The book opens at the eponymous congress, a light-heartedly grim Malthusian parody of the state of the world.

The curls are still there, thank God--they won't be sheared till later in the season--but everything else on the show now seems like a grim and ugly parody of itself.

In the 1978 George Romero film "Dawn of the Dead," zombies swarm a shopping mall in a grim parody of mindless consumerism.

Across the street, a 99-cent store bore the name Urdu Bazaar, invoking, in grim parody, the famous book market of Karachi.

Frey also explains: "The whole pattern of this final soliloquy is thus a grim parody of the opening one, where decision is reached after, not prior to, the survey".

'Not quite' Zyvan compressed his lips into a grim parody of a smile.

"Oh, yes," she said, her lips stretching in a grim parody of a smile.

A grim parody of a sunbather.

Their culture is horrific - described as 'a grim parody of civilization' by one character.

Tristan's mouth curved in a grim parody of mirth.