Ancient Engines

"Ancient Engines" is a science fiction short story published in 1999 by Michael Swanwick. It was nominated for the 2000 Hugo Award for Best Short Story as well as the 2000 Nebula Award for Best Short Story.

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.

Footnotes

External links

• Ancient Engines at BestScienceFictionStories.com - short story reviews and resources.