Why read I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream?

Book cover of I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream

Book description

A Harrowing dystopian short story by Harlan Ellison, I Have No Mouth & I Must Scream, is set in a post-apocalyptic world where a sentient supercomputer, AM, has destroyed humanity except for five people it keeps alive to torture for the rest of their lives. As AM manipulates the characters'…

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Why read it?

1 author picked I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Barry Maher

Author

When I think of the ultimate, inescapable trap, I think of Harlan Ellison’s I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream.

To me, the terror is not only unbearable, it’s unchangeable. Of all these worlds, this may be the one most devoid of hope. With no possibility of relief and no chance of escape. There is, in fact, no place to escape to.

And like every book on this list, I don’t have to reread I have No Mouth and I Must Scream, because it’s always with me. In the best and most terrifying way.

From Barry's list on terrifying novels you can’t escape from.