WEEK 10: THE FICTION OF IDEAS

  

I read I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream this week. This is one of my favorite reads so far, one of the reasons is because the writing was so creative it was extremely delightful to try and break down what Harlan Ellison was trying to say. Saying things like ‘the machine masturbated and we had to take it or die’ is so cool to see the machine as an actual being in this way. That being said, this was also one of the hardest readings so far. I had no idea what I was reading and what the story was about. I had to read it, research on it and read it again just to try to understand it. 

I really like how AM is in control of everything and are even manipulating the humans and causing them so much distress. It’s funny because we always think of AI’s this way where we always predict the impending doom of how robots would take over and humans would be less than them but never seen a piece like this where the master computer is actually to the point of manipulation. I really felt the desperation and how trapped they were. How desperate the way they were living. You could feel how AM tortured these people and made it impossible for them to escape. AM even though a computer harbored real human feelings of revenge and spite that wanted the last remaining humans to be tortured in many ways and brought about more raw emotions from them because of it. I enjoyed that so much because honestly it’s true. People often think they’re smart to mess around and play god without consequences, this way when what they create is too much for them to handle and they are not responsible enough for their actions and consequences. I feel we are too proud as a race and much too indulgent. 

I am aware that I am probably sick in the head for thinking we as a human race have it coming, but this is the reason it makes the story so good. It really takes a worse case scenario and plays up the torture meter and shows you this could be a reality. Overall I enjoyed it so much and am glad I chose this piece.