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Otra máquina más
¿Es el amor un fenómeno bioquímico o una fuerza más poderosa? La invención de una máquina capaz de inducir el amor de forma artificial manipulando ciertos neurotransmisores pone de cabeza a la sociedad como la conocemos, cambiando para bien o para mal la vida de muchas personas, quienes buscarán solucionar sus problemas amorosos con ayuda de la ciencia.
¿Es la Máquina de Inducción Emotiva una maldición o una bendición para el mundo en el que vivimos? "Otra máquina más" busca exponer de qué forma nos afectan las nuevas tecnologías.
¿Es la Máquina de Inducción Emotiva una maldición o una bendición para el mundo en el que vivimos? "Otra máquina más" busca exponer de qué forma nos afectan las nuevas tecnologías.
326 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 2021
6 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
June 25, 2025
Contrary to the various unreviewed 1-2 star ratings, I do believe this book was a quality read with zero typos as far as I can remember. However, chances are the book ended up DNFed during the first 50% before it began to shine much further.
What do I mean with this?
This book is very different from the storytelling expectations of English language fiction. Usually, a story featuring a groundbreaking scientific invention written in English would star some of the device inventors to solve some heinous 'save the day' plot.
In the case of 'Otra máquina más' (Just another machine), the 'protagonist' is the invention, which has zero intelligence. Every human character whose lives become affected by the machine's existence are pretty much plot MacGuffins. It's an unusual (not to mention high risk) storytelling decision. So, readers hoping for more commonfare thriller versus a Sociologically focused Hard Science medical Sci Fi novel might feel frustrated.
For readers that are willing to try something different, chances are they will like the book just as I did.
The plot?
A group of scientists are testing a prototype machine that sends electromagnetic stimuli to the brain to force it to secrete (or inhibit for the opposite effect) serotonin and oxytocin. The MDIE machine does this stimuli/supression to artifically cause a human to fall in love (or de-love) instantly.
This already made the plot intriguing. Most Sci Fi books I have read have military weapons, time travel machines or deep space teleportation portals. I have never encountered a book up until now whose focus at first sight seems so inverosímil while also a source of immeasurable societal change.
What I liked about this book is how by choosing a more sociological focus, we see how the machine's inevitable release to the public causes a chain reaction. Luddites form terrorist fringe movements to oppose 'artificial love', cops arrest creeps that drug women to use the machine on her, members of different LGBT groups face discimination, etc... Even the inventor scientists squabble when two factions form where half want to solely use the MDIE for treating suicidal patients while the remainder believe letting everyone choose to fall in love with someone on their own free will is preferable.
The entire novel seems to follow a Marketing 101 course of introduction of a groundbreaking new product into the market with eager early adopters, casual users and eventually laggards. This happens over the span of 20 years.
Even though over 95% of the book happens in Chile, the situations and reactions of the general public towards the machine could happen pretty much anywhere. We occasionally meet characters early on having negative experiences with the machine, only to see them again much later in the book looking more mature in their decisions. Along with this technology storyline, we also have some chapter excerpts from a fictional book written by one of the machine inventors named Laku the ape. Some readers might find the Laku chapters to be skippable because they aren't obligatory readings, I found them fun because they offer in a more easily digestible format the philosophical questioning around how mankind constantly adapts to an ever changing environment.
If there was one criticism I have with the book, it's that the first 50% repeats ad nauseum the MDIE causes artificial infatuation by brain neurochemical altering... Given the book explains pretty much from chapter 1 what the MDIE is and what it does, there was no need to bog the story repeating the exact same thing at least 15 times. I also would have liked more of the scientists being introduced one after another in the story before the invention schism. This is because each of the 8 scientists appear in certain chapters of the book as time goes by. Some decisions they make early in the book come back to haunt them. Since the book introduces 5 of the 8 one after another without showing the personalities, it was harder for me to 'connect' to them later in the story as they reap what they sowed.
Despite this, it was an interesting read, very different from previous books I've read. The closest has been 'To climates unknown' by Arturo Serrano and only because of the way both books focus on the greater picture over the lives of each character we briefly meet.
What do I mean with this?
This book is very different from the storytelling expectations of English language fiction. Usually, a story featuring a groundbreaking scientific invention written in English would star some of the device inventors to solve some heinous 'save the day' plot.
In the case of 'Otra máquina más' (Just another machine), the 'protagonist' is the invention, which has zero intelligence. Every human character whose lives become affected by the machine's existence are pretty much plot MacGuffins. It's an unusual (not to mention high risk) storytelling decision. So, readers hoping for more commonfare thriller versus a Sociologically focused Hard Science medical Sci Fi novel might feel frustrated.
For readers that are willing to try something different, chances are they will like the book just as I did.
The plot?
A group of scientists are testing a prototype machine that sends electromagnetic stimuli to the brain to force it to secrete (or inhibit for the opposite effect) serotonin and oxytocin. The MDIE machine does this stimuli/supression to artifically cause a human to fall in love (or de-love) instantly.
This already made the plot intriguing. Most Sci Fi books I have read have military weapons, time travel machines or deep space teleportation portals. I have never encountered a book up until now whose focus at first sight seems so inverosímil while also a source of immeasurable societal change.
What I liked about this book is how by choosing a more sociological focus, we see how the machine's inevitable release to the public causes a chain reaction. Luddites form terrorist fringe movements to oppose 'artificial love', cops arrest creeps that drug women to use the machine on her, members of different LGBT groups face discimination, etc... Even the inventor scientists squabble when two factions form where half want to solely use the MDIE for treating suicidal patients while the remainder believe letting everyone choose to fall in love with someone on their own free will is preferable.
The entire novel seems to follow a Marketing 101 course of introduction of a groundbreaking new product into the market with eager early adopters, casual users and eventually laggards. This happens over the span of 20 years.
Even though over 95% of the book happens in Chile, the situations and reactions of the general public towards the machine could happen pretty much anywhere. We occasionally meet characters early on having negative experiences with the machine, only to see them again much later in the book looking more mature in their decisions. Along with this technology storyline, we also have some chapter excerpts from a fictional book written by one of the machine inventors named Laku the ape. Some readers might find the Laku chapters to be skippable because they aren't obligatory readings, I found them fun because they offer in a more easily digestible format the philosophical questioning around how mankind constantly adapts to an ever changing environment.
If there was one criticism I have with the book, it's that the first 50% repeats ad nauseum the MDIE causes artificial infatuation by brain neurochemical altering... Given the book explains pretty much from chapter 1 what the MDIE is and what it does, there was no need to bog the story repeating the exact same thing at least 15 times. I also would have liked more of the scientists being introduced one after another in the story before the invention schism. This is because each of the 8 scientists appear in certain chapters of the book as time goes by. Some decisions they make early in the book come back to haunt them. Since the book introduces 5 of the 8 one after another without showing the personalities, it was harder for me to 'connect' to them later in the story as they reap what they sowed.
Despite this, it was an interesting read, very different from previous books I've read. The closest has been 'To climates unknown' by Arturo Serrano and only because of the way both books focus on the greater picture over the lives of each character we briefly meet.
February 13, 2025
Una maquina mas es una obra distópica muy especial, una serie de cuentos o historias que están vinculadas por un hilo conector que es una máquina de inducción emocional o (MDIE). Sus distintos y diversos personajes entraman una serie de anécdotas que involucran esta maquina, y cómo ésta impacta en sus vidas.
Una obra especial en el sentido que asemeja tanto a una antología novelada, como a un ensayo técnico para una tesis de doctorado en psiquiatría.
Una secuencia de historias que se desarrollan a lo largo de una generación entre varios personajes (algunos relacionados con los principales) en las que cada uno tiene su historia, su anécdota o testimonio que contar. Y cada una de estas historias están ejemplificadas en una teoría antropológica (la historia de Laku), citada en la misma obra, que explica el comportamiento humano al ser victima de uno de las emociones mas dictatoriales de la existencia: "el enamoramiento".
Una novela que hay que leer con paciencia y entrelineas, no solo por su profundidad sicologica, sino porque tambien invita a reflexionar sobre ese comportamiento que nos sometemos desde la pubertad y que rige el motor desde la sociedad hasta la humanidad.
Una obra especial en el sentido que asemeja tanto a una antología novelada, como a un ensayo técnico para una tesis de doctorado en psiquiatría.
Una secuencia de historias que se desarrollan a lo largo de una generación entre varios personajes (algunos relacionados con los principales) en las que cada uno tiene su historia, su anécdota o testimonio que contar. Y cada una de estas historias están ejemplificadas en una teoría antropológica (la historia de Laku), citada en la misma obra, que explica el comportamiento humano al ser victima de uno de las emociones mas dictatoriales de la existencia: "el enamoramiento".
Una novela que hay que leer con paciencia y entrelineas, no solo por su profundidad sicologica, sino porque tambien invita a reflexionar sobre ese comportamiento que nos sometemos desde la pubertad y que rige el motor desde la sociedad hasta la humanidad.
August 11, 2025
Es un libro muy bien escrito. Tiene una prosa impecable. El punto de vista también muy bien fundamentado. Sin embargo, pensaba encontrarme con una novela de ciencia ficción, y por momentos parece un híbrido entre ensayo, novela y cuentos. Esa forma no me agrada tanto. Me habría gustado más una historia con una trama, más al estilo de novela clásica.
Por momentos me aburrió un poco. De todas maneras, se nota que ha sido muy trabajado y tiene mucha prolijidad en su construcción. Puede ser interesante como disparador de una discusión más profunda sobre qué es el amor. Realmente creo que está muy bien preguntárselo y este libro puede aportar luz sobre esa confusa construcción humana.
Por momentos me aburrió un poco. De todas maneras, se nota que ha sido muy trabajado y tiene mucha prolijidad en su construcción. Puede ser interesante como disparador de una discusión más profunda sobre qué es el amor. Realmente creo que está muy bien preguntárselo y este libro puede aportar luz sobre esa confusa construcción humana.
February 18, 2023
Una novela que experimenta con una especie de ejercicio post-epistolar y corálico —especulativo tanto en modalidad seria como irónica—, de una riqueza en su contenido fascinante: la cantidad de capas temáticas y narrativas están entretejidas para una excavación inagotable, siempre con la estampa propia de Felipe Tapia utilizando símbolos de ambigüedad pendular. Una lectura recomendada junto a unos buenos cafés cargados.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews