Ancient Engines
Short story by Michael Swanwick
| "Ancient Engines" | |
|---|---|
| Short story by Michael Swanwick | |
| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | Science fiction |
| Publication | |
| Published in | Asimov's Science Fiction |
| Publication type | Magazine |
| Publication date | February 1999 |
"Ancient Engines" is a science fiction short story by American writer Michael Swanwick, published in 1999. It was nominated for the 2000 Hugo Award for Best Short Story as well as the 1999 Nebula Award for Best Short Story.[1]
Plot summary
The story begins when a drunken human insults a mech in a bar. The resulting fight nearly kills the human, who is saved only by the mech's kindness. As the mech starts to leave he is invited to sit and talk with an old man and his granddaughter. They have a discussion about what it would really take to build a machine that would last forever.
See also
- Long Now Foundation - The foundation has several ongoing projects, including a 10,000-year clock.
References
- ^ LOCUS Index to SF Awards
External links
- Ancient Engines title listing at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database
- v
- t
- e
Works by Michael Swanwick
- In the Drift (1984)
- Vacuum Flowers (1987)
- Stations of the Tide (1991)
- The Iron Dragon's Daughter (1993)
- Jack Faust (1997)
- Bones of the Earth (2002)
- The Dragons of Babel (2008)
- Dancing With Bears (2011)
- Chasing the Phoenix (2015)
- The Iron Dragon's Mother (2019)
- "Dogfight" (1985)
- "The Dead" (1996)
- "The Very Pulse of the Machine" (1998)
- "Radiant Doors" (1999)
- "Ancient Engines" (1999)
- "Scherzo with Tyrannosaur" (1999)
- "The Dog Said Bow-Wow" (2001)
- "Slow Life" (2002)
- "'Hello,' Said the Stick" (2002)
- "Legions in Time" (2003)
- Gravity's Angels (1991)
- A Geography of Unknown Lands (1997)
- Moon Dogs (2000)
- Puck Aleshire's Abecedary (2000)
- The Periodic Table of Science Fiction (2005)
 | This article about a science fiction short story (or stories) published in the 1990s is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
- v
- t
- e
