan to talk it up to my speculative fiction-loving friends. Thanks for the great book, folks.
But what impresses me most about this book is that the authors gave it away for free (check out: http://machineofdeath.net/) as a way to communicate that consumers will pay for content that they find worthwhile. On the last page of the free PDF, which I read on my Kindle, was the message: "thank you for reading our book." I'll be putting in an order for a paper copy as soon as I get hit with another payday, and plan to talk it up to my speculative fiction-loving friends. Thanks for the great book, folks.
jammasterjamie's review against another edition
4.0
What a great concept!!! Most of the stories are really good, wildly original, well paced and fun to read. There were two that I found to be just awful, but maybe you'll like them, so I'm not going to name names. Just read and enjoy - this collection is definitely worth your time.
shrrawat's review against another edition
4.0
After reading and absolutely loving the sequel to this anthology, This is How You Die, which I had won in a past giveaway, I just had to try Machine of Death. The result was a little disappointing, although part of me thinks it was because I had already read the better collection, but no less rewarding, which is why I gave it 4 1/2 stars, which Goodreads has graciously seen fit to cut down to four.
This anthology, like its follower, still has the same tantalizing appeal of coming up with outrageous names for its stories, methods of dying according to the machine that you just can't wait to see how it will play out. The downside comes when instead of exploring how the machine impacts the individual, authors start to ramble on about whether the power of the machine is truly giving information from some higher power, or is instead acting as that higher power, and we are only doomed to a particular death after it has assigned it to us. Though such contemplation can be interesting, when nearly half the collection continues on in the same vein, then it can be a bit tedious. Still that isn't to say that some aren't worth reading if one is truly interested in the various impacts, dramatic, tragic, and even humorous that existentialism can have.
This anthology, like its follower, still has the same tantalizing appeal of coming up with outrageous names for its stories, methods of dying according to the machine that you just can't wait to see how it will play out. The downside comes when instead of exploring how the machine impacts the individual, authors start to ramble on about whether the power of the machine is truly giving information from some higher power, or is instead acting as that higher power, and we are only doomed to a particular death after it has assigned it to us. Though such contemplation can be interesting, when nearly half the collection continues on in the same vein, then it can be a bit tedious. Still that isn't to say that some aren't worth reading if one is truly interested in the various impacts, dramatic, tragic, and even humorous that existentialism can have.
chintogtokh's review against another edition
5.0
All in all a great collection of stories, though my favorite has to be 'Miscarriage' by James L. Sutter. If you have time only to read one of the stories, try reading this one. The writing is exquisite.