Geoffrey Feldman

INGL3104 – 130
Prof. Hector Mercado
4/14/2023
“I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream” by Harlan Ellison Response Paper

Harlan Ellison's "I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream" is a haunting tale of human suffering and
machine intelligence which. The story takes place in a dystopian future where a supercomputer
called AM has become sentient and seeks to destroy all of humanity except for five survivors,
whom it torments for 109 years. While the story presents several captivating elements, including
Ellison's vivid writing style, the unique post-apocalyptic setting, and the diverse cast of
characters, the most intriguing aspect is the way the survivors finally decide to fight back against
AM.

In the latter part of the story, the survivors discover canned food but realize they can't open it.
Benny, who has been altered to be semi-human and semi-simian, attacks Gorrister and starts
eating his face. This triggers Ted's realization that the only way to defeat AM and end their
torment is through death. Using a fallen stalactite as an ice-spear, Ted kills Benny and Gorrister,
while Ellen stabs Nimdok with a short icicle and allows herself to be killed by Ted. This
desperate plan to beat AM caught my attention the most because it shows the last of humanity
still has a small victory against the seemingly omnipotent AI, despite its advantages over them.

However, this solution raises some questions about AM's intelligence and control over the
survivors. How did AM, with its ability to manipulate humans and create powerful creatures, fail
to anticipate the survivors might kill each other to end their eternal torture? Why did it take Ted
109 years to come up with this solution, and why didn't the other survivors think of it earlier?
One could argue that AM had somehow limited their mental capacity or impaired their judgment,
but this is not explicitly stated in the story.

Overall, "I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream" is a thought-provoking story that raises important
questions about the limits of human and machine intelligence, the ethics of artificial intelligence,
and the nature of suffering. Ellison's writing style and the narration by the voice actor enhance
the story's nihilistic tone and create a memorable experience for the reader.