Author Q&A: Are satire and comedy the same thing?

Notice: The following content may include satirical elements—exercise critical thinking.

Satire can occur anywhere, at any time, in even the most well-intentioned prose. Satire is not synonymous with comedy and does not require humor. Side effects of writing satire may include heightened meta-awareness, gratuitous social commentary, and readers assuming you meant less or more than you did.

Disclaimer: Eura “Euphridia” Abrams is not sufficiently responsible to be considered a subject-matter expert on anything. The following list should be reviewed with caution and always in the context of your full narrative environment.

⚠️ POTENTIAL SATIRE TOOLS ⚠️

Exaggeration: Making something larger, louder, or more intense to reveal a truth about it.

Inversion: Reversing roles, norms, or expectations to expose how strange their original arrangement is.

Parody: Imitating a style, trope, or genre to expose its flaws, formulas, or contradictions.

Irony: Saying one thing while intentionally meaning another to highlight a discrepancy.

Juxtaposition: Placing contrasting ideas side by side so the contrast itself becomes commentary.

Caricature: Exaggerating a trait or behavior until it becomes symbolic of a larger issue.

Absurdity: Using intentional nonsense or impossibility to reflect the underlying nonsense of reality.

Deadpan: Presenting the ridiculous with seriousness to emphasize how normalized it has become.

Persona / Impersonation: Speaking in the voice of the system, mindset, or flaw being critiqued so it exposes itself.

Literalism to Extremes: Taking an idea or rule too literally to reveal flaws or contradictions in its logic.

Remember: If you find yourself writing satire, you’re probably

saying something important.