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mystmuse 's review for:
I Have No Mouth & I Must Scream: Stories
by Harlan Ellison
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
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
Let me preface by saying I only read the titular short story and skipped the rest of them, so if you want feedback on the other ones, this is not the right review for you.
I understand that the point of IHNMAIMS is to be a bleak apocalyptic science fiction story, but man I did not enjoy it. I am finding out that I enjoy stories with just a little bit of positivity in them, not dreary and bleak tales that start and end with little reprieve from the horrors. I also think that you can tell this was written in a night. The story plops you down into this world with little pretext or understanding of what is happening, and you have to piece it together while reading about the senseless horror they are put through. It felt like a snuff film put to text. Moreover, the characters all felt flat and underdeveloped. I understand that the point is for them to be five random strangers, and that Ted eventually tells you a bit about them, but it left me feeling disconnected and uncomfortable. I felt bad for them in a basic human way, but I had no real feeling of actual stakes with them. I also think Ellison's treatment of Ellen through this is atrocious, even amongst the rest of the cast, and I just felt like the whole story was an unpleasant waste of my time.
I understand that the point of IHNMAIMS is to be a bleak apocalyptic science fiction story, but man I did not enjoy it. I am finding out that I enjoy stories with just a little bit of positivity in them, not dreary and bleak tales that start and end with little reprieve from the horrors. I also think that you can tell this was written in a night. The story plops you down into this world with little pretext or understanding of what is happening, and you have to piece it together while reading about the senseless horror they are put through. It felt like a snuff film put to text. Moreover, the characters all felt flat and underdeveloped. I understand that the point is for them to be five random strangers, and that Ted eventually tells you a bit about them, but it left me feeling disconnected and uncomfortable. I felt bad for them in a basic human way, but I had no real feeling of actual stakes with them. I also think Ellison's treatment of Ellen through this is atrocious, even amongst the rest of the cast, and I just felt like the whole story was an unpleasant waste of my time.