One story in particular was my favorite in the book. It was called I Have No Mouth And I Must Scream (hence the title). Although all the stories in the book were wonderful, this was definitely my favorite. It's told from a man's point of view and is about a group of people kept alive by a machine/computer. They called this machine "AM" and it has kept them alive for hundreds of years. AM tortured them, but would not let them die. It altered each person in a different way. For example, he turned one man into a monkey and human mix. It was very dramatic yet interesting, and showed how computers might think of humans if they developed emotions. Ellison imagined AM would absolutely hate humans.
If I had to pick a favorite book quote, the quote would come from this book. In the story I've mentioned, the main character talks about AM and why he was doing this. It was a very interesting quote, but seems more like an excerpt instead of a quote.
Another story in the book is about a man named Sam. He was tall and worked as a circus entertainer, but he was special. He could teleport, and he was looking for someone. When telling about his life, he mentions a girl whom he was supposed to marry. She dies, and Sam is left alone. So he wanted to find a heaven of sorts so he could again be with this girl. One day while traveling with the circus, the group is asked to perform at a king's castle. After their performance, a beautiful woman is brought on stage. Sam recognizes her as the girl he loved. A man steps behind the girl holding an axe, ready to swing down when... The ending is for you to read! Although the ending seems obvious, it has a bit of a twist. I have to say these were my two favorite stories, but I Have No Mouth But I Must Scream is still at the top.
