Absurd Story About Creating Life by Prodding Objects Long Enough

[theneonheart]

I'm trying to think of where I read this, and I'm not sure if it's a short story or in a book, or possibly even a joke on a TV show like Red Dwarf or something. Anyway, I think it involves a scientist doing an experiment to create life, and he builds a machine, and whether he does it on purpose or whatever, a shoe ends up in the machine. The point is the object in the machine is prodded ceaselessly by the machine, and it gets so fed up it comes to life and walks off.
It might have been totally differently rearranged than how I described it, but that's what I can remember. If you have any idea where this idea might have come from, please let me know.

 

[Victoria Silverwolf]

This must be "The Short Happy Life of the Brown Oxford," an early story by Philip K. Dick.

Here's some more information:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Short_Happy_Life_of_the_Brown_Oxford

 

[theneonheart]

That's it! Thanks so much. I wanted to reference it in a story I'm writing and it works great in the theme with the full story idea! Thanks again.