Have you heard of the insanely cool French craze of short story dispensers? If not, don’t stress, because they’re finally coming to the United States and I, personally, am so excited!

These machines, which were created by the company Short Edition, print out original short stories and poems that vary from one-, three-, or five- minute reads. They are adjustable so you can choose just how long you’d like your short story to be.

The first machine was put up in France in 2015. Shortly after, famed director Frances Ford Coppola ordered his very own for his cafe in San Fransisco.

^{via West Palm Beach Downtown Development Authority}

Twenty more machines have been installed across the U.S. and four more are due to be placed in libraries in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Kansas, and South Carolina. The dispensers print on eco-friendly paper and do not require ink or cartridges of any sort, so there’s really no downside. The machines were created as a means to boost morale around offices, to keep people occupied while waiting in lines, and to remind passersby of the power within storytelling and creativity.

These machines are re-enlivening the written word in a world that’s been overrun by e-books and Kindles. This way, readers can pocket their stories and read them time and time again, or pass them on and share them with a friend.

Thanks to Short Edition, people are given a chance to take a short break from reality and, briefly, dive into another world. Stories were created as a means to take a breath and escape when life gets too stressful, and these machines are giving us back that escape. 

Featured Image via CNET