What are the characteristics of short political dark humor stories?

Dark humor short stories also tend to play with taboos. They might touch on topics like death, violence, or social norms in a way that is not typical. By breaking these boundaries in a humorous context, they create a unique and often thought - provoking reading experience. This can make the reader both uncomfortable and amused at the same time.

Dark humor short stories often feature unexpected or absurd situations. For example, characters might find themselves in a completely illogical yet real - ish situation, like in 'The Metamorphosis' where a man turns into an insect.

They usually play on the flaws and absurdities of human nature. In a short story, a miser who is so stingy that he tries to bargain with the Grim Reaper to take someone else instead of him. The combination of the serious concept of death and the ridiculous behavior of the miser creates that dark humorous effect.

One characteristic is the unexpectedness. They often have a twist that catches you off - guard, like in the story where the doctor says 'I'll deal with you later' to the man who thinks he's a deck of cards. Another is that they can be a bit macabre. For example, the skeleton asking for a beer and a mop. It's not your typical humorous situation but it makes you laugh because it's so absurd and a little bit creepy at the same time. Also, they sometimes play with taboos or uncomfortable topics in a way that still manages to be funny, without being too offensive.

Once, a politician gave a long speech about reducing waste. But right after that, he ordered a ten - course meal just for himself at a fancy restaurant. It's like he was saying one thing but doing the complete opposite, which is a bit of a dark political humor in itself.

Good dark humor short stories often rely on a certain level of absurdity. Consider a story where the Grim Reaper is complaining about his job because all the souls he has to collect keep asking for selfies. It's absurd because the Grim Reaper is a very serious and often feared figure in mythology, but here he is dealing with modern - day annoyances like selfies. This combination of the serious and the absurd creates that unique dark humor effect.

They often involve personal or unique situations. For example, something that happens only within a family or a small group. Dark humor in these stories usually takes an unexpected turn, like in the story of the old cat. The comment about the cat not scratching furniture after death is unexpected and a bit dark. It's not the normal reaction one would expect in a mourning situation.

They are usually concise. For example, a short story like 'Why don't scientists trust atoms? Because they make up everything.' gets the humor across in just a few words.

Good humor short stories often have an unexpected twist. Such as the story where a man goes to a library and asks for a book on how to commit suicide. The librarian says, 'Fiction or non - fiction?' It catches you off - guard. Also, they can play on words. For instance, 'Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.' This kind of wordplay makes the story humorous.

A good humor short story also plays with language. It might use puns, wordplay or exaggeration. For instance, in some Roald Dahl's short stories, he uses very vivid and exaggerated descriptions to make the readers laugh. His descriptions of the characters' actions and appearances are often over - the - top and that's what makes it so funny.