@Pungent The Book of the Machine by Samuel Butler is a dystopian science-fiction novel about humanity's selective use of technology and its dire consequences. The story follows a group of scientists as they work on creating the perfect machine, only to find that it has the capacity to destroy them all. As they attempt to find a way to protect humanity from the machine’s threat, they come to understand the dangers of unchecked progress and its potential to rid the world of innocence and spontaneity. Along the way, the novel examines the themes of power, corruption, and technology’s ability to alter the course of human history.