The Short Story Dispenser is an automated kiosk that offers free short stories on long strips of paper. It has over 13 million works by 6,800 authors and is available in over 150 locations worldwide. The machines cost $9,200 USD and $190 a month for content and software, but users always get the stories for free.
Sometimes you just have to wait. Take a number, they say, and sit down. But instead of staring at your phone or scrolling through social media, wouldn’t it be nice to have a more cerebral option? Originating in France and now coming to the United States and a few other countries, the Short Story Dispenser is an automated kiosk that offers free short stories on long strips of paper, like a receipt. You can choose the length of the story based on how long you plan to wait. They are typically available as one-, three-, or five-minute diversions, and kiosks can be found in locations such as airports, train stations, cafes, museums, and government buildings.
Every moment is story time:
The machines offer more than 13 million works by 6,800 authors, selected by Short Édition, a French publisher of short literature. Authors get royalties when their stories are printed.
The Short Story Dispenser made its debut at Charles de Gaulle airport near Paris and is now available in more than 150 locations. About 20 machines have popped up in the United States; the first was Francis Ford Coppola’s Cafe Zoetrope in San Francisco.
Distributors cost $9,200 USD, plus $190 a month for content and software, but users always get the stories for free. “The idea is to make people happy,” said a Short Edition executive. “There is too much ruin and darkness today.”
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