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Content snapshot
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Violence
Very heavy
Extreme violence and torture in the title story — AM inflicts creative, prolonged suffering; the horror is inventive and unrelenting
Language
Some
Strong language throughout; Ellison's voice is blunt and profane
Sexual Content
Some
Sexual violence in the title story and other content
Substance Use
None
No substance use
Emotional Intensity
Very heavy
One of the most psychologically intense short story collections in science fiction — complete hopelessness, existential horror, the machinery of endless suffering
What this book is about
Harlan Ellison's Hugo Award-winning short story collection contains some of the darkest and most disturbing science fiction ever written. The title story, about a sentient computer that exterminates humanity except for five people it keeps alive to torture indefinitely, features extreme violence, sexual assault, and psychological horror with no redemptive resolution. Other stories in the collection are similarly dark. For adults who can handle deeply disturbing content only.
Notes for sensitive readers
Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.
Extreme violence and torture
Sexual violence
Profound psychological horror
No redemptive ending
Adults only
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