- Paperback
- Publisher: Ace Books; Reprint edition (August 1984)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0441363954
- ISBN-13: 978-0441363957
- Product Dimensions: 17 x 10.4 x 1.5 cm
- Shipping Weight: 91 g
- Average Customer Review: 2.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
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Product Details |
Product Description
From AudioFile
Harlan Ellison is arguably the finest short story writer in science fiction today, and this collection includes some of his best (certainly his most popular) work. His writings are mature, intense, and deeply affecting. The first two stories are probably the ones he's most famous for --"I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream" (a horrifying story about people trapped inside a computer) and "'Repent, Harlequin!' Said the Ticktockman" (a parable of society's dependence on the clock). Ellison, an Audie winner for narration, skillfully reads all of the stories himself, providing the boundless energy that makes this collection a complete success. S.D. © AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Customer Reviews
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Most helpful customer reviews
2.0 out of 5 stars
Raw power, unfettered by technique.,
This review is from: I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream (Audio CD)
Some authors can interpret and perform their own work, take John Le Carre for instance, his pacing and phrasing let the story emerge on its own merits. Harlan Ellison writes challenging material and then allows no room for interpretation with his uncompromising oral style. Maybe the raw, breathy technique adds something for some people so I won't mark it down to 1 star. For me I like it best when the recording company puts in the effort to find the right voice for the story and with very few exceptions that job falls to professional performance artists.
3.0 out of 5 stars
Great stories, manic narration,
By Matt Cameron (Newark, NJ United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream (Audio CD)
Like many people, I've had an ongoing hot and cold relationship with Ellison's works ever since I was introduced to them in middle school. He is a solid example of a strong personality that has inextricably embedded itself into an author's work--not always a good thing, considering the personality in question. While I've always found Ellison's arrogance and damn-the-critics bravado annoying, I found them occasionally unbearable while listening to this collection.Ellison's gritty, dystopian fiction really speaks for itself. Or should, anyway. It's painful to hear the author Disney-fy old favorites like "I Have No Mouth...", "Laugh Track," and "A Boy And His Dog," making his characters into glorified cartoon characters. (I did like the audio effects, however -- a nice touch.) He pops around between his "manic," "ethnic," and "heartbroken" settings at will, with an irritating preference for the former. The introductory audioessay is a nice bonus, too -- it provides an appropriate orientation both to the works and to their author. (I really don't understand his deep love for "Grail," but maybe you'll disagree.) This is a good selection, and Ellison is not a *bad* reader -- just a little too personally involved with the text. Which is understandable, but distracting. Be sure that you've read the stories before you hear them, or you run the risk of thinking less of some of the best short form science fiction in the English language.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta) Amazon.com:
4.1 out of 5 stars (19 customer reviews) 12 of 12 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent!,
By Robert Nash (robert.nash@nspco.com) - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: The Voice from the Edge: I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream (Audio Cassette)
This is a great sampling of Ellison's stories, and Ellison's performance of them gives the listener a sense of the fervor which Ellison must have when he sits down to write. Thought provoking, and great entertainment. Favorites included in the collection: I HAVE NO MOUTH AND I MUST SCREAM, GRAIL, and REPENT HARLEQUIN, SAID THE TICKTOCK MAN.
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
So Good It Overcame Bad 1st Impression of Author-in-Person,
By Matthew Warner - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: The Voice from the Edge: I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream (Audio Cassette)
Having never read Ellison, and having a bad first impression of him personally from his conduct at the World Horror Convention 2000, I didn't start listening to this in the best frame of mind. In fact, at first I cringed to hear his voice again--but by the end of the first story, a real tear-your-face-off classic with the same title as this collection, I couldn't stop listening. I have never heard an author--or actor, for that matter--read so well. From the accents to the cadence to the pacing, Ellison seems born for the stage. And then there's the stories themselves, displaying such a virtuosic breadth of style that each seems written by a different author. It spanned from horror to science fiction to humor, to some real classy drama with characters portrayed with great humanity and sensitivity. The endings were twisted nicely, too. So, how can I reconcile the grouchy old man I saw with this unbelievably well-written and well-performed audio collection? Perhaps Ellison is like Mozart; personally off-putting but a genius at his craft. The Horror Writers Association, at the convention, must have felt the same way, because they gave this audio book a Bram Stoker Award.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
ALWAYS AN INTERESTING TAKE AND INTERESTING READ,
By D. Blankenship - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream (Paperback)
I first read this paperback back in the late 60s, I was pretty impressed at that time. After giving it a reread recently, I was still impressed but not quite so captivated as when I was much younger. This is a very, very good group of short stories. My favorite was the title story, of people trapped in a computer. This was quite forward looking of the author when you consider when the story was first published. I do have to agree with a couple of the other reviewers in that I am not at all sure if the author had full control of his narrative at all times. On the other hand, this is sort of a part of the charm of the book. I can well see how this book recieved the Hugo and Nebula Awards during those times. If you are a student of the SiFi genre, then this is one you will probably want to read and own. Recommend it highly.
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