Comic strategy and the comic mode

In the 3 Body Problem, powerful and intelligent aliens are invading Earth. The aliens win a couple of early battles and make contact with the humans, insulting their weakness and insignificance by comparing them to bugs. “We’re slow, we’re dumb, and we die easy,” one character agrees with the aliens. They feel defeated. “We’re bugs.” The first season of Netflix adaptation closes off with three human characters looking out into a swamp, with one noticing how people have been trying to kill bugs for a long time; and yet, they still survive. There are countless bugs hovering above the swamp. The character introduces a comic mode into their conversation and outlook of life. And, of course, this perspective creates the conditions for the characters to not accept defeat, and continue fighting to survive. This is a point that Joseph W. Meeker makes in his book, The Comedy of Survival. “Comedy demonstrates that humans are durable, although they may be weak, stupid, and undignified.” These are…

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