“I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream” is one of Harlan Ellison’s most enduring and popular short stories. It explores themes of dystopia, religion, and technological progress, as well as the dangers of technology. Ellison is a multiple Hugo and Nebula award-winning author and screenwriter whose work often tackles the darker, grittier sides of speculative and science fiction. “I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream,” a story about a cruel artificial intelligence torturing the five remaining survivors of a global apocalypse, critiques the unchecked competitive technological advancements of the Cold War era and explores the concept of humanity’s vulnerability to its own inventions. The story won the 1968 Hugo Award.
“I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream” is one of Harlan Ellison’s most enduring and popular short stories. It explores themes of dystopia, religion, and technological progress, as well as the dangers of technology. Ellison is a multiple Hugo and Nebula award-winning author and screenwriter whose work often tackles the darker, grittier sides of speculative and science fiction. “I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream,” a story about a cruel artificial intelligence torturing the five remaining survivors of a global apocalypse, critiques the unchecked competitive technological advancements of the Cold War era and explores the concept of humanity’s vulnerability to its own inventions. The story won the 1968 Hugo Award.