The Queer Uncanny

Introduction In a preliminary, rather than exhaustive, exploration of the contemporary role of the uncanny, this article considers the relation between the queer and the uncanny, focusing on how the ‘queer uncanny’ may offer new ways of problematizing notions of ontological stability and notions of normality. It seeks to demonstrate how the uncanny may work to destabilize definitions of gender and sexuality and raise questions about definitions of the human. Nicholas Royle alerts us to the significance of the relationship between the queer and the uncanny, noting that: