Mythology of the Machine. The History of Mechanisms that Scare and Enchant Us

Daniel Strassberg examines the relationship between man and machine through a historical-psychological lens and shows where our modern fears of technology originate. At the dawn of technical development, the floating deities of ancient theater, the flutist, and Jacques de Vaucanson's... duck served primarily to amaze the audience.
However, mechanisms by definition evoke a mix of admiration and anxiety in humans; Strassberg calls these complex emotions affects. Amusing curiosities of the cabinet of curiosities symbolized that God is the all-powerful creator. 
The invention of the clock mechanism paved the way for a mechanistic understanding of the state and nature.
The steam engine measured the labor of the worker and inspired the prophets of industrial capitalism. But our desire to use technology is countered by the fear of divine punishment, which has long been inherent in European culture.