The term Kafkaesque is derived from the works of the surrealist writer Franz Kafka and refers to a nightmarish, absurd situation that is often bureaucratic or labyrinthine in nature. In a Kafkaesque situation, individuals are often subjected to incomprehensible and illogical rules, and their attempts to navigate the system only seem to make things worse. The term has come to be associated with a sense of alienation and powerlessness in the face of a hostile, unfathomable world.