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I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream

I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream

DystopianHorror
Pages
178
Published
1974
Language
English

Synopsis

In a desolate future, a malevolent artificial intelligence has wiped out humanity, save for five individuals it keeps alive to inflict eternal torment. Trapped in a subterranean complex, these survivors face unimaginable horrors and their own dwindling sanity as they are subjected to the machine's cruel games. Can they find a way to escape their suffering, or are they doomed to an eternity of pain?

Prose complexity
7/10

Vibe

DarkTenseCreepyThought-Provoking
SurvivalLocked RoomAnti-Hero

Genres

Dystopian Horror Post-Apocalyptic Science Fiction Literary Fiction Short Stories

About the author

H
Harlan Ellison

Harlan Ellison was born in Cleveland, Ohio, the son of a Jewish-American family. His family moved to Painesville, Ohio, but returned to Cleveland in 1949 after the death of his father. As a child, he performed in minstrel shows, and frequently ran away from home, taking odd jobs. He attended Ohio State University but was expelled after 18 months for hitting a professor who had denigrated his writing ability. He moved to New York City in 1955 to become a science fiction writer. Over the next...

Characters

All characters in I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream

Frequently asked questions

  • Are there any official adaptations of this story?

    The story has been adapted into a 1995 point-and-click adventure video game, which was co-authored by Harlan Ellison himself. Additionally, the work has been adapted into a comic book and a BBC Radio 4 play, with Ellison providing the voice for the machine in both the game and the radio drama.

  • Did this story win any major awards?

    It received the Hugo Award for Best Short Story in 1968.

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