Richard Appignanesi goes in personal quest of Existentialism in its original state. He begins with Camus' question of suicide: 'Must life have a meaning to be lived?' Is absurdity at the heart of Existentialism? Or is Sartre right: is Existentialism 'the least scandalous, most technically austere' of all teachings?

Richard Appignanesi is the author of Introducing Freud and Introducing Postmodernism. Oscar Zarate is one of the UK's leading graphic artists. He has illustrated numerous Introducing series titles. His graphic novel A Small Killing won the Will Eisner Prize.