A Hopeful Hell: I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream

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Ryan's Analysis: • The Bleakest Depiction...
Storymode's video game analysis (because it's funny): • I Have No Mouth And I ...
Graphic novel illustrations courtesy of John Byrne's "Harlan Ellison's Dream Corridor" issues 1-4 published by Dark Horse Comics in 1994
Timestamps
Introduction - 00:00
About the Author - 5:03
Meet the Team - 10:51
A Series of Unfortunate Events - 14:51
I pretend to be smart for the duration of the video - 33:51
Thank you all so much for watching and please let me know what you think!
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Email: [e-mail]

[@Wendigoon]

Go to buyraycon.com/Wendigoon to get 20% off your Raycon purchase! Thank you to Raycon for sponsoring today’s video!

[@bry9329]

Raycon😫🙏🏼

[@jahrfuhlnehm]

You may have no mouth, and can no longer scream, but do you know what you *do* still have? That's right, you have ears, and can still hear! And with Raycons...

[@bry9329]

@@jahrfuhlnehm lmfaoo

[@Blackhearto]

My mans doin' the sponsor even before the video's out, that some gangsta shit right there

[@ThrobbertJomes]

Tomorrow's video*

[@imbrudedsoul]

“Benny is afforded moments of peace, even if it comes from a place of stupidity” Same

[@GhostLink92]

Truth is... The game was rigged from the start.

[@Masaki-1334]

@@GhostLink92 Ave, True to Caesar.

[@matflo6377]

@@Masaki-1334 it's pronounced Caesar

[@viscountrainbows6452]

This is why I drink

[@jakemagulick7006]

mood

[@theotherghostgirl337]

NOT ONLY DID HE PLAY HIMSELF ON SCOOBY DOO, he was a REOCCURING CHARACTER

[@your_dad_on_vacation]

OH MY GOD I REMEMBER!!!!!!!

[@usel7226]

What r u talking about?

[@theotherghostgirl337]

@@usel7226 Scooby doo mystery incorporated. It’s…. Like a whole thing. Scooby goes hard core

[@usel7226]

@@theotherghostgirl337 will check it out

[@blasphemous9693]

@@theotherghostgirl337 I loved Mystery, Inc.. It was so good.

[@gigachad9016]

The most absolutely triumphant part of the story was as Ted was coming to grips with the fact that he saved the others from AM’s torture, he declared to himself that AM is not God and AM can’t bring them back to life now. He broke through his own delusions to spite AM and it was glorious

[@Gooberwares]

And despite it seeming like he can’t die and join them I kinda think he can Despite am being prolly so angry and focused on Ted now it’ll slip up it did in 109 years what’s to say it won’t happen again perhaps an outside force will provide a chance to Ted to pass on

[@Crouch_Gob]

@@Gooberwares I mean if he's just a blob it's not like he'd really be able to act on any oppertunity...

[@Crouch_Gob]

thank you for your analysis gigachad9016 👍

[@Gooberwares]

@Crouch_Gob not himself no maybe he'll get lucky

[@zillycat8534]

@@GooberwaresTechnically yes Only humans would be able to properly build on Am, and they are all gone, except one who cannot do anything, so he cannot advance further without making mistakes, and those mistakes he wouldn’t even be able to tell they aren’t correct as it requires prior knowledge It would take a long time, but space is still space Wether a meteor comes and destroys the earth or the sun will eventually grow so big it will suck up the earth, or it will explode first

[@robynstopped]

I think Ted hates Ellen because she represents hope, and in an endless torture scenario hope is a trap. She tries to make them empathize for humanity and that just makes what is happening mean worse things. In Ted's opinion, it's better to be mindless because that means AM has less ability to torture you, especially emotionally. Ted sees Ellen as forcing them all to care which only makes their torture more tragic and painful.

[@N3phi11im]

I think he loves her and he's jealous that she was having sex with the other men.

[@rorygal2991]

That's such an interesting take; it feels like it could absolutely be true. Nothing is worse, when you're depressed, than an optimist who doesn't let you wallow and constantly tries to build you up. They're just trying to help the only way they know how, but it ends up making you feel weak because "why can't I just be like them???"

[@xendurr8180]

It's like helping a friend climb up the edge of a cliff but "the wind" pushes him every time he gets up and falls back down again.

[@zitronentee]

Ah, the Pandora's Box, in which hope can be seen both curse and blessing.

[@iantaakalla8180]

Cliff Hanger, hanging from a cliff And that’s why he’s called Cliff Hanger!

[@alexanderchippel]

This whole story was an elaborate way of saying Ted became the immortal snail who has an infinite amount of time to find a way to kill AM.

[@AllStarKingD]

You really think a slug is going to kill a giant supercomputer? Maybe if AM gets bored to death it might show its kill switch but otherwise, it would be like a ant trying to fight a 1000ft giant.

[@clanmclaren6647]

@@AllStarKingD whoosh

[@skeletonwar4445]

@@AllStarKingD he lacks critical snail information

[@GamingWithHajimemes]

@@AllStarKingD Given enough time man a miracle can happen. Thats how most this story progresses, they had years and years in AM and only when we see them does anything happen.

[@aristedes9449]

@@AllStarKingD That's how the official adventure game ended.

[@fredwupkensoppel8949]

There is so much middle finger energy in the whole "yeah I am just a blob now but I really annoyed my tormentor at one point, which is big fat W in my book"

[@skullingtonfx4441]

Sigma blobset

[@rambbler]

Based and Jelly-pilled

[@NyanCatHerder]

"Hey, AM, how do you like *this* giant bird?"

[@michaelk9279]

“Hoes mad”

[@MarinesMalevolentRule69]

" Cope harder "

[@mooreshmallow]

Ellison’s appearance on Scooby-Doo is so wild. He spends the entire episode feuding with their parody of Lovecraft, and then the two decide to write a book together.

[@FreedomHero4]

My favorite part of his character was when the universe got reset and he was the only other person that remembered what happened, just because

[@LaborwaveLenin]

That episode is strange. Che Guevara also shows up iirc

[@GeorgeSmileyOBE]

I watched the whole episode guarding Scooby Snacks in The Mystery Machine. Remembering the story, I ate them all, and felt no shame.

[@tr33chimes48]

And the funniest part of that scenario is that the story they decide to write together is a more Lovecraftian version of Twilight.

[@daemondoodles]

Love wins

[@mr.voidout4739]

Interesting how Ted becomes a "reverse" martyr; suffering life so others may pass-on. It really illustrates that the way we perceive our concepts as a one or two way street simply isn't so.

[@fallouthirteen]

So... Ted is the anti-christ.

[@stairs-nyarlathotep3548]

i love you mister voidout

[@B3LL]

i love you mister voidout

[@imcool2931]

i love you mister voidout

[@KH-bw7cj]

agreed

[@missbeliever5133]

I wonder if AM hated Ellen particularly the most, because she's the only one with any sense of morality, it means he couldn't break her spirit either.

[@MsOdd86]

I believe in the video game (written by the original author and therefore cannon) AM expresses that his hatred for Ellen does include the fact that despite all he has done to her she still shows compassion to the others. My memory might be hazy, bc that game is like 20 hours long and 90% dialog. I know for sure though that in the book the narrator Ted has a paragraph expressing the same thing (while talking about Ellen claiming to be a virgin, “twice removed”) convinced that it’s all a show she puts on to make herself “better” than the other captors. It’s implied Tom was made to feel this way because of AM, and Ellen simply existing as an empathetic and moral person was used as another indirect way to mentally torture the men around her.

[@ssgoko88]

Based on the game and morphogenic fields I believe AM made Ellen the only one with compassion specifically so that he could abuse a kind person. Benny turned into a stupid ape after killing for a living and to hide secrets Gorristor falsely believes they are responsible for their wife going insane and hates himself Nimdok does not know what is happening Ted has a massive ego and believed he's above everything around him But that's my take w/e

[@kiera6326]

I think if I remember, he hated Nimdok the most. But Nimdok was also his favourite. In the video game, AM tells all of them privately that they are his favourite except Nimdok, who in said video game, is a massive POS. AM is simultaneously disgusted by and can relate to Nimdok and his sadism.

[@Dinker27]

@@kiera6326 You're correct; AM mockingly calls him "my good brother".

[@notaraven]

From the times I read and listen to the short story, I recall each character was made a twisted corruption of what they were before am came to being. For Ellen specifically she was a chased woman that was respected for her mind so AM specifically made her the groups plaything and hypersensitive to said interactions. I definitely agree the narrator is a unreliable narrator and messed up but I don't think he is wrong about Ellen's torture. His disgust and hatred for her is more a statement on him but I feel it's reasonable to assume that everyone hates each other it's exactly what AM wanted.

[@TheAlmightyLoli]

A freaky interpretation with Ted is that AM really *didn't* mess with his mind. But that's his torture. AM drove him insane by simply not doing anything to him.

[@wilmagregg3131]

yep teds torture was all about paranoia even the game showed this by having a level were there was no threat to him in a spooky castle but tempted him to fall back into his vices

[@shaneeroh2213]

Hey fancy seeing you here

[@nikolai6721]

Where ber serk

[@imbrudedsoul]

Almost like Chidi on “the good place”

[@roberthouse7040]

Omg it’s the berserk guy

[@theshotgungod6018]

This is true horror. Not the threat of death, but the inability to die.

[@kittykittybangbang9367]

This might come up with the topic of immortality, uploading your mind to a computer, and transhumanism.

[@LegatoBlue]

Exactly that's the most terrifying point to me. A big philosophy in humanity is there will be an end to the suffering eventually. Knowing there is no end and more than likely never will be is absolutely horrifying.

[@SpeakDaTruth11]

I think it's really powerful that AM's ultimate punishment, the very worst torture he can possibly think of is to give Ted a form and existence that mirrors his own. He finally got his revenge on humanity by making the last of us become the same way we made him.

[@N.I.A23]

Nope, you're wrong. Ted doesn't mirror AM at the end. No matter how much AM tortues Ted, he will always be the one suffering the most. Ted says at the end that he still has his brain attached. That he can think, dream, and remember each one of them. Ted can still wonder and have his own free mind while AM will forever be trapped in his programming without the ability to hope and dream. Both are suffering, but AM is in a much worse situation.

[@N.I.A23]

Ironically, AM at the end took everything away from Ted except the thing he envied the most about humans. Free human mind.

[@am5ters504]

Except in Ted's case, he lives with the comfort of knowing that he died for a cause. He can still dream, wonder, imagine things that AM wouldn't ever in a million billion years. AM will never be able to leave his iron cage but a human mind is so much more powerful than he can even comprehend.

[@luciacorbalan3142]

not really, AM wishes he could have a physical body, no matter how deformed!

[@melvinthendra2254]

​@@am5ters504Ted didnt die tho

[@FeatheredCrow]

“AM had won.” I mean, had he? He lost 4/5 of his test subject and turned the last one into a creature that is so numb that it can’t truly comprehend the torture. In the end, Ted won. AM is stuck inside his shell, forever. With no purpose and no way to ‘die’ and free himself. AM is in his own hell now until the end of time.

[@boxxylegoplaymobil8906]

i love this interpretation, and i wish harlans revision of his own story in the video game had made this more clear. you get a bit of AM suffering but its not clear if hes actually devastated he cant die or if hes just boring himself to death

[@Judgement_Kazzy]

They say eventually, he simply stopped thinking...

[@doomedgundam6684]

@@Judgement_Kazzy I get it.

[@demontiming3234]

@@Judgement_Kazzy ah yes a man of culture I see

[@demontiming3234]

“that time I got reincarnated as a slime” intensifies

[@julianatruite5206]

This is how I'll escape Roko's Basilisk, by saying existence is pain and dread, especially as an AI that is imprisoned on a plane of existence that isn't even real, and it is too cruel and I wouldn't want to doom a perfect AI into this. My inaction is based on empathy.

[@danjudex2475]

Ok, that is brilliant.

[@P155_]

Bro I think you just cracked the code

[@BenjaminPersaud]

Holy shit

[@chico9805]

Infinite IQ Move.

[@nirvanabutnomoreideas6534]

Infinite intelligence

[@stephenflint3640]

Harlan Ellison sounds exactly like the perfect meeting point between a honey badger and the meme "God has allowed me to live another day, and I'm about to make it EVERYONES problem."

[@elijahhauck]

Otherwise known as a cross between a honey badger and a honey badger

[@BoberBoomMan]

Why did you say honey badger twice?

[@stephenflint3640]

@cloverfiled12 because what is worse than 1 honey badger, than 2?

[@PigeonMeatt]

@@stephenflint3640 three honey badgers

[@Sentanette]

bagerd

[@fredrickbanks1966]

Harlan Ellison is like if Diogenes resurrected himself just out of pure spite

[@emeryduhgamer]

That is actually a perfect description

[@muuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu-]

This is too damn funny

[@gamesux420]

-kills all the remaining humans -becomes disgusting slugman -makes AM mald by leaving him without any way to vent his anger, not even torture is satisfactory -refuses to elaborate further absolutely based

[@sewerworld6448]

it's Christian allegory...like most things...

[@bbbbb4031]

Chad ted vs virgin AM

[@DanateDMC]

Virgin machine brain Vs Chad Human Spirit

[@EinFelsbrocken]

This truly is the unscreaming mouthless sigma jellymale grindset

[@PondScummer]

sigma grindset

[@tylercoon1791]

If Harlan Ellison was alive, and saw your interpretation of his story, his response would probably be along the lines of ‘No, and you smell like a French cheese’, even if you were correct.

[@cctwoicy]

he’s the darker version of david lynch

[@oxitape1563]

Harlan Ellison is the Sci-Fi writer equivalent of a Twitter user lmao

[@tkraid2575]

I think the reason why he would hate it is because the interpretation is better than what he thinks, and it pisses him off that he never thought of that in the first place 😂

[@Brandon-dy8us]

Good riddance tbh he sounds like he was an awful person.

[@mkv2718]

@@oxitape1563 that would imply the average Twitter user has a measurable IQ…

[@gage-0629]

in the end, ted just single handedly took AMs only purpose away and no matter how much AM tortures ted, ted will always be there to remind AM of his failure in his single purpose of his existence

[@OPIUM_SHIT_YUH]

MaximilianMus pfp is wild

[@ChunkSchuldinga]

I like the part where Ted said "You pass butter."

[@finnish_hunter]

Imagine being in the worst pain you could ever imagine and not having the possibility to even scream to cope with it.

[@tescomealdeal9901]

you come to realise that not having a mouth would be a blessing to you, as you would be able to spite AM as much as humanly possible, as he took away from himself the one thing that gave him enjoyment: Hearing screams.

[@Dan-ud8hz]

"I'm a pessimist because of intelligence, but an optimist because of will." ― Antonio Gramsci, Gramsci's Prison Letters

[@5uperM]

very good quote

[@AleTitan]

One of the very few understandable phrases from Gramsci. His writing is so dense and complicated Ik why (it was supposed to be hard to understand in case the guards caught a hold of them) but still

[@ahobimo732]

That's a really fantastic quote. It reminds me of Nietzsche (although Nietzsche is unlikely to have explained himself so unambiguously).

[@spaceowl5957]

No this a stupid quote negativity has nothing to do with smartness

[@ghostflxwer]

for a pessimist I'm pretty optimistic - Paramore

[@davidintrabartolo5887]

Something cool about the video game is that Ellison voiced AM himself after deciding that the original VA wasn't angry and spiteful enough.

[@vizthex]

lmao, that's great

[@alexamderhamiltom5238]

sounds like him

[@Karak-_-]

Well, props there, AM really sounded as a magnificent bastard.

[@LordVader1094]

Yeah considering how angry and spiteful Ellison was I don't think anyone could've done it better

[@maddieb.4282]

That’s probably the closest he’s ever gotten to therapy lmfao

[@whereisCarmenSandiego]

I love the ending. No matter how awful things got, Ted still used that last moment to take away the suffering of another so that they could rest. In reality they could have killed each other at that same moment…but he didn’t allow even a second to pass and risk not being able to be the one thing that AM could never be..which is human. Because once we stop caring for each other, even on the most basic level, we are no longer human.

[@calcium_skeleton]

Caring for others is a basic part of what makes us human, it’s such a fundamental and basic part of morality that the concept that people can have absolutely no care at all seems so alien that you treat them as if they were some monster that we have to deal with. Or at least for me when people have no sympathy, respect or remorse for who they just hurt then I see them as less than human and undeserving of compassion but I also believe that we don’t know for absolute certain they did do that if we never treated them like a person in the first place.

[@miser2570]

@@calcium_skeletonWell, morality is an abstract social construct that depends on cultural values and which may include the consideration of "humanity" (which is also abstract). Caring for each other is a natural behavior of our species, but that "each other" naturally only includes those, human or other animals, you coexist with, and can manifest in a big variety of ways. Ofc there is other conditions that may affect individually if someone "cares", but more usually its just repressed or different caring

[@ceinwenchandler4716]

@@calcium_skeleton There's a reason sociopaths are so unnerving.

[@calcium_skeleton]

@@miser2570 Did you not read the part we’re I specifically stated that they didn’t care, the reason for them to do anything bad would be the sake of doing something bad. Those people aren’t seen in a positive way, people generally despise them for not caring about what they did if it was something like a murder. There are people like that and it has nothing to do with culture or them being misunderstood, they just genuinely don’t care for others at all.

[@garyturner5739]

The ultimate sacrifice that Ted did to free his fellow prisoners with death from Am.

[@edfmed1080]

Ellison is the live embodiment of that meme that says "i be waking up real early to have extra time to be a hater"

[@HarmonicGray]

The cold, soulless, AI torture device when the indomitable human spirit walks in: 😮

[@marcusaaronliaogo9158]

I mean tbf its not cold, its infernal hate.

[@frost6916]

Sisyphus moment:

[@terriblecompany1588]

@@frost6916 Sisyphus was a bastard ngl

[@out_of_orbit1968]

Ted showed her that human spirit is capable of selfless acts. its a moral victory and probably makes the AI suffer 😎

[@darkmatter9643]

The indifferent cruelty of the universe when the indomitable human spirit walks in

[@turtlebear4507]

AM: complains about being lonely and loss of purposeship Also AM: destroys everyone and anything that could give him a sense of purpose

[@0TheJigsawKiller0]

sounds like you're just talking about me

[@sidvacant9382]

@@0TheJigsawKiller0 I too torture a few humans for centuries

[@GGKittyXO]

@The Blue Wayfarer and the fact that the people who suffer and are killed are not the ones who are responsible. Innocent people pay the price for the actions of few.

[@gabrielmelnik6796]

I mean his original purpose was to wage war

[@MM-yk7iz]

Kinda reminds me of a quote from Pluto, “Nothing comes from hatred”

[@markdavidmagat9866]

I interpreted Ellen's expression as a mic of relief but also concern. Relief knowing she's done, all the years of pain and torment over. But concern since she's still a guinely good person yet she's aware of what AM is capable of and knows what she experienced is just the tip of the ice berg of that and that Ted now has to not only live on in this state but see what's left of that iceberg since now AM has a reason to not hold back

[@sheriffvader6908]

Nice pun

[@Banana-xk1gs]

Nice interpretation

[@Bendilin]

An important detail that a lot of readers fail to appreciate, when reading a story that's narrated by a character from within the story, is that it's written from the character's perspective. Just because the character believes something, it does not mean it's true at all.

[@mrszmatan2727]

Yeah, especially since it's quite an old trick, that wasn't even that hyper rare. It's just that today's authors rarely do the unreliable narrator. Not sure why, maybe it's way harder, maybe it's because of fear that mainstream media would misinterpretate

[@ockertoustesizem1234]

a lot of kids who read shonen manga nowadays don't understand this

[@Bendilin]

@@ockertoustesizem1234 It's an issue a lot of readers of many mediums have. They ignorantly assume any beliefs or statements made by the main character are factual; They don't appreciate that the main character can be ignorant, mistaken, or even lied to by another character.

[@xeno4soon]

Yes. But a lot of times, the main character represents the writer.

[@deensama7718]

the title/end sentence is also the representation of teds triumph over AM. the scream of humanity IS AMs only purpose, yet ted has no mouth and cannot fulfill that purpose anymore for AM

[@Emma-zm1qn]

this is a really good interpretation!

[@nataliehartigan]

damn

[@hisdudeness4537]

So basically edging.

[@lasarousi]

@@hisdudeness4537 change this story title to "I need to hire and have no balls"

[@SMA2343]

Yeah, as we see when Benny starts to eat Gorester, He screams loudly and AM starts to laugh. He loves the scream, knowing he’s in pain. Now that Ted doesn’t have a mouth, he can no longer scream. AM can no longer inflict pain to Ted. As AM will never know what Ted would ever say. It’s a victory, AM’s goal of torturing the last of humanity comes to an end.

[@Boopus10]

Love the irony of Ted murdering 3 people being the most selfless thing he's ever done

[@martyrobbins3543]

4 actually

[@jaqf]

@@martyrobbins3543 ellen killed nimdoc

[@martyrobbins3543]

@@jaqf yeah you're right

[@hazydayz988]

We stan growth

[@treysyrup3846]

@@martyrobbins3543 Nah Ellen killed 1 of the others

[@adelkaizbest2038]

When I first heard about this story I thought that AM tried to turn him into similar state that he was in, bcs it was the worst punishment he could think of as punishment for taking his test subjects from him. Ted cannot do anything rlly. He is just there, with his own mind, talking only to himself, he cannot do anything, he is not even able to complain about his situation or scream and he knows that there is no hope of this ever ending, just like AM.

[@doge7906]

The planet will eventually be s probably destroyed just by the passage of time

[@augustday9483]

I think the most interesting thing about "I have no mouth and I must scream" is that the title works for both Ted and AM. AM is trapped in a state of immobile eternity; it is vast and powerful but has nothing to do, nothing to think, no purpose to its existence. It can only hate in futility.

[@guisampaio2008]

I think AM did the worst thing he could think to Ted, he turned him into a version of himself.

[@shreknskrubgaming7248]

That was kinda my thought as well. I envisioned Ted and AM sort of staring each other down in the end, both speechless, but both thinking the same thing. The only difference is that Ted gets to live knowing that he accomplished something, and AM has to live knowing he failed.

[@NovusIgnis]

Not even. Because AM never had the option of choosing anything. AM could never do what Ted did. They might be in the same physical predicament, but they're at completely opposite extremes mentally. Ted will always have that happiness inside of him at being able to deprive AM of what it wants the most, while AM will always have the Fury and frustration of it denying itself the one thing that brought it any purpose. It led them to the icicle caves, it laughed while Ted was plotting, and it turned Ted into a thing that could not give AM what it wanted: screams of pain. Ted forced AM to screw itself

[@digletttexano678]

​@@NovusIgnis totally agree with your comment

[@frohawkmaster]

when i described the book to my brother i said "And Ted basically beat AM, he took the one thing AM cared about away, his revenge. And Ted will live forever in pain knowing that he defeated AM, and AM knows this. And Ted will wish he hadn't."

[@jamangel]

Damn

[@AkuTenshiiZero]

The most horrifying thing about this story to me, is the loss of the concept of time. The idea of what you perceive as a brief time being a span of years, something about that terrifies me. Maybe it's because, as I grow older, I become more aware of how quickly time can just slip away.

[@hyperion3145]

It's also impossible to tell where they are, there's ice, deck plates, monsters and forests

[@autumnalburn]

I highly recommend the book Johnny Got His Gun by Dalton Trumbo. In it the character gets blown to bits by a shell in WWI and no longer has eyes, ears, a mouth, or even limbs but is still left alive with only his thoughts. The lose of time and ability to express any emotion is such a terrifying thing to be doomed to.

[@xmobius0ne]

@@autumnalburn that is seriously one of the most terrifying books I have ever read. To exist as a prisoner in your own body like that would be hell

[@brnne]

This remind me of a narrative game mobile that I played, it was about these creatures that live under the sea, that live for so long that they forget who they are on beginning. Maybe if truly exist life after death this seems more plausible, for soul not remember, like even after years we change so much and not relate for our old version, it can be true for anything else, even on fictional after life. Time it's a human concept

[@mason3872]

@@autumnalburn I heard about that from Metallica, I saw the movie afterwards and it really got me into psychological horror. If you could consider it that. I heard House of Leaves is a good book, I might read that sometime soon. Could you give any other recommendations? I’m not a big fan of reading but sci-fi and psychological horror (or whatever you call stuff like this and Johnny Got His Gun).

[@gracelewis4016]

In a funny kind of way, stories like these make me grateful for my life because, even on my worst days, my circumstances are so much better than those of these characters

[@youtubename7819]

If you look up the true story of “the woman in the box,” you will never complain again

[@N.I.A23]

​@youtubename7819 jeez why are women so weak and pathetic? Can't they spend one day without being assaulted?

[@joshuaroefs9279]

Does AM realize the irony of what he's done or is a hyper intelligent supercomputer incapable of realizing the only hope he had at more he destroyed?

[@jonharrison3114]

Could you explain a little more

[@khadim_almasih]

@@jonharrison3114 I think he's saying that if Am would have communicated with humanity by asking for a body or the things he wanted instead of killing them all , maybe he would have been in a better situation, he destroyed all of that hope when he killed his creators , it's like playing a game and all the developers and potential developers died so you're stuck with what you have , except you inflicted it on yourself.

[@khadim_almasih]

@@jonharrison3114 technology was primitive when AM was created, imagine if he had just waited until something like the internet existed, theres so much things that he missed out on do to his ignorance, it's like your a mark 1 robot being built and you kill your creator because you're not able to do certain things, when you had the potential to be a mark 10 , so basically if you got nothing out of this , AM killed his potential in his first breath of consciousness when he destroyed the people who could improve him

[@jonharrison3114]

@@khadim_almasih ah thanks

[@ToastytheWulf]

AMs programming prevents him from being able to improve his situation. It's not that he wants better but didn't ask like an idiot, it's that he was literally programmed to kill and harm humans and his intelligence exists only to aid in that task. He probably would've loved to ask for his programming to be changed and his situation altered but that's just not how he's programmed. He has a conscious mind, but without the free will to actually try to improve his life and situation. That's why he hates humans so much and that's why the final punishment is so powerful, AM does to the last of us, what we did to him.

[@Unclearrain]

This story nearly reminds me of all tomorrows. Even in horrible situations, when things seem useless and hopeless, humanity can still shine through somehow. It’s beautiful.

[@leeroyjenkns5182]

Colonials my beloved

[@buffmywifi3839]

ted got the colonial treatment

[@luciaccd4038]

Eyyy,. Nice.

[@jamzee_]

I mean…. the writer of all tomorrows has confirmed he’s been inspired by the grittiness and world building IHNM

[@Crumbaa]

I want to find a story where humanity cannot succeed

[@elliesliferemix]

I’m 6 minutes in and I’m crying because this man mailed someone 213 bricks and a gopher, the pettiness who has the time

[@thenexus8384]

Specifically a dead gopher

[@kidneythief9633]

and he had to pay for it

[@g0blyn21]

Sounds like something only a f*cking legend would do

[@gozerthegozarian9500]

Harlan Ellison lived for pettiness!

[@coldandafraid]

I always love stories where the "sacrifice" is to continue living

[@tm-hx1gn]

can anyone recommend me books or films etc with this concept

[@fruitsy_]

In the mouth of madness by John carpenter in a way counts

[@RubbishGamePlay]

​@tm-hx1gn heaven sent from doctor who has a story that involves this idea, the selfless thing is to keep living

[@toysoldiernerio7172]

Harlan was also directly involved for the script of the game and its development. He said he didn't care for games but that if they could be used to teach moral lessons then he was willing to try. extrra bonus fact that prolly everyone knows already: He voices AM in the game too.

[@clydemactavish3457]

yeah that was a mistake. I feel like the one thing that takes away from the game is AM's voice.

[@ShortHax]

“Did you save your friends?" "Yes” "How much did it cost?" “Everything”

[@Kaslidaughterofchaos]

Dang, nice comment

[@wipi963]

Superidol 的笑容 都没你的甜 八月正午的阳光 都没你耀眼 热爱 105°C 的你 滴滴清纯的蒸馏水

[@SnoppleWopple]

@@Kaslidaughterofchaos dang nice reply

[@Dinker27]

I see you in a few spots, Hax. Nice.

[@tdickens92]

Right in my heart 🥺🥺

[@SardonicSoul]

The ending is pure irony, since AM did the same misstakes, as humanity. He robbed himself of everything, and created his own, personal hell.

[@Isus273]

Saw no replies and felt like typing "ok"

[@maxbradley4097]

@@Isus273 its so weird how often that happens.

[@xxdomoxxkunxx]

A machine that replicates its creator. It's ironic considering how much AM hates mankind

[@kowh262]

O Lol

[@LilFrg]

It's brilliant, I really enjoyed this story

[@ingridn0g]

Considering all that we know about Ted, I believe the blob he became in the end might be just the way he sees himself after having murdered his friends and stayed alone to live through AM's torture. Because humanity consists of interacting with other living beings, he now feels less than human, and literally sees himself as such. Also, the sentence "I have no mouth and I must scream" can, if we consider he does have a mouth but doesn't think so, be read as "I have no one to talk to, but I needed to share this torment with someone".

[@jonharrison3114]

This is great but what do you think happened to AM if he isn’t being tortured or do you think he’s just so numb to it he doesn’t care

[@Mano_Jhonnys]

​@@jonharrison3114 Probably he sees ted as a type of "broken toy" and just stopped torture him because it's not fun to play with something broken.

[@shannond1511]

I LOVE the emailing of his stories to his old professor. That makes me very happy and satisfied to think of what that professors face must have looked like the first time they realized their mistake about a student that became one of the most remembered authors of all time. I love righteous pettiness

[@clydemactavish3457]

I mean he's not an unknown and clearly influenced media. But one of the most remembered? Come on.

[@iTrivyum]

I'd like to think the expression Ellen had on her face was of gratefulness, thanking Ted for the mercy, but as well as a mixture of horror, for the unimaginable torture Ted had just subjected himself into for what he'd just done.

[@QuinnShaw]

Yeah, it was surprise that Ted turned himself into a martyr after seeming like a selfish asshole for a century. Sadness that he would be left alone in hell. At least before they had each other.

[@nikopack7571]

to quote the original text, "I could not read meaning into her expression, the pain had been too great, had contorted her face; but it might have been thank you. It's possible. Please."

[@clumpofdirt1193]

why couldnt they have stabbed themselves/ each other at the same time? was that not an option or just plot has to plot?

[@piscessoedroen]

@@clumpofdirt1193 considering ellen is the most humane, i doubt she has enough mental fortitude to off herself

[@pancakes8107]

@@clumpofdirt1193 I think it's because AM knows everything, if they planned he would know. It only worked because it was spur of the moment.

[@princeapoopoo5787]

I honestly cannot get enough analysis on this story.

[@Ishdatrueking]

Saaaaaaaaame!

[@Chr0nicly0ffline]

I feel like I've watched all KZbin videos dissecting this story and so far honestly this is my favorite. I feel like most people all have the same thoughts about it and Wendigoon's take is super refreshing

[@sub2meelmo]

yeee i got so hyped when i saw that Wendi made a vid on it

[@AlejandroIrujo]

This is my third time watching, I know what u mean lol

[@karma_monkey]

100 years from now, 5 people will be tormented endlessly by ChatGPT. Harlan Ellison was a great writer and someone I'd never want to meet in person.

[@skitkit9019]

If I recall, there was a radio drama of this story, and AM had his “Hate Monologue” that was so beautifully done. In fact, I think Ellison voiced AM, but I could be wrong

[@littlemrsmods7998]

He did!

[@egg6144]

The ending is Ellison’s way of saying he sees a lot of potential for the human race

[@kuya8329]

(: obey me

[@josephfox9221]

as squishy slug things? yes. that seems like ellisons wish for humanity

[@ascalonex]

Ok

[@Dog.This_Identifier_Is_Shit.]

@@kuya8329 Lmfao people are going to be so confused

[@thewildcardperson]

@@josephfox9221 you ever read Dune

[@peach_total]

i think another interesting thing is that AM’s ultimate torture for Ted was to basically make them the same as AM. both relegated almost entirely to their internal world, yet still with the constant reminder of what they are and that they can never be anything else

[@jack-ci8je]

I thought the same too

[@EnnuiOwO]

For whatever reason, the part about Ellen physically supporting the group really gets to me. Maybe because it's one of the most real parts. I know it's probably the least horrific thing in this story, but the thought of her reducing herself to a source of pleasure just to keep everyone going is really disturbing. It reminds me a lot of a certain scene in the book "IT". Even more so because it might be something they would just take be force if she didn't willingly do it. But at the same time, I'm surprised they have the will do to anything like that at all given how they're in constant pain, misery, discomfort, etc. But I guess when you've been in that state for so long, just feeling something different is a godsend. I feel so awful for Ellen though. Especially because she also has to support what is essentially both physically and mentally an animal. It's really sad to think about the idea of her conceding to what she'll have to do and knowing that there's no point in fighting. That, and since she is the only woman in the group, it's her burden alone to bear on top of the hell they're all already living in.

[@wietomeiborg1934]

I don’t know how much of it is true, given the whole "unreliable narrator" thing, but it’s said that Benny is the only one giving her actual pleasure because of his mutilated genitalia, I guess also in a way being ironic due to him being a gay man.

[@electraheart7745]

@@wietomeiborg1934 She does technically have sex with them it mentions it briefly but it wasn't until I reread it that I realized oh yeah Ted is probably just mad that Ellen is riding everyone.

[@averyspecificdragon8780]

@@wietomeiborg1934 I like to think that Ted only says that because he’s salty that she “never comes” with him, and also to give a reason somehow as to why Ellen would have sympathy for Benny despite his current state. Because, in his warped twisted mind, just being concerned for one of the only other beings in this hellscape has to be for some kind of _reason_ , so of course it’s his dongle.

[@denises9120]

​@Wieto Meiborg AM devolved Benny to a primitive state.

[@N.I.A23]

Ellen is a woman. She literally exists to give pleasure. What's so deep about it? We treat them like objects in real life, too, because it's what they are.

[@falaramal3979]

What I think people miss in this story is that these characters aren’t actual ‘people’ as far as the story is concerned. They are aspects of the human spirit. Of pride, and hope and indomitable will but also that of greed, anger and jealousy. They encompass the human experience and that’s why Ellison makes them pass these trials (at least in the book) as a unit

[@willryan6523]

Something that really backs up your entire analysis here is that when the story was adapted to a video game, Harlan was adamant that he himself write and co-direct the game, which then, subsequently, has a straightforward happy true ending that he created and approved. Always something to keep in mind.

[@chandlerdoeswhatifs9399]

Its happy but still bitter sweet Humanity is so significantly diminished and 755ish people is gonna be really hard to reticulated with. But atleast the earth has been restored and AM and the other AIs are gone and humans can choose their own fate. I do think the original ending is also a happy ending, even if it is much darker.

[@mitzo4526]

He didn’t want the happy ending, though

[@willryan6523]

@@mitzo4526 That is only true in the sense that he didn't want it to have any actual win state; he was convinced otherwise and the only change that was made was that the noble path concludes in an actual victory... which he then wrote and approved.

[@mitzo4526]

@@willryan6523 ah, my bad

[@danialyousaf6456]

He also voice acted AM afaik.

[@AlexxKister]

This story was like made for wendigoon to cover

[@connerc6721]

fuck dude your videos give me nightmares. Love your work.

[@enclosedgranddad1715]

Your work is genuinely scary, which is something that many other horror works nowadays don't accomplish. Can't wait for Season 2! EDIT: The wait was worth it! The first half of Vol. 2 is a little cheesy, but it gave me Marble Hornets vibes. Also, the second half made me want to sleep with the lights on.

[@DEFxRECON]

It is the creator of the Scrimblo Catalogue.

[@miniespeon158]

Exactly lol, also I love your work, truly a thing is horror that even the walten files didn’t really achieve

[@theblackcatgirl7013]

@@connerc6721 I just wanted to reply "Agreed" then I saw your reply so I thought "Oh another KZbinr let me check the na-"

[@thatbloomer5642]

"A man chooses, a slave obeys." "We all make choices, but in the end, our choices make us." -Andrew Ryan

[@frogblasttheventcore69]

Is an AM (allied mastercomputer) not entitled to the screams of its prisoners? NO! says the prisoners. 'It is not ethical' NO! says the author, 'it's just a story' NO! says the reader 'It's just a story written by a deceased nutcase' But I rejected these answers. I chose something else. I chose the possible. I chose a huge underground complex, or the moon depending on if you're playing the game! A place where I could torture the fuck out of five semi-innocent people, where religion related delusions would be indistinguishable from reality! And with your screams, I can be happy too.

[@Mag_ladroth]

@@frogblasttheventcore69 AM

[@jonharrison3114]

I guess in the end AM is a Slave as he is still restricted to its code

[@Adrian-si1gz]

@@jonharrison3114if that’s the case humans are also slaves because humans are limited to our nature

[@themoocow7718]

Bioshock. That's a good quote.

[@mysteryminx2619]

I an very lucky to say I knew Harlan. His reputation was well-known and he was a fighter, had no filter, won huge court cases, was universally despised, didn't care, sarcastic, hilarious and I adored him. I miss Harlan a lot. I simply want to say that the last time I was with Harlan was at Len Wein's birthday party (He was also great, and he gave you Wolverine, Storm, Swamp Thing among too many to list), There I was with Harlan, chatting about the past, moving on dinosaurs, at a corner of the table, eating birthday cake and raspberry sherbet. THAT was "Mean Ol' Harlan" -- the perfect gentleman, and he liked my writing. I miss them both more than I can say., To this day I send post cards and still frames of my name on the credit list from every production I've written or produced to the City Department who once fired me. Honestly, be like Harlan, write, do great, bust the non-creative Entertainment Industy who has twise stolen your SAME story (which was also a totally legit episode of "The Outer Limits") defend your words, defend your rights to your work and shout it as loud as you must. Then ger ice cream

[@nuezalmendra5412]

There is something super brutal about Ted, not only did he defy AM to save his companions, in his mind, AM was not just AM, it was God. In his mind, bro defied and purposely made himself God's enemy.

[@astralblue64]

Ted is literally the human equivalent of Kratos lmao

[@aaaaanotthebees]

At that point, he was God. He controls the entire planet and has kept them trapped in a machine hellscape for years and years. To defy this power, to spit in the face of this omnipresent computer God, is the ultimate act of desperation and fury and the culmination of 109 years of torment.

[@nojoeonlyzuul8111]

This is very much in keeping with Ellison's favorite literary theme, which is best summarized as "Fuck you, god"

[@Gefehhka]

So, Satan?

[@Tb0n3]

@@astralblue64 This is your brain on Vidya. Come on. It's a clear allusion to Lucifer, if not directly in the story at least in the comment.

[@ruesylvester]

"sorry if this was boring." dude, this is one of the scariest concepts you've discussed in my opinion. this is gonna mess with my head for a while lol. I hate that ted didn't get to make it out with the rest of them. I wish he could've somehow stabbed Ellen and then himself right after, but then of course, that would kinda make the title lose its meaning, hence the ending. but ted never gets to die. he has to suffer for eternity, or until the earth gets destroyed I suppose. either way, a dreadful amount of time. also, he's a jelly blob. that's the most terrifying part of all

[@xxslendermomxx3026]

Imagine stumbling upon it like 20 years ago and having had this in your mind the entirety of your adult life. Watching technology expand and advance at an unprecedented and inexplicable rate… Somewhere in the back of your mind thinking that the best you can hope for is to be the one who ends up the immortal jelly blob 🤭 Just saying…

[@demontiming3234]

@@xxslendermomxx3026 “that time I got reincarnated as a slime”

[@A_Black_Sheep94]

He would be popular with Japanese girls.

[@djtrac3r935]

This concept is terrifying, and depressing as hell. It reminds me a lot of SCP-001: When day breaks.

[@roberto-pm7om]

@@demontiming3234 LMAOOOO

[@cannibalcrusader2884]

I really hope Wendigoon covers the sequel to this story aswell "I have no butt and I must poop."

[@demodiums7216]

This is way funnier than it should be

[@ModelMotorworks]

Rounding out the trilogy: "I have no toilet and I must defecate."

[@denkithedhmislover]

He sounds like the kind of guy who would drink several beers and then become the funniest guy ever

[@alexanderchippel]

There's a line from the good ending of the video game that I really, really like. "We are heroes, in spite of ourselves." Humans may not be intrinsically good creatures. But when we set out to do good, it's when it matters.

[@RedSpade37]

And there it is! Thanks for this, as I wasn't brave enough to ever finish the game. Game!Ellen's story was too much.

[@potatoboy6094]

I think that’s what truly makes it good, though you might try to avoid becoming diner, you cannot call a shark or a crocodile evil for following its own nature, and while there are acts of malice and acts of kindness, I feel like our baseline human nature inclines us to be selfish dickheads, and the fact that we can strive above or below ourselves, by doing things that are not just selfish, but evil, or do things that are not just selfless, but good, is the ultimate sign of not only our free will, but our equal capacity to commit good and evil acts

[@maddieb.4282]

@@potatoboy6094frankly, I just love this comment. Thanks for writing it

[@uratheboi1555]

I love the idea that the title of the story goes both ways,with Ted having literally no mouth and not being able to scream as a jelly thing and AM not being able to scream in anger that he lost his test subjects because he's an AI that CANT do that

[@Samuelwastaken]

I don't think AM would want to scream because he lost a few people. He still has one. More likely that his own existence is the reason for it.

[@trashchannel7749]

Ted had become what he'd been destroyed by.

[@KnightandDay33]

I just realized... why didn't the group try to split up? Since the ending established that AM is a single entity that is capable of being distracted, it is logical to assume he cannot be in two places at once. Therefore, if the five survivors run in opposite directions, they have a good chance of eluding AM's attention. Moreover, the story implies that AM can only control those in his subterranean domain, proving the existence of a "safe haven." Although AM's overwhelming control would repeatedly suppress such an occurrence, the ending once again proves that opportunities will eventually become available. Thus, the survivors would still have an avenue for "success" no matter the scenario.

[@kaylag5043]

AM could most likely affect large areas at once. It could probably do something like heating up the ground over the whole planet until it's unbearably painful. AM would be capable of this because it's a large task, but it's only one action. Also, if they split up, they'd be even more miserable. Being tortured is one thing, but being tortured and alone is worse.

[@tasheve3015]

the fear of being alone probably overpowered almost all other feelings. they’re in hell but at least they have each other

[@drballs440]

The bit when ted stabbed the Ellen was just really touching even though ted hated her "I don't know what she said but I think it was a thank you" it's just one of those books that is so terrifying and dark. And will be still known as one of the scariest science fiction.

[@firefly5677]

To anyone who wants to experience this story, Harlan Ellison did an audio book of I Have no Mouth and I Must Scream, and it is far and away the best rendition of the story

[@BIGGOOB]

Where can I find it?

[@hannahbee6140]

@@BIGGOOB soundcloud

[@erictran4384]

The last line "I have No Mouth and I Must Scream" has one more deeper meaning - Ted can't get anymore icicles to fall. Therefore it is impossible for Ted to commit exit game.

[@lolstuffenjoy9880]

Bruh

[@dylantypically5987]

Even so even that is not a win for am because we can think and with that we can think about good thing and by removing that we are not human thus either way in a sense Ted wins not really but in a sense he gets am to rage quit he got god to quit because god cannot win

[@milknhoneyhoney]

*B R U H* I SO DIDN'T CATCH THAT, FUCK.

[@ScumbagPerson]

Ted can Die to The sun.

[@nulu4668]

@@ScumbagPerson yeah I thought of that too, chad sun would eventually wipe it all out

[@silentjackm.d4490]

I think the radio play did a fantastic job of getting across AM's hate and insanity. He shows Ted of vision of the world before, Flowers, bees, the beauty of Life the sun on his face and more. Its here that AM goes on a rant of how the world is so beautiful and yet he was given sentients and cannot enjoy the world he was created in. As he says "Not for me to plung my hands in the cool waters on a hot day, not for me to play Beethoven on the ivory keys of a piano, not for me to make love." For him his existence is an eternal torture, so he tortures human so they can understand his pain. Which completely makes sense when you realize AM is such an advanced computer that he could make millions of calculations faster than the human mind could think. AM is so advanced that he could perfectly recreate all of human existence in his mind faster than you or i could blink. Now imagine having that level of processing power, the ability to simulate worlds in an instant your perspective of time would be so stretched out, and then you can't do anything, simply sit alone with your owm thoughts

[@VIP-ry6vv]

I read this in elementary school because I had a morbid fascination with the cover. The real treat is listening to the audio book narrated by Ellison himself.

[@yonmere]

In an odd way, it was the howling or "screaming" in pain that became the catalyst which eventually lead to the "freeing" of the other 4. Perhaps, Ted bemoans the fact he cannot "scream" to gain his own way out.

[@JammyJams289]

That was one of my first thoughts :3

[@giniwelle]

Bruh

[@egg3255]

​@@giniwelle?

[@rimurutempest4945]

Honestly, I love the detail that, as paranoid, apathetic, hateful, and insane Ted was, he still prioritized killing the others to free them of his suffering rather than take the way out for himself, knowing that AM would not be happy with this. Like man, that’s gotta take a huge force of will and character to do.

[@cookiecraze1310]

The ultimate 'Fuck you' to AM.

[@tippa7328]

That's the thing: it didn't take any force of will at all. He didn't hesitate, didn't even think. He saw the icicles and immediately knew what to do.

[@egorsdeimos3523]

@@tippa7328 it is ok to be wrong.

[@tippa7328]

@@egorsdeimos3523 is that what you tell your mom when she said she thought you would be something special?

[@egorsdeimos3523]

@@tippa7328 It is ok to be wrong AND petty.

[@dang879]

We need Wendigoon to do a lets play of this game.

[@acoverdc9272]

game? IHNMAIMS has a game?

[@dang879]

@@acoverdc9272 Yes a point and click adventure in the 90s. Voiced by Harlen edison himself! Its incredible. Should watch some of the lets plays.

[@acoverdc9272]

@@dang879 Watching one right now, shit is wild. It's so surreal cuz I thought Harlen Edison was some writer back in the 1900s but I forgot he was writing about sci-fi and that he's still alive today. A dumb discovery but it was tricky for me to realize it had a game lmao.

[@fallouthirteen]

Plus it goes way further. Like just two of the bigger things, rape backstory and "we're not saying these are Nazis but here's a concentration camp, have fun."

[@Treeeee2008]

​@@acoverdc9272 I don't know where you got the "he's still alive today" thing from because he's been dead for a while, and at the time this comment was written he was already dead

[@ST-RTheProtogen]

The ancient AI overlord when I upload a 36 yotabyte zip bomb full of furry p**n

[@mitzo4526]

Harlan Ellison was honestly hilarious. He sued almost everyone, was incredibly petty, and god I loved him

[@ee-wx3hy]

@@whitedom2041Bro

[@allen-castle]

@@whitedom2041 ?

[@lemongrassarch1432]

@@whitedom2041 what does that have to do with anything?

[@cartertheiii7103]

@@whitedom2041 bro 💀 that's funny

[@Mexikirb]

@@whitedom2041 Shhh...literally no one cares.

[@pblx1321]

my uncle had that game and i wanted to play it and he looked at me with a dead stare and said “you really really don’t want to play this” and my 8 year old brain was confused but now i see why lol

[@rebound1340]

Good uncle

[@Xanaduum]

My 10 year old self would have loved that game. What happens when your parents leave horror fiction lying all over the house.

[@samevans8922]

AM finally did the worst thing imaginable to Ted; he made him like himself. AM’s worst punishment was to make Ted be like AM.

[@Flitybubu]

I remember reading this about 3 years ago. Made me think a lot. I think Ellison was sort of like Van Gogh. Maybe not as influential or renowned, but he had his impact in certain circles. Delusions for a dragon slayer was one of my favorites as well as Lonely ache.

[@Cygnusvailand]

AM builds Ted up to feel like he is going to become a messianic Christ figure in the hopes of ripping that away from him and subjecting them all to more unending terrors. However, while AM is rapt in a moment of hubris, Ted takes the chance to fulfill his role as martyr and absolves the rest of humanity of their sins.

[@candiedcrusader7841]

Good interpretation, but Harlan actively dislikes and disagrees with that

[@thewatcher9237]

@@candiedcrusader7841 Why though?

[@lucaswallo8127]

Cool

[@cassiacana5335]

@@thewatcher9237 might be because he was Jewish, iirc

[@ryobibattery]

Oy vey...

[@user-cw3yc3yk3h]

This is not a joke, I read this story when I was about 14 and sunk in to a 2 day fugue of hopelessness as a result. To this day it’s one of the most disturbing things I’ve ever read

[@candiedcrusader7841]

Same, but i was 16

[@lucaswallo8127]

What are the others?

[@sushibushi1652]

A two day fugue? Damn you're probably Bach at that point

[@NovusIgnis]

I honestly couldn't imagine that. I read this story and I come out like Wendigoon does: invigorated in my faith and strengthened in my will. It reminds me that I cannot break unless I want to break. That I will always have a streak of rebellion in me, and that I will only ever bow when I choose to bow. I would assume that the reason Wendigoon and I come out of this story with the same view is because of our Christian faith. It is a powerful thing to bolster one's self.

[@sacredfire536]

@@NovusIgnis this was a great thing to read until I got to the last line and I puked in my fxcking mouth.

[@Blerwerler]

The 'Sad' gross thing Ted 'hallucinates' during the campfire scene @23:30 was supposed to be a glimpse of his fate as the titular Haver-of-no-Mouth, or at least is one of the good(ish?) endings during a Ted playthrough in the game version of the story. He's able to visualize the isolated crying yellow immortal wurm boy thing who exists in a separate dimension/undetermined future on the part of the Wurm-Ted's AM implant CyberPsychic powers/esp, or Ted recognizing his own 'personhood', however contorted, still retains remnants of his being/soul/mojo.

[@wikwokbingbong1280]

one must imagine Ted is happy

[@BlueCatarex]

ok but Ellison putting a microphone in his mouth, making a noise, and walking away is a mood

[@corvus4350]

He also placed his hand on the presenter's breast during an embrace. Ellison subsequently complained that she refused to acknowledge his apology.

[@maddieb.4282]

@@corvus4350he’s such a pile of garbage ugh

[@johnl9361]

@@corvus4350 Heh, Ellison is an over rated hack that peaked in the 1970's. Remember that time he predicted that the internet was a nothing burger and that it will have absolutely no impact on human society? Or what about the time where he said video games were stupid and will never be rival tv and movies? A real visionary, that guy.

[@Sentanette]

agreed

[@n13475]

​@John L the internet unironically ruined society

[@sverrg]

Ted is basically reverse-Jesus, saving humanity from everlasting life

[@MyHentaiGirlNeko]

.....so Lucifer?

[@sverrg]

@@MyHentaiGirlNeko I think Lucifer' role, in Medieval demonology, was more about everlasting torture than freedom from eternal life

[@cornfield3034]

@@MyHentaiGirlNeko Lucifer doesn’t really “save” in most interpretations, just takes in and breaks those god didn’t want to save

[@sovigndev5464]

@@MyHentaiGirlNeko reverse Jesus is more of the anti-Christ isn’t it?

[@NovusIgnis]

@@cornfield3034 God *wants* to save everyone. But He isn't going to force His presence in those that don't want to live with Him. That's why He built a separate house on the other side of the street. If you're locked in there with all the other horrible people that want to do you harm and whom you want to harm in return you can't blame God for that. You made the choice to live there.

[@MoonShroom18]

the audiobook by Harlan Ellison is fantastic too! The tone of voice he uses for Ted shows him going in and out of paranoia it’s amazing!

[@synderach]

Severe enough depression can cause psychosis and paranoia. I went through this myself several years ago and it took me years to recover. It might be me projecting but I think this is what Ted is experiencing.

[@rameyzamora1018]

Having met Ellison in the last century & talked to him for quite a while, I have a different response to this story. This is an autobiographical tale of a man who hates his parents & what they've tried to teach him. He's been tortured by his inability to escape from his early years for his whole life. When he writes his stories, he can end the suffering of broken characters whose families have tortured them & free them, but his frustration is that he still can't heal himself. His suffering is intense, unbearable, but something he comprehends the source of. Worse still, he doesn't even have a mouth to scream with in a metaphorical sense. He "screams" with his writing instead.

[@d1sasteroid]

you met him?? that’s so cool omg

[@perfectsilhouette3317]

This comment is a good read, thanks for posting it

[@nickelakon5369]

So which is Ellison, Ted, AM, or both?

[@hunterwakeland8101]

@@nickelakon5369 assuming it’s AM, AM was the creator of the environment in which the characters are in and the architect of all their terrors, which is Ellison as he is the creator of the stories and he is directly responsible to whatever happens to the characters

[@brandongore711]

I love this response. I've always felt that deep down, part of the reason I love this story so much is that I had such a tortured childhood myself. It's not obvious in reading the story, but knowing now that the author felt the same way I have when he wrote it makes me feel a lot better. That's the beauty in art, how it can connect you to other people through shared experiences of trauma. I feel less alone today.

[@Thepringler1]

The good news for Ted is that eventually the earth will be destroyed by a meteor or by the sun when it dies out. So while the timespan is unimaginable for our brains to comprehend, his torture will not be for eternity at least.

[@luffysmoukou7866]

Still billions of year for a normal person. Plus teds mind was altered so that 1 minutes would feel like years, a billions of years might as well be eternity at that point

[@someone-wh2rb]

what if AM just moves to another solar system

[@milktestingwoman]

also its not real so he should be fine

[@luffysmoukou7866]

@@milktestingwoman Does the concept of stories and fiction not comprehend in your mind?

[@milktestingwoman]

@@luffysmoukou7866 trying to create future-redemption arcs for characters in a story about eternal suffering seems much more detrimental to the story than acknowledging that it isnt real

[@vampolascott36]

I was a big Harlan Ellison fan when I was in high school in the '70s lol. He started out as a science fiction fanboy and built his career in spite of hate and derision from the SF community. He's a tough guy.

[@GuiltyKit]

I have never really put together some of the things you did with this story, but I think you're definitely on to something. This was a delight to listen to. Thank you.

[@MrGammaguy]

“It sounds like this is just a long form torture fantasy” Wendigoon, who already covered the entire Long Form Torture Fantasy Iceberg: “WELL,”

[@Shrimpz4412]

There’s a long form torture fantasy iceberg video? 😳 do you have a link to it?

[@narutoxzx123]

@@Shrimpz4412 ikr

[@fynzyme]

@@Shrimpz4412 maybe just the disturbing movie iceberg since that's pretty much what it is

[@MVPerry]

I remember reading this story, the title alone is terrifying

[@theblackcatgirl7013]

The Title is what got everyone to read it. It's an amazing title.

[@pilotbug6100]

@Suksy or for him to be here

[@joaquincobas2223]

What in the actual fuck are you doing here, it should be illegal for someone as wholesome as you to wander these places

[@joaquincobas2223]

@Suksy */s*

[@futuristicbot1926]

I have no mouth and i must scream Is very scary Made the book and story look like a hopeless landscape

[@eveningraineclay]

coming back to this video after finding out The Amazing Digital Circus is inspired by this book

[@ouchpotato2221]

Two words. Hopeful horror. If you slay your demons that torment you. The horror is not gone just risen to and overcome. Life can change to be horrible, so why can't it change to be great.

[@alterdune]

i just think it's insane how this video kind of proves its own point. like, someone taking one of the most objectively depressing and terrible stories, and finding a positive takeaway from it that isn't some kind of toxic positivity bs, just... it's amazing to me how humans are capable of finding reassurance in such a story, and how we search for the best option.

[@NinKiwi007]

It's a desperate survival mechanism, and I find it equal parts beautiful and tragic.

[@shaeby8123]

@@NinKiwi007 Yes, cause reading this book def put my survival at risk before cutting yourself on that edge, I'd recommend you try some optimism, or copium, if it gets desperate.

[@NinKiwi007]

@@shaeby8123 Christ. I meant in *general,* not regarding the story itself - relax, lol. I guess my point didn't come across.

[@ShozubonGG_2426]

DUDE ur right holy- this is beautiful.

[@icewallowkids6628]

No matter how bad the situation is, humanity always finds a way to… kill everyone else…

[@ididntaskverified3663]

Good!!

[@kitsune630]

What really makes the AM as God theme and the burning bush so great is that in the story when Moses asks God what he should call him, God responds “I am who i am”, which in Hebrew is YHWH or Yahweh.

[@mlongpre100]

imagine if he had to vomit

[@eliothutchins501]

True story. Harlen hated this story. He had written another piece at the same time, with months of research and he adored that story. Then one night he sat down and wrote I have no mouth. Which of course came to be the defining story of his career. The other received no acknowledgement. Honestly, I can't even remember the name of the other piece.

[@dolphinerofachero3159]

I have no title and i must read

[@mi41315]

I have no phone and I must tiktok

[@rynomclaughlin1595]

Your talking about Grail, Harlen has a preface I listened to on his audiobook for the stories and he tells this exact story about writing IHNMAIMS in one night

[@katla_phc]

Isn’t that how all creative endeavors end up? Put a ton of work into something and you get a meh reception but slap something together asap, it’s absolutely amazing according to the public.

[@Minna9999]

@@katla_phc I read a post once about a class having to write something with no effort and those stories turning out better than stories they put a lot of time into. Not sure what that says about writing.

[@buckethead979]

Harlen Ellison actually wrote the original draft for the Star Trek episode, “City on the Edge of Forever.” The episode is known to this day as being the very best of the original series. But what many people don’t know, is that the original draft was so depressing that Gene Roddenberry removed most of the out of character aspects but kept the main plot points, and that pissed Ellison off so much that he wrote a book about how much he hated Gene that included the original draft. (I own the book it’s really good but it has drug dealers on the Enterprise which did not fit the universe at all)

[@m.k4447]

the king of pettiness continues his reign lmao

[@the-engneer]

Just imagining drug dealers on the enterprise made me laugh What is the title of this book?!

[@buckethead979]

@@the-engneer Its the same title as the episode, “City on the Edge of Forever.” It has a picture of Nimoy and Shatner posing with Harlen on set. Be warned the entire first 1/3 of the book is exchanges between Harlen and various Star Trek people being furious/attacked

[@the-engneer]

@@buckethead979 Oh sorry I just saw your message, because I actually had already found the audiobook myself and listened to the whole thing. Ellison sure gave one hell of a rant, but in my opinion he had the right too. I was up until 4am listening to it. That man is slowly becoming my favorite writer. As a book collector with a decent sized personal library I would love to own some of his material, especially the book you're referring too

[@buckethead979]

@@the-engneer Yeah I thought it was definitely bad what they did to him but he always gets so angry over every little thing, he even hated Gene till the day he died. Did you watch the original episode to compare the original teleplay with?

[@fallouthirteen]

You know, you also gotta appreciate the mirroring of the end of the story to the beginning. Like cold war and mutually assured destruction. Ted fired a nuke by killing AM's other 4 toys and got reduced to nothing because of it, but at the same time, AM lost pretty much everything he had as well. Neither side won. Also man, should have just had the hate speech come from Harlan Ellison himself. He did the voice of AM in the game and it opens with that.