The best way to get better at stand-up comedy is to get on stage and perform, and the second best way is to watch or hear other people do stand-up. but there is much more to the craft than that. learning how to write jokes, how to build your personality, how to practice, and all about why people laugh can help you add direction to your sets and mature into a more informed and skilled comedian. On top of that, learning the history of art, as well as some more esoteric stuff about prank theory, can give you an edge over the other two dozen people in front of you in line at the open mic.
As a comedian who also writes a lot about comedy, I’ve read a lot of things about comedians, about comedians, and how to become a comedian. These are my top picks: the books I return to again and again and the books that helped me understand everything I know about jokes and pranks.
You are reading: Best books about comedy
‘the serious guide to writing jokes’ by sally holloway
Let’s start with a book that is extremely good for beginning joke writers and is also packed with lots of great exercises that you can do even when you have a much larger toolbox and much more experience: The Serious Guide to Joke Writing. by sally holloway Not only does Holloway have a background as a stand-up comedian, he has also taught comedy in a classroom for years, which sets his book apart from many other instructional texts.
In addition to having an extremely practical chapter on writing timely/current event jokes based on specific newspaper articles, as well as the best section I know of explaining surreal comedy writing, it also contains information on the hadron joke. collider, one of the most useful brainstorming exercises I’ve found, and one I still use regularly when making jokes.
‘the truth in comedy’ by charna halpern, del close and kim “howard” johnson
Long known as the improvisers’ bible, comedians should also have a copy of Truth in Comedy on their shelf, even if they’ve never uttered “yes, and…” in their lives. why? improvising is a vital skill for stand-ups. It not only allows you to improve your jokes on stage, in the moment, but also makes you more real and believable to the audience. and it helps you in the common case that something strange happens during your set (such as hecklers) or if you want to get involved in the crowd work. On top of all that: it’s got some really great timeless lessons on comedy, from the rule of three, to the difference between a situation and a joke, to how to make people laugh through character alone.
‘the bible of comedy’ by judy carter
You may think it’s pretentious to call something the bible of comedy, but judy carter’s tome is so comprehensive and detailed that it’s totally justified. I love how it takes you day to day to write your first stand-up set as well as writing the spec script. And it’s packed with tips from famous comics, super-practical exercises, and easy checklists.
The book also has mountains of information on the comedy business, including how to get gigs, how to pitch and promote yourself, and how to get paid for your pranks at the end of the day. God bless this practical and simple guide.
‘and here’s the catch’ by mike sacks
If you want to learn comedy from the best, one of the smartest places to start is and here is Mike Sacks Kicker, which is a collection of 21 in-depth interviews with some of the best humor writers alive. from dave barry to allison silverman, to jack handey. these interviews are full of delightful anecdotes that will thrill anyone with an interest in the history of comedy, but at the same time delve into matters of the trade, from the writing processes of famous comedians to what some of our brightest minds believe is true. it’s about laughter.
If you like this book, you’ll probably also like Sacks’ sequel, Poking a Dead Frog, in which he interviews a bunch of other comedy writers. seriously, get out your highlighter.
‘born on foot’ by steve martin
A good memoir of stand-up comedy is a must-read for every stand-up comedian, and perhaps the best there is is Born On Your Feet, by comedy legend Steve Martin. Even if you’re not a fan of his style of humor, the story of his journey and his thoughts on performance and persistence are worth reading.
Like, how real is this?
“my most persistent memory of stand-up is that my mouth is in the present and my mind in the future: the mouth says the line, the body pronounces the gesture, while the mind looks back, observes, analyzes, judge, worry, and then decide when and what to say next. enjoyment while performing was rare; the enjoyment would have been an indulgent loss of focus that comedy cannot afford.”
and if you like steve martin and his comedy, you should also have his weird cruel vintage shoes.
tina fey’s ‘bossy pants’
The other necessary memoir for comedy writers is Tina Fey’s Bossypants, which follows the 30-year-old rock comedian from her childhood to her breakout role as a writer on SNL. one of the things that makes the book so good is that it’s about comedy, but it also has a lot of jokes in it, so you can learn about the life of comedy while watching one of our greatest living comedians in the work.
See Also: Chris Colfer – Book Series In Order
also has great advice for women in comedy who face obstacles as they move up the ladder. here is just one piece of information:
“so my unsolicited advice for women in the workplace is this. When confronted with sexism, ageism, appearance, or even really aggressive Buddhism, ask yourself the question, “Does this person come between me and what I want to do?” if the answer is no, ignore it and move on. her energy is best used doing her job and outdoing people that way. then when you’re in charge, don’t hire the people who were jerks to you.”
‘the code of the woosters’ by pg wodehouse
Stand-ups shouldn’t just read about stand-up comedy. comic novels can help you learn a lot about writing jokes, characters, comic situations, and pacing. one of the best writers to learn is p.g. Wodehouse, who wrote the timeless series about Wooster and his very patient valet Jeeves. All the books in the series are extremely fun and fast paced, but my favorite is Code of the Woosters. reading any of the books can help put you in the right frame of mind and mindset to write your own source material. at worst, even if you don’t get inspired, you can take the humor of one of the all-time greats.
‘how to write funny’ by scott dikkers
Written by one of the founding editors of the onion, this little volume contains a really solid grounding in how to structure a joke and what makes funny things funny. Unlike many other comedy manuals, How to Write Funny Stuff has no fat and no filler: Scott Dikkers gets right to the point and then moves on to the next. At the heart of the book are the eleven “funny filters”: the main ways jokes are funny, from puns to hyperbole to parody. it is essential knowledge.
If you liked this choice, be sure to read the sequel, how to write more fun, which goes deeper.
‘impro: improvisation and theatre’ by keith johnstone
impro is the other book on improvisation that I think is extremely useful for stand-ups as well. again, there are big parts of the book that speak directly to theatrical work, like the section on masks, but these can be easily skipped so you can focus on the super-important information you have about status and spontaneity. If one of your problems is not being able to cut loose on stage or straying from your written jokes, this reading is a good place to start to fix that problem. if you want to dive into crowd work, or less structured sets, or make the troublemaker shut up, this has some great tips and ideas.
‘hysterical’ by linda mizejewski and victoria sturtevant
Do you really need a super academic text on women in comedy that’s almost 500 pages long? yes, you probably do. yes, even if you’re a guy. maybe especially if you’re a guy.
With chapter titles like “whoopi goldberg in hollywood: queering genealogies of comedic genres” and “ellen degeneres incorporated body: the politics of authenticity,” you might feel like you’re taking a college class, but the lessons and the story contained within the hysteria will make you a better, smarter and more aware comedian. And if you’re a male comedian with little interest in exploring female comedy, consider that half your audience is female, as well as a growing number of your bookers, promoters, collaborators, and co-workers.
‘thanks for coming to hattiesburg’ by todd barry
Like many of the books on this list, Thank You For Coming To Hattiesburg serves a dual purpose: it contains tons of sharp comedic writing from sarcasm king todd barry, and it also paints a super-realistic picture of what it’s like to be a comedian on the road. full-time (answer: not exactly like being in a rock band).
Barry is extremely likeable, even when he complains, and his extensive touring stories are full of advice on managing shows, traveling, and keeping your spirits up night after night. You’ll learn valuable information about booking gigs, finding a place to stay, and getting paid, all while you laugh at him describing street food and bombs.
john vorhaus’s ‘comic toolbox’
written by television writer john vorhaus, the comic book toolbox is geared towards story and screenwriting, not stand-up comedy. but it still contains dozens of pearls of wisdom that can be easily translated to the stool and the stage. think of your snippets as stories or scenes (you’ll be surprised how often they actually are) and almost all of the content is applicable and useful.
The book is also packed with examples of comedic situations and movie stories, making it a treasure trove of movie recommendations that can help you learn even more about humor.
‘the joke and its relationship with the unconscious’ by sigmund freud
many of these books delve into that big question: why do we joke and laugh? Sigmund Freud thought a lot about it and decided it’s because joking allows us to talk about our unconscious desires in ways we normally can’t. the joke and its relationship to the unconscious ends up being a lot like your analysis of dreams, except with jokes (many of which, honestly, are a bit puzzling, perhaps due to translation problems).
no, this is not the best joke theory out there, nor the most clearly and succinctly explained. but it’s very interesting and different, and it’s an important part of the history of joke theory.
‘the stink of honolulu’ by jack handey
See Also: Steven Becker – Book Series In Order
Former SNL writer Jack Handey is one of the best joke writers to ever live, and his only novel, The Stink of Honolulu, is full of one-liners, callbacks, and cumshots. i love reading a few random pages of this book before i start writing as handey’s timing, pacing and voice are so inspiring and strong. another exercise I do with the book? sit down and write a page word for word. I swear it works to teach you the structure of jokes!
I also have all the other books handey has written in my library. the other essential is what he would say to the Martians.
‘strident’ by lindy west
shrill is best known as a super popular comedy series on hulu these days, but it all started as a book of essays by writer and comedian lindy west. while it covers a lot of topics, three of the chapters, “chuckletown, usa, population: jokes”, “death wish”, and “it’s about free speech, not hating women”, they focus specifically on stand-up comedy, sexism, rape jokes, and shock comedy. are, as far as I’m concerned, required reading for anyone who takes to the stage, regardless of gender. His main point about offensive comedy is too complex to cover in a short book review, but he is extremely intelligent, thoughtful, and infallible.
plus the book is super funny, and west can teach you a few things about humor by writing with examples on every page.
The television series, although fictional, is also hilarious.
‘sick in the head’ by judd apatow
Probably from the most famous and successful comedy nerd comes a long and extensive book of interviews with famous comedians: Bad in the Head. Like the Mike Sacks books, they offer mountains of advice, ideas, and theories from the people we most admire, intertwined with stories from their lives and careers. These interviews can be very inspiring at times when you feel like giving up, and they can be very illuminating if you’re stuck on a project or suffering from writer’s block.
apatow also has another book called i found this funny, which is a super diverse compilation of short pieces of humor that he’s liked over the years.
‘mathematics and humor’ by john allen paulos
This small volume explores humor concepts through mathematics and how we can apply formulas to funny things. Filled with illustrations, graphs, and Venn diagrams, it’s a fascinating and bizarre read that touches on such topics as unexpected inconsistencies, deductions, puzzles, irony, paradoxes, and reversals. If you’re not a complete geek, you can skip this one, but if you’re interested in thinking about some of the more quantitative aspects of jokes and humor, you’ll appreciate what he has to say.
‘the hidden tools of comedy’ by steve kaplan
Like the comic book toolbox, the hidden comedy tools focus on story and script writing rather than comedy monologue writing. but also as a toolbox, it contains tons of lessons on what makes things fun and how to develop those ideas into full narratives. Kaplan is a longtime comedy teacher, and it shows in this book, which is well structured and full of examples from real scripts. It can get a bit repetitive at times, but as long as you’re comfortable flipping through fluff from time to time, it’s a worthwhile read and a resource you’ll return to as you write.
‘we killed: the rise of women in american comedy’ by yael kohen
we killed is an oral history of 60 years of female comedy, from stand-up to television. Why is it important for everyone, of all genders, to read? because it clearly describes the barriers and challenges that women have faced in comedy, as well as covering how far we still have to go, and that’s important for all comedians to fully understand. Packed with surprising ideas, hilarious trivia, and tons of great anecdotes, this is a lesson in history, feminism, comedy, and work all rolled into one.
It also fills in many of the unfortunate gaps that exist in comedians.
‘the comedians’ by kliph nesteroff
The Comedians is a fairly straightforward history of comedy in the United States, from about 1900 onwards. In 350 pages, author Kliph Nesteroff takes us from Vaudeville to SNL, offering all the biggest stories and events from the greatest comedians. it’s a great overview of how comedy has developed over the last hundred years, and a good map to see where we might go next. It’s not as interesting as the other comedy stories I mentioned, and it sometimes feels like a parade of straight white men (which… well, it often was, but that doesn’t mean you can’t cover other things). this is a great reference (has a wonderful index) and a great way to discover notable comedians from the past that you may not be familiar with.
‘the humor code’ by pete mcgraw and joel warner
A big part of learning about humor is figuring out how to make people laugh. but to learn that, you also need to investigate what makes people laugh in the first place: why do we do it and why do we like it?
To answer the question, we turned to Dr. peter mcgraw, who runs something called the humor research lab, which is as cool as it gets. Along with journalist Joel Warner, the pair embark on a journey to discover, through science, how humor works. the humor code is light, fun, and engaging reading, offering insights beyond joke structure and status changes.