I Have No Mouth & I Must Scream [Paperback]

Harlan Ellison (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 4, 2009

First published in 1967 and re-issued in 1983, I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream contains seven stories with copyrights ranging from 1958 through 1967. This edition contains the original introduction by Theodore Sturgeon and the original foreword by Harlan Ellison, along with a brief update comment by Ellison that was added in the 1983 edition. Among Ellison's more famous stories, two consistently noted as among his very best ever are the title story and the volume's concluding one, "Pretty Maggie Moneyeyes". Since Ellison himself strongly resists categorization of his work, we won't call them science fiction, or SF, or speculative fiction or horror or anything else except compelling reading experiences that are sui generis. They could only have been written by Harlan Ellison and they are incomparably original.

Editorial Reviews

Review

''Harlan Ellison is arguably the finest short story writer in science fiction today, and this collection includes some of his best (certainly his most popular) work. His writings are mature, intense, and deeply affecting . . . Ellison, an Audie winner for narration, skillfully reads all of the stories himself, providing the boundless energy that makes this collection a complete success.'' --AudioFile --This text refers to the MP3 CD edition.

About the Author

HARLAN ELLISON has written or edited more than seventy books and more than 1,700 stories, essays, and articles, as well as dozens of screenplays and teleplays. He has won numerous awards, including the Edgar, Hugo, Nebula, and most recently an Audie® Award for Best Solo Narration. He lives in California. --This text refers to the MP3 CD edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 146 pages
• Publisher: e-reads.com (August 4, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0759298157
• ISBN-13: 978-0759298156
• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.3 x 8.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (40 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #187,596 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent! November 4, 1999

By Robert Nash ([e-mail])

Format:Audio Cassette

This is a great sampling of Ellison's stories, and Ellison's performance of them gives the listener a sense of the fervor which Ellison must have when he sits down to write. Thought provoking, and great entertainment. Favorites included in the collection: I HAVE NO MOUTH AND I MUST SCREAM, GRAIL, and REPENT HARLEQUIN, SAID THE TICKTOCK MAN.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars So Good It Overcame Bad 1st Impression of Author-in-Person May 25, 2000

By Matthew Warner

Format:Audio Cassette

Having never read Ellison, and having a bad first impression of him personally from his conduct at the World Horror Convention 2000, I didn't start listening to this in the best frame of mind. In fact, at first I cringed to hear his voice again--but by the end of the first story, a real tear-your-face-off classic with the same title as this collection, I couldn't stop listening. I have never heard an author--or actor, for that matter--read so well. From the accents to the cadence to the pacing, Ellison seems born for the stage. And then there's the stories themselves, displaying such a virtuosic breadth of style that each seems written by a different author. It spanned from horror to science fiction to humor, to some real classy drama with characters portrayed with great humanity and sensitivity. The endings were twisted nicely, too. So, how can I reconcile the grouchy old man I saw with this unbelievably well-written and well-performed audio collection? Perhaps Ellison is like Mozart; personally off-putting but a genius at his craft. The Horror Writers Association, at the convention, must have felt the same way, because they gave this audio book a Bram Stoker Award.

19 of 23 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the-- if not THE-- greatest short story ever February 26, 2010

By Michael Szeles

Format:Paperback

Buy everything that Harlan Ellison has ever wrote. He is the greatest short story writer of the 20th Century and the 21st century, a true American treasure, and "I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream" is utterly amazing, shocking, hopeful, and makes a reader feel absolutely, fully human. The world is a better place for this book, and people are better for having read Ellison.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars ALWAYS AN INTERESTING TAKE AND INTERESTING READ July 10, 2006

By D. Blankenship HALL OF FAMETOP 50 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Mass Market Paperback

I first read this paperback back in the late 60s, I was pretty impressed at that time. After giving it a reread recently, I was still impressed but not quite so captivated as when I was much younger. This is a very, very good group of short stories. My favorite was the title story, of people trapped in a computer. This was quite forward looking of the author when you consider when the story was first published. I do have to agree with a couple of the other reviewers in that I am not at all sure if the author had full control of his narrative at all times. On the other hand, this is sort of a part of the charm of the book. I can well see how this book recieved the Hugo and Nebula Awards during those times. If you are a student of the SiFi genre, then this is one you will probably want to read and own. Recommend it highly.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Pretty good overall August 26, 2005

By Ryan Ramage

Format:Audio CD

I bought this collection so I would have some entertainment on the Greyhound trip to Columbus and back for my bar exam. It helped time pass and Harlan is very enthralling storyteller. He brings a lot of dimension to all of his characters, from Blood, the telepathic dog in "A Boy and His Dog," to Ted, the paranoid narrator of "I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream." "I Have No Mouth . . ." and "'Repent Harlequin' Said the Ticktockman" are among Harlan's most prolific stories and come first. The rest range from good to mediocre. I probably could have done without "The Time of the Eye" and "The Lingering Smell of Woodsmoke," but "Laugh Track" is quite hilarious and "Paladin of the Last Hour" is perhaps the most poignant story of Harlan's repertoire that I have heard.

Now for the criticisms -- I think the intro where Harlan discusses "Grail" would have been better placed near that particular story. It kinda stinks to be told about how great a story "Grail" is according to Harlan and have to sit through the entire collection to hear it.

The arrangement needs a little touchup, "A Boy and His Dog" is split between two discs, but the division makes little sense. The vast majority of the story is on one disc with the brief wrap-up on the next. This is bad editing.

Harlan's voice goes from clear to very murky throughout the stories. This makes the stories hard to listen to without constant fussing with the volume. This is especially a problem in "I Have No Mouth . . ." with incredibly loud sound effects throughout the story.

Review in Short

The Good: Good story selection overall, 3-dimensional characterization, good narration from the author.

The Bad: Some illogical placement, poor editing and arrangement, uneven volume.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars kindle version is just title story October 16, 2009

By Daniel Marcus

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

This is a great story and I owned the eponymous collection many years ago, so I was was really pleased to see it in the Kindle store and I bought it right away. Unfortunately, the Kindle version is just the story, not the entire collection. Huge disappointment. Amazon needs to correct this. Five stars because the story deserves it and I don't want to drag down ratings for Ellison's work, but I am not happy.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesomeness December 20, 2012

By John E

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

I'll pass on the literary criticism - others have done it well. But as a creative professional I love this work. It is different in a world of sameness. Gripping, yes. Entertaining? Oh yeah. But better than that it is original. Vibrant. Actually interesting. Even if you don't like this genre it will make parts of your brain long-dormant come out for a peek at what's going on. And that is hard to beat.