2.34k reviews for:

I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream and Other Works

Harlan Ellison

3.65 AVERAGE

mj_luvs_mj's review against another edition

5.0

dark sad fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

aureliakasp's review against another edition

3.5

dark mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

ashton_romines's review against another edition

3.75

dark sad fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

pb_likes_books's review against another edition

3.75

dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

snakem's review against another edition

3.5

dark mysterious reflective fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: N/A

yemniz's review against another edition

4.0

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: N/A

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

zjames's review against another edition

2.0

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I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream is a story about a near-omnipotent computer controlling the lives of four nuclear holocaust survivors. The story is terrifying, showing the survivors trying to escape the constant tortures of the machine.

With the titular story being the most striking and memorable, it felt like a bit of a let-down working through the rest of the stories in the book. I did enjoy the story with the monster in the corner, it was sufficiently creepy, but most felt very dated and many of them revolved one way or another around casual sex.

Side note: I'm not sure if Ellison was sexist or if just the characters he wrote were, but women aren't treated well in a lot of the stories.

k_arma9's review against another edition

4.25

dark mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

lutwiej's review against another edition

4.0

challenging dark sad tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Torture

harrydedhar's review against another edition

3.5

challenging dark medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Challenges ideas of what it is to exist really well, I think. I enjoyed the parallels between Ted and AM, and I’ve read some really interesting analyses of Ellen too.