Liner Notes for The Electric Automaton

 

Liner Notes for The Electric Automaton

So the Mechanical Turk. Created by Wolfgang von Kempelen this purported to be a machine, in the from of someone dressed as a Turk, that played chess. In fact the base of the machine had a Chess Master in it. Having built it for the Empress Maria Theresa, the Turk was taken on tour and played for a number of years against various famous people – including Benjamin Franklin and Napoleon Bonaparte. Generally considered a curiosity, it toured from 1770 to 1854 when it was destroyed by fire. In 1857 the hoax was revealed.

I think you can see part of the inspiration here.

Classic Golden Age Murder Mysteries where everyone was in the house overnight (a closed circle) and everyone had a motive, and yet it’s just possible the death was an accident were not yet formalised at this period. Everyone who sets up one of these thinks they’re the first one to do it. The conspiracy where everyone takes part is always a good solution, it covers a multitude of inconsistencies. Who is lying? They’re all lying, that’s why it doesn’t add up!

Is it possible, that this story, about someone claiming to have a chess playing machine, which may or my not work, is n allegory of some kind? That great claims are being made for it’s potential, while it still does not offer the minimal use that it is specifically designed for? That if such great claims were indeed to manifest it would overwhelm and undermine the very people it is intended to assist?

No, probably not.

Did four murderers get away with it? Perhaps so! Maybe that’s a warning. A moral to the story Don’t build chess playing machines kids, or you’ll end up like this guy.