[On May 10, 2021 Strange Horizons officially expressed its political support for Palestinian solidarity. The views of Tangent Online reviewers are not necessarily those of Strange Horizons. Fiction critiqued at Tangent Online is, as much as is humanly possible, without prejudice and based solely on artistic merit.]

Strange Horizons, March 17, 2025

“Machine Hearts” by Jeff Dingler

Reviewed by Victoria Silverwolf

“Machine Hearts” by Jeff Dingler alternates sections of text narrated by a video rental vending machine that has somehow become sentient and a homeless man who lost his job when vending machines replaced video rental stores. The machine prints messages on its receipts asking people to free it from its attachment to a drugstore wall. One of these messages reaches the unemployed man, leading to their final confrontation.

What might seem like a whimsical premise is treated in a serious way. The author powerfully conveys the man’s rage and bitterness. The machine’s desire for freedom is not quite as effectively portrayed, and runs the risk of bathos. If nothing else, this offbeat fantasy offers food for thought about a recent change in technology with economic consequences.

Victoria Silverwolf did not wear green today.