In the early nineteenth century, technology became a central feature of American landscape and culture. Over the course of the next hundred years, railroads closed what had been vast distances, dams transformed rivers into producers of capital and power, places of natural beauty became objects of tourism, and millions flocked to see the latest machines and fabulous lighting displays at world's fairs.David E. Nye examines the interaction of technology, space, and American narrative, arguing against the idea that technology is an inevitable and insidious controller of our lives. Instead, he sees machines and technology as integral to American identity, and a key part of American self-representation, from literary culture to a native sense of place.Nye ranges widely among theoretical approaches and concrete examples. He evaluates both the successes and failures of American attempts to form compelling narratives around the crossroads of places and machines. Along the way, he analyzes the transformation of the Grand Canyon and Niagara Falls into tourist sites, the history of light shows at world's fairs, the New Deal programs designed to provide electricity to rural areas, and the Apollo 11 moon landing.

He also shows how the interaction of technology and space helps shape the narrative of The Great Gatsby. Finally, Nye turns his attention to the internet, where technology has not simply transformed space, but created a whole new kind of space, and with it, n.