Book Review: I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream by Harlan Ellison
I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream by Harlan Ellison
Genre: Science Fiction, Short Stories
Originally published in 1967, republished in 1983
Wendy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars
I can’t truly appreciate one of my favourite authors, Octavia E. Butler, without having read anything by her friend and mentor, Harlan Ellison, which is why I have included him on my Bucket List Worlds Without End reading challenge.
As you can tell by my four stars, I am not disappointed, but that does not necessarily mean that I enjoyed Ellison’s work in its entirety. Similarly, I don’t like the context of everything Butler writes, but gods do I love reading what spills from their incredible minds.
In Ted Sturgeon’s introduction to this collection of short stories, he comments on the hallucinogenic nature of one particular tale, but notes that Ellison never partook of such stuff. A biochemist friend confirmed to Sturgeon that, due to a blood fraction that is chemically, almost identical to psilocybin (as found in ‘magic mushrooms’), some people’s brains may well “live out their lives, with a consciousness more aware, more comprehending, more–well, expanded–than the rest of us.”
I have always been fascinating by Butler’s mind, and her willingness to write things well beyond the typical fare we are used to in the genre of speculative fiction. And I can see how Ellison influenced and encouraged that, in reading his work. The topics and settings are sometimes quite obscure and the characters don’t follow any conventions that can easily be discerned. Women are, as seems to be typical of (male) writers of his time, not much more than two-dimensional, and I’m not overly fond of some of the things that happens to them. But there is a depth to the stories and the emotions he evokes. Such expansive and complete universes he builds within just a few thousand words.
And the style of his writing. Sturgeon comments that Harlan has learned and knows the necessary structures of writing, and can contain himself within them, but here, he has become “big enough, good enough–confident enough” to go well beyond. To “write it as it came, let it pour out as his inner needs demanded.”
The results are truly spectacular, and something I think any aspiring writer should read. Again, you may not like the content, or even the form, but I would hope you could appreciate the uniqueness of the voice and the mind behind it.
The BiblioSanctum 
I have a copy of this book on a dusty bookshelf somewhere. Ellison is one crazy writer. I think some of his stuff is brilliant, but he’s not for everyone. Your review makes me want to crack open the book and revisit hin stories:-)
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Weirdly fascinating, strange brains
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I love strange brains. So fascinating to see the world through their eyes.
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I have a difficult time swallowing older books where women characters seem like they are of little importance. They just rub me the wrong way. That being said, this sounds like a trippy read, and I think it’s funny that Ted Sturgeon felt the need to clarify about the author’s use of hallucinogenics.
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I can’t excuse it, no matter when it’s written, but I have sort of prepared myself for it as I go through this bucket list of older authors. When I am still seeing it current writing? grrrr…..
That point from Sturgeon has led me to some interesting discussions this past week! Hurray for hallucinogenics LOL.
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It sounds different and interesting. I didn’t know about this one but you’re always have a lot of new books to me. I wonder how I would feel like about it I confess.
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I won’t recommend it in hopes that you will love it, but I did like the style of writing. It was definitely unique and it’s always amazing to find a writer with such a distinct voice.
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This book and the author are new to me. Glad to know that you were still able to give this 4 stars despite not enjoying the story as a whole. I am quite disturbed when you mentioned how the women were crafted in this story but maybe, I should not over think it since the story was published in 1967. Hee,
It’s good that the story itself and how the world was created greatly made up for some flaws in this book. 😀
Lovely review, Wendy! Not so sure if I’m going to pick this up. Seems like the prose would be antiquated. Or my assumption is wrong?
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I just discovered that there is a video game based on the I Have No Mouth short story. Really curious to see how that works!
The views on women are antiquated, but the prose isn’t. It’s a very distinct style. A flow of consciousness, really.
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=) Reminds me of David Sedaris. Funny, but the content makes it scary to recommend.
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I’m willing to take the risk 😉
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