The title of this book says it all, really. In this darkly humorous collection of short stories, a machine can take a blood sample and produce a slip of paper that will tell you in one to a few words how you will meet your demise. And all for $19.95! Your result, however, can be most vague. Results such as DROWNING, CANCER, OLD AGE may not be as clear-cut as they seem. For example, your death prediction may be “BURIED ALIVE”. But what if being buried alive does not necessarily mean buried alive in dirt? What if you were buried alive in a building that collapsed? Knowing the “prediction” usually only results in more questions. I really love the quote on the cover of the book by author Cory Doctorow. “Existentialism was never so fun. Makes me wish I could die, too!”

If the premise alone of Machine of Death does not entice you, following are just some of the titles of the stories in this collection:
ALMOND
PIANO
HIV INFECTION FROM MACHINE OF DEATH NEEDLE
IMPROPERLY PREPARED BLOWFISH
COCAINE AND PAINKILLERS