Book · 2014 · Fiction
I Have No Mouth & I Must Scream
Stories
Why people recommend it
I Have No Mouth & I Must Scream by Harlan Ellison is a classic science fiction short story about a malevolent supercomputer that tortures the last surviving humans. Robert Evans discussed and recommended the work on multiple episodes of Behind the Bastards between February 2024 and November 2025. Evans praised Ellison as a fierce advocate for writers' rights and pointed out that tech subcultures and modern AI cults were essentially plagiarizing Ellison's dark concepts. He noted that AI doomsday scenarios and beliefs held by figures like Eliezer Yudkowsky were heavily influenced by Ellison's narrative. Evans strongly urged listeners to read the story, remarking that engaging with certain tech industry developments gave him the ultimate feeling of having no mouth and needing to scream, cementing the story's enduring legacy as a premier piece of speculative fiction on the terrifying potential of artificial intelligence.
Who recommended it
- Robert Evans Recommended
Robert Evans — 7 mentions
“Yedowski cares about like he believes that the Harlon Ellison short story, I have no mouth and I must but I must scream.”
“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”
“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”
“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”