Evil Machines

Evil Machines is a collection of thirteen fantasy stories written by Monty Python member Terry Jones. The stories focus on everyday machines and devices that develop peculiar behaviors or turn against their users. The book originated from Jones's experience with a traffic light in London, which sparked the concept of machines exhibiting malevolent tendencies. The project found its home with Unbound, a crowdfunding publisher, after receiving over 1,000 pledges from supporters. The collection includes tales about various mechanical devices, from elevators to home appliances, set in contemporary settings like the British city of Swindon. The stories were successful enough to be adapted into an opera that premiered in Lisbon in 2008. Through these tales, Jones explores themes of technology's role in modern life and the sometimes absurd relationship between humans and their mechanical creations, all while maintaining his characteristic sense of humor.

Readers found this collection of short stories uneven in quality compared to Terry Jones' other work. Many saw it as a light, whimsical set of tales that don't reach the humor levels of his Monty Python material. Liked: - Quick, entertaining stories for young readers - Creative premises about everyday machines turning evil - The absurdist British humor style - Works well as bedtime stories for children Disliked: - Stories feel shallow and underdeveloped - Humor misses the mark compared to Jones' other books - Too simplistic for adult readers - Repetitive themes across stories Ratings: Goodreads: 3.3/5 (200+ ratings) Amazon: 3.5/5 (30+ ratings) Several reviewers noted the book reads like rough story drafts rather than polished work. One Amazon reviewer said "The stories start strong but fizzle out without satisfying endings." A Goodreads review called it "mildly amusing but forgettable."

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🔹 Author Terry Jones was a founding member of Monty Python, bringing the same surreal humor from the show into his literary works. 🔹 The book was published in 2011, making it one of Jones's final works before his passing in 2020 due to a rare form of dementia. 🔹 The opera adaptation, titled "The Evil Machines," premiered at the São Luiz Teatro Municipal in Lisbon in 2008, three years before the book's publication. 🔹 The concept emerged from a real-life incident where Jones spent 20 minutes waiting at a traffic light in London that refused to change to green. 🔹 The book follows a literary tradition of anthropomorphized machines that dates back to the Industrial Revolution, when authors began exploring humanity's complex relationship with technology.