Book Review – I Have No Mouth & I Must Scream by Harlan Ellison

What Ellison does amazing here is takes the words of a broken and raving madman and is still able to produce weighty dialogue and reveal different aspects of the story that speak to the human condition. This is one part sci-fi and one part sociology study. The computer that takes over the world and augmented humans and post-apocalyptic setting are standard goings these days. But the free flow storytelling and from an unreliable narrator in the 1960s was very rare.

While one could just call this a nihilistic tale of torture porn and ultraviolence, a second read might do one service. Figuring out what to believe from Ted’s point of view tale uncovers different parts that lead to the conclusion of the story. One could think it as nihilism from an author who hates humanity but like Cormac Mc Carthy’s The Road, even the bleakest of circumstances in a story ultimately about humanity – there is hope and determination when all the odds are not in one’s favor. Quite enjoyed this.