Back No tengo boca y debo gritar Spanish دهانی ندارم و باید جیغ بکشم Persian I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream Finnish Je n'ai pas de bouche et il faut que je crie French Szája sincsen, úgy üvölt Hungarian I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream ID Non ho bocca, e devo urlare Italian I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream NB I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream Portuguese N-am gură și trebuie să urlu Romanian
| "I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream" | |
|---|---|
| Short story by Harlan Ellison | |
 | |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | Post-apocalyptic, Science fiction |
| Publication | |
| Published in | IF: Worlds of Science Fiction |
| Publication type | Periodical |
| Publisher | Galaxy Publishing Corp |
| Media type | Print (magazine, hardback & paperback) |
| Publication date | March 1967 |
"I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream" is a post-apocalyptic science fiction short story by American writer Harlan Ellison. It was first published in the March 1967 issue of IF: Worlds of Science Fiction.
The story is set against the backdrop of World War III, where a sentient supercomputer named AM, born from the merging of the world's major defense computers, eradicates humanity except for five individuals. These survivors—Benny, Gorrister, Nimdok, Ted, and Ellen—are kept alive by AM to endure endless torture as a form of revenge against their creators. The story unfolds through the eyes of Ted, the narrator, detailing their perpetual misery and quest for canned food in AM's vast, underground complex, only to face further despair.
Written in one night in 1966, Ellison's narrative was minimally altered upon submission and tackles themes of technology's misuse, humanity's resilience, and existential horror. "I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream" has been adapted into various media, including a 1995 computer game co-authored by Ellison, a comic-book adaptation, an audiobook read by Ellison, and a BBC Radio 4 play where Ellison voiced AM. The story is critically acclaimed for its exploration of AI's potential perils and the human condition, underscored by Ellison's innovative use of punchcode tapes as narrative transitions, embodying AM's consciousness and its philosophical ponderings on existence.
The story won a Hugo Award in 1968. The name was also used for a short story collection of Ellison's work, featuring this story. It was reprinted by the Library of America, collected in volume two of American Fantastic Tales.