Genre: Laughing with the Bogeyman

In our final instalment of our theme looking at genre, Sarah Richardson joins us on the Technecast to talk about inclusive satire. By examining reactive characterisations of the archetypal fantasy ‘monster’ in satirical fiction, this project aims to make the argument that these textual strategies demonstrate a broader trend of empathetic storytelling in satire, presenting a genre more optimistic of both the human and inhuman. More specifically, the main focus of this research is on characterisation strategies which generate an ‘inclusive humour’ as opposed to presenting objects of ridicule and mockery. To keep reader engagement at the centre of discussion, the term ‘monster’ is defined in terms of its impact: the project refers to Jeffrey Cohen’s definition of the creature that is ‘the abjected fragment that enables the formation of all kinds of identities,’ a revealing entity both in how it relates to itself and to society. Since this research is practice-based, ‘Laughing with the Bogeyman’ uses Terry Pratchett’s work and my own original writing as baselines to frame the discussion theoretically, hopefully leading to further exploration into the reader response element towards textual strategies of inclusive humour. *Sarah Richardson is a PhD researcher in the English and Creative Writing Departments at Royal Holloway, University of London. She has been interested in satire, humorous narratives, and anything that elevates parody to high art ever since Terry Pratchett’s Discworld taught her that serious is not the opposite of funny. Her studies have permitted her to write a satirical novel all about this stuff (lucky thing) and hopefully by the end she’ll also walk away with a degree.Twitter: SarE_Richardson*Info about Cultivate: https://cultivatetechne.wordpress.com/about/*This episode is presented by Polly Hember. The Technecast is funded by the Techne AHRC-DTP, and edited by Polly Hember, Julien Clin, Felix Clutson and Edwin Gilson.Contact: [email protected] / @technecast / @pollyhember / @ClinJulienMore info & Call for Papers: https://technecast.wixsite.com/listen Royalty free music generously shared by Steve Oxen. FesliyanStudios.comImage generously supplied by Helen Richardson.