I have a book of stories by his, that has "I Have No Mouth" and the only two I remember is the title story and one about a man who comes home every night to a presence in his apartment. I think I read the whole thing in a day or two, just to get it over with. There's probably a ton of symbolism and metaphors in his stories that went over my head, but the one thing that didn't escape me was a bleak, moodiness that kind of permeates his stories. I have a second book of his, more short stories, that I'm afraid to even read for that reason.

There's a few other books I've read that have had a similar impact on me. The pages of "The Windup Girl" bleed with a sense of paranoia and desperation, to the point where I couldn't finish the book as I got near the end. Similarly, "Annihilation" had this sense of mystery around it, like I wasn't reading a book, but trying to see my way through a fog and the text on the pages were a flashlight that was just a bit too dim.

Whether or not I liked the stories being told, there's no denying that that's good writing.

I'm not a member of the Sci-Fi club, but if I could say, I really recommend "Frankenstein." It's poetically written, thought provoking, and actually a very easy read.

Also. There's a mouse in the house. Scurrying around the walls. That's not a metaphor for anything. The fucker is just keeping me awake.

Edit: The other Ellison book is "The Beast That Shouted Love at the Heart of the World."

Edit 2: Which, going back to OP, looks like it's the reading for next week. Convenient.