Sci-fi and Heroic Fantasy discussion

This is our discussion of the short story:


"World of the Myth" by Harlan Ellison

This story is part of Ellison's collection I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream, one of our group's anthology discussion.

I read this one during lunch today along with "Eyes of Dust". While I didn't care for the latter, I really liked this one. The way the alien 'ants' reflected the inner nature & the horror found there was very well done. We tend to think of ourselves as rational creatures, but are only rationalizing ones. A significant difference that made for this horror show.

I thought this was an interesting story as well, using an alien hive mind to plumb the souls of the stranded humans.

I guess we're left to believe Rennert had enough of a conscience that when confronted by how others (specifically the aliens) perceived him, he found it loathsome. I think in reality Rennert could still rationalize it away.

It does have a very 60s male mentality about rape. "Rennert could not be blamed entirely. She had no doubt flirted and goaded him, till he had lost his sense of right and propriety."