Dimensions of the Fantastic

Not to be confused with fantasy or the supernatural, the fantastic is its own beast and perhaps the most deeply frightening of all narrative modes. This work studies the various dimensions of the fantastic, and explains why the fantastic is not about ghosts or monsters, but the incomprehensible sides of our own reality, and the terrifying unknown.

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Not to be confused with fantasy or the supernatural, the fantastic is in actuality its own beast and perhaps the most deeply frightening of all narrative modes. From Dracula and Nightmare on Elm Street, to Carrie and Them, the evolution of the fantastic reveals a growing consciousness of social and racial issues. It has become an ideal vehicle to denounce deep cultural dysfunctions that affect not only the way we understand reality, but also how we construct it.

This work studies the various dimensions of the fantastic, examining the influences of icons like Lovecraft and Harry Dickson, films such as Jordan Peele's Get Out, and novels like Guy de Maupasasant's The Horla. It explains why the fantastic is not about ghosts or monsters, but the incomprehensible sides of our own reality, and the terrifying unknown.