Book · 2014 · Fiction
I Have No Mouth & I Must Scream
Stories
I Have No Mouth & I Must Scream by Harlan Ellison has been mentioned in 8 episodes across 4 podcasts (4 episodes recommend it and 4 episodes discuss it), through . Most frequently brought up by Robert Evans (3 episodes), Ben Bowlin (2 episodes) and Shaan Puri (1 episode) on Behind the Bastards (3 episodes), Stuff They Don't Want You To Know (3 episodes) and My First Million (1 episode).
- episodes
- 8
- podcasts
- 4
- people
- 4
- episodes recommend it
- 4
It's primarily based on a Haron Ellison short story called I have no mouth but I must scream which is one of the Great short stories of all time.
Questions about I Have No Mouth & I Must Scream by Harlan Ellison
Who recommends I Have No Mouth & I Must Scream by Harlan Ellison on podcasts?
Robert Evans (1 episode), Ben Bowlin (1 episode) and Shaan Puri (1 episode) have recommended I Have No Mouth & I Must Scream by Harlan Ellison on podcasts. In all, 4 people brought it up across 4 podcasts (3 people recommended it).
Which podcasts mention I Have No Mouth & I Must Scream the most?
Behind the Bastards (3 episodes), Stuff They Don't Want You To Know (3 episodes), My First Million (1 episode) and The Joe Rogan Experience (1 episode).
Is I Have No Mouth & I Must Scream recommended, or only discussed?
I Have No Mouth & I Must Scream by Harlan Ellison was recommended in 4 episodes and discussed without a recommendation in 4 episodes, as of 2026-10-29.
What do people say about I Have No Mouth & I Must Scream?
Robert Evans on Behind the Bastards (2025-03-11): "It's primarily based on a Haron Ellison short story called I have no mouth but I must scream which is one of the Great short stories of all time."
When was I Have No Mouth & I Must Scream last mentioned on a podcast?
I Have No Mouth & I Must Scream by Harlan Ellison was last recommended on Stuff They Don't Want You To Know on 2026-10-29.
What they say about it
- Praise as great science fiction“one of the great short stories”2
- Mention Harlan Ellison's story“Harlan Ellison short story”2
The best things said about it
But again, folks, I have no mouth, yet I must scream is probably one of the best sci-fi illustrations of exactly what you were proposing here, Big Cheese.
Shout out one specific science fiction story in particular I have no mouth and I must scream by Harlen Ellison which absolutely describes the idea of of the Basilisk.
Read Harlan Ellison, he did it better than you.
Uh, it's sometimes villainous like Howal 9000 in 2001 of Space Odyssey or like AM in I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream.
Where and when it comes up
Most episodes, by podcast
4 people who brought it up
Why people recommend it
I Have No Mouth & I Must Scream by Harlan Ellison is a seminal science fiction short story about a malevolent artificial intelligence that tortures the last remaining survivors of humanity. The work received widespread attention across multiple podcasts, serving as a primary literary comparison for modern anxieties surrounding artificial intelligence. On Stuff They Don't Want You To Know, a host recommended the story as a vivid illustration of advanced AI scenarios, while Ben Bowlin compared Ellison's concept to the Roko's basilisk thought experiment and described it as another example of evil AI in fiction alongside HAL 9000. Robert Evans frequently discussed the story on Behind the Bastards, noting that it served as the core literary influence behind the AI doomsday scenarios adopted by the rationalist movement and pointing out that tech subcultures were essentially borrowing from Ellison's framework. Evans also remarked that reading certain contemporary AI literature evoked the ultimate feeling of having no mouth yet needing to scream, urging listeners to appreciate the late author. Additionally, Joe Rogan brought up the book on The Joe Rogan Experience while discussing the ethics of simulated brain manipulation and horrific sci-fi futures where individuals are physically altered by malevolent forces.
Every mention
Robert Evans Yedowski cares about like he believes that the Harlon Ellison short story, I have no mouth and I must but I… 3
“Yedowski cares about like he believes that the Harlon Ellison short story, I have no mouth and I must but I must scream.”
“it's primarily based on a Haron Ellison short story called I have no mouth but I must scream which is one of the Great short stories of all time”
“now you may have noticed iffy number one they're kind of ripping off our our boy harlon Ellison famed famed advocate of of the writer's right to their work”
“wow oh my God read Haron Ellison he did it better than you God damn it um I will say reading this [ __ ] is the most I've ever felt like I have no mouth but I must scream so again pour one out for the man”
Ben Bowlin Shout out one specific science fiction story in particular I have no mouth and I must scream by Harlen Elli… 2
“Uh, it's sometimes villainous like Howal 9000 in 2001 of Space Odyssey or like AM in I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream.”
“Shout out one specific science fiction story in particular I have no mouth and I must scream by Harlen Ellison which absolutely describes the idea of of the Basilisk”
Shaan Puri It reminds me of my favorite graphic novel sci-fi graphic novel, um, uh, and then she names some Japanese l… 1
“It reminds me of my favorite graphic novel sci-fi graphic novel, um, uh, and then she names some Japanese like graphic novel that I you know, like no one's She's like, have you read it? He's like, uh, no. And then she's like, It's called, um, I have no mouth but I must scream.”
Joe Rogan You ever read the book, I have no mouth, but I must scream. At the very end, it's like these aliens genetic… 1
“You ever read the book, I have no mouth, but I must scream. At the very end, it's like these aliens genetically manipulating people. And at the end, there's this person that it's just like a blob. And that's what it says. I have no mouth, but I feel the urge to scream.”
Mentioned on the show without a named speaker1
“But again, folks, I have no mouth, yet I must scream is probably one of the best sci-fi illustrations of exactly what you were proposing here, Big Cheese.”
Other mentions (2: passing, ad reads, own books)
“Yeah, similar to I have no mouth, but I must scream.”
“At one point he had Harlon Ellison on as a guest. Now Harlon Ellison, oh boy, quite a fellow. At the time he was a Los Angeles free press columnist and he's now a legendary dead sci-fi author. The author of I have no mouth but I must scream”