Posthumorism: The Modernist Affect of Laughter

Posthumorism explores a unique strain of laughter in modernism that is without humor, without humans, and without humanism. It chronicles the emergence of this humorless laughter in twentieth-century literature, film, and philosophy, and how various stylists use it to unsettle, reconfigure the individual human, and shape different forms of humanist discourse.

Format: Hardback
Length: 192 pages
Publication date: 27 January 2022
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

Delving into the diverse non-humorous interpretations of laughter, this book delves into a distinctive form of laughter prevalent in modernism, devoid of humor, humans, and humanism. Through the lens of Posthumorism, it chronicles the scattered emergence of a humorless laughter in twentieth-century literature, film, and philosophy. From William James' intriguing experiments with laughing gas to the chilling suicide shriek of Major Kong in Stanley Kubrick's Dr. Strangelove, modernity is replete with examples of this unique laughter, characterized by its capacity to "crack up" and dismantle while simultaneously opening up new realms of perception.

In exploring the creative workings of posthumorist laughter, this book delves into how various stylists of the form, including Nathanael West, Kurt Vonnegut, Georges Bataille, and Hélène Cixous, utilize it as a tool to unsettle, reconfigure the individual human, and shape diverse forms of humanist discourse. By examining the multifaceted meanings of laughter, Posthumorism offers a fresh and thought-provoking perspective on modernism's impact, challenging our understanding of humor, humanity, and the human condition.

Weight: 442g
Dimension: 187 x 355 x 18 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781350264618