The fantastic is defined by hesitation between uncanny and marvellous.

Evidence

This inevitably recalls Todorov’s famous claim that the “fantastic” is defined by the hesitation between two epistemological possibilities; if spectral forces can be explained psychologically or by some other naturalistic means, then we are dealing with the “uncanny”. If the spectres of the supernatural cannot be exorcised, then we are dealing with the “marvellous”. Only while we oscillate between the two possibilities do we confront the “fantastic”. — Mark Fisher (edited by Darren Ambrose), K-Punk, 521

Categorization

• DEFINE: A compact restatement of Todorov’s fantastic/uncanny/marvellous schema.
• XREF: Connects to ch29’s discussion of generic hesitation producing the uncanny. — connects to: Generic hesitation itself can produce the uncanny in a film — Mark Fisher (edited by Darren Ambrose), K-Punk: The Collected and Unpublished…, 439