Void, a comic novel: practice-led research into humour

Latham, Philip

Abstract

This thesis comprises a critical essay and practice-led research in the form of a full-length novel, Void, that constitutes my original contribution to knowledge.

The critical essay comprises three principal chapters, the first of which is a memoir that discusses the early comic influences that have shaped my creative imagination in the form of the films of Laurel and Hardy, Harold Lloyd and Will Hay. The second chapter considers humour and science fiction, concentrating on the origins and definitions of science fiction and then focussing on Douglas Adams’ The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy novels and how his comedic techniques relate to Void. The third chapter considers the methods to generate humour that I employ in my own text, through the framework of
the origins of comedy, the leading theories of humour, the associated incongruities of situation, character and language and my use of intertextuality to incorporate elements of Adams’ novels into my own.

The final section contains Void, my debut humorous novel that blends elements of romance, science fiction and action-adventure.

Citation

Latham, P. (2017). Void, a comic novel: practice-led research into humour