Reviews tagging 'Suicide'

I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream: Stories by Harlan Ellison

9 reviews

backyardjake's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious reflective tense

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I Have no Mouth and I Must Scream:
Frightful future becoming more and more plausable as countries move towards using Super Intelligent AI for purposes of war. Personal interpretation altered to Ellison's words on the story in his accompaning memoir. I indeed did not notice Ellen was specifically black nor did I come away hopeful with the ending, but his words on the matter did change my outlook for the better.

The other stories:
All equally disparging to the human race and it's lowness. I would find it hard to see the bright side in these stories as the author means for the reader to in the first one. Except perhaps for the space circus, which is more sad than it is messed up like the others. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual assault, Rape, Sexual content, and Suicide

Minor: Misogyny and Sexism

ruslan's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

Interesting take on AI, especially given the time the short story was originally released. Very grim and bleak, the whole story is filled with a sense of hopelessness and despair through and through. Very enjoyable sci-fi/horror type of thing! Was a bit upset that it was so short but that makes it all the more impactful.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Sexism, Torture, Body horror, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Sexual violence, Murder, Rape, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicide attempt, War, and Suicide

pabi's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

 

Oh to be inside the mind of Harlan Ellison. The writing is lively and pungent. I was disturbed greatly. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Genocide, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Torture, Death, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Vomit

luckygriffin's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Jesus christ

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Violence, Bullying, Confinement, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Genocide, Racism, Addiction, Death, Ableism, Animal cruelty, Physical abuse, Suicide attempt, Body horror, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Gore, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Torture, Toxic relationship, War, Sexual violence, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide

Do not read unless you can handle extreme psychological horror. The plot is driven by the torture of the main characters, and is disturbing to read.

kevin_brane's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Body horror, Gore, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

ikillsunflowers's review against another edition

dark mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

I originally bought this to read the title story about 10 years ago and I've finally finished the rest of it. I can't really comment on the first story, I remember thinking it was good. There was one or two other stories in the collection that were alright too but mostly I didn't really enjoy the rest of them. 

A couple of them fell in to that sci fi thing of having made up words for 50% of the things but the stories aren't long enough to really explain what most of it is. 

The main issue I had with most of these stories was the misogyny. In the first story it kind of worked with the horror but after that it was just straight up sexism. Did not enjoy. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Sexual violence, and Death

Moderate: Suicide and Ableism

revolutionfrommybed's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective tense

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Slavery, Murder, Emotional abuse, Death, Cursing, Confinement, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Panic attacks/disorders, Blood, Torture, Sexism, Body horror, Violence, Physical abuse, Kidnapping, Grief, and Gore

This story is a hard read in general. It may well be one of the bleakest things I have ever read. The video game adaptation is worse. However, i truly believe if you are able to stomach the sensitive content, this book is definitely worth giving a chance.

elsina's review against another edition

dark hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny and Sexism

Moderate: Body horror, Murder, Torture, War, and Suicide

Minor: Blood and Genocide

darththought's review against another edition

dark sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

He withdrew, murmuring to hell with you. And added, brightly, but then you’re there, aren’t you.

Full Disclosure I did not finish Little Maggie Moneyeyes the last story of this collection. I couldn't because that was the point where the blatant misogyny got the best of me. I could not finish

That being said, I will give Harlan Ellison one thing. He can write for the most part I enjoyed the first three stories of the collection even if they left me with a gaping hole of darkness in my chest. Where it started to all go wrong was around World of the Myth this was where the full misogyny was on display. Victim blaming, and the like. I can forgive some things I forgave a lot for this book because I wanted to enjoy it. And hell I enjoyed the titular story and the two stories after it Big Sam was My Friend was a heart wrenching but all too familiar tale of how money can drive us to forget our morals.

Eyes of Dust was.... OK a little too bleak but i got the point he was going for, that is one thing i can say about the author I get why he writes what he writes, however i can not in good faith say that I enjoyed the stories after that it just went down hill and i could not finish the last one

I would not recommend the full book, I would recommend the titular story and if that was all I was reviewing this review would have been glowing, but it is not because I wanted to read all of them

I will also say if Mr. Ellison was still alive I'd probably have a drink with him, because outside of his stories in the little in betweens I could see a genuine if very cynical human.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Body horror, Bullying, Death, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, and Violence