Although only 11 pages long, I Have No Mouth & I Must Scream by Harlan Ellison is one of the most disturbing stories I’ve ever read. I don’t usually read horror books, but I was drawn to this story mainly because of its short length and somewhat grotesque cover art. As I would discover, it was much deeper and more unsettling than I could have imagined.
There are only six characters in the story: five humans and one supercomputer named AM. As the Cold War escalated into a nuclear war, supercomputers were built to achieve victory. In a twist, however, the supercomputers achieved self-awareness, merged, and eradicated all of humanity, turning the world into a post-apocalyptic wasteland. During all of this, AM subjugated five humans, not out of the goodness of his ‘heart’ (if you could call it that); instead, he subjected them to endless torture for the rest of their lives. The book draws much of its inspiration from the era in which it was published—1967, at the height of the Cold War. Common societal concerns at that time—unchecked power, nuclear war, and the effects that humans can have on the world—play a central role in the plot.
How an author uses language and articulates their vision is something that can make or break a story. Ellison masters both, using vivid language when describing the environment and the brutality of AM’s actions toward humans. The ability of AM to manipulate humans is not only physical but also psychological.
The ending of the story is, without a doubt, the most memorable part, bringing together ideas of existentialism, human suffering, and survival. Today, this story is more relevant than ever; with various regional conflicts around the world increasing the possibility of nuclear war and the rapid advancements in AI, literature like this can serve as a cautionary tale to us all.

For those who want to read the short story, click HERE.