--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Supernatural fiction contains its own…" description: "\"“Supernatural fiction contains its own generic borderland: a neutral territory, which Tzvetan Todorov calls 'the fantastic,' between 'the marvelous' an..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/160/howard-kerr-55254_fantastic_supernatural-fiction-contains-its-own-ge_1698204.jpg" --- # Supernatural fiction contains its own generic borderland… ![“Supernatural fiction contains its own generic borderland: a neutral territory, which Tzvetan Todorov calls 'the fantastic,' between 'the marvelous' and 'the uncanny.' According to Todorov, 'The fantastic is that hesitation experienced by a person who knows only the laws of nature, confronting an…” quote by Howard Kerr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/160/howard-kerr-55254_fantastic_supernatural-fiction-contains-its-own-ge_1698204.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/160/howard-kerr-55254_fantastic_supernatural-fiction-contains-its-own-ge_1698204.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/160/howard-kerr-55254_fantastic_supernatural-fiction-contains-its-own-ge_1698204.jpg) > ““Supernatural fiction contains its own generic borderland: a neutral territory, which Tzvetan Todorov calls 'the fantastic,' between 'the marvelous' and 'the uncanny.' According to Todorov, 'The fantastic is that hesitation experienced by a person who knows only the laws of nature, confronting an apparently supernatural event.' Once the event is satisfactorily explained (and sometimes it is never explained), we have left the fantastic for an adjacent genre - either 'the uncanny,' where the apparently supernatural is revealed as illusory, or 'the marvelous,' where the laws of ordinary reality must be revised to incorporate the supernatural. As long as uncertainty reigns, however, we are in the ambiguous realm of the fantastic.”” [Howard Kerr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-kerr/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The fantastic exists where a reader hesitates between natural explanation and supernatural, creating a tension that defines the genre. **In simple terms:** A story that blurs reality and the supernatural. Key Takeaway Embrace ambiguity. Themes literature genre uncertainty Mood curious reflective Type literary analytical When to use this quote - reading fiction - writing horror - film analysis - creative workshops Key Concepts Narrative theory psychology of perception Questions to Reflect On - What makes a story feel truly fantastic? - How does uncertainty affect engagement? A Different Perspective Readers may force a single interpretation, losing nuance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Fantastic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fantastic/) [Fantasy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fantasy/) [Miracles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/miracles/) [Supernatural](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/supernatural/) [Uncanny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/uncanny/) ## Related quotes > [“Psychic change, as Todorov has recognized, subverted the genre in another way, by revoking the cultural taboos, the social censorship, that had prohibited the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-kerr/psychic-change-as-todorov-has-recognized-subverted-the-genre-in/) [Howard Kerr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-kerr/) > [“Do you mean to tell me, Superintendent, that this is one of those damned cases you get in detective stories where a man is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agatha-christie/do-you-mean-to-tell-me-superintendent-that-this-is-one-of-those/) [Agatha Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agatha-christie/) > [One of my favorite things about supernatural fiction is its vast array of creatures.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeaniene-frost/one-of-my-favorite-things-about-supernatural-fiction-is-its-vast/) [Jeaniene Frost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeaniene-frost/) > [I think if you looked at the kind of ebb and flow of supernatural fiction and horror fiction, it does seem to be more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-koryta/i-think-if-you-looked-at-the-kind-of-ebb-and-flow-of-supernatural/) [Michael Koryta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-koryta/) > [“Writers (of supernatural fiction), who used to strive for awe and achieve fear, now strive for fear and achieve only disgust.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-aylward/writers-of-supernatural-fiction-who-used-to-strive-for-awe-and/) David Aylward > [“In any event, whether a supernatural tale remains altogether fantastic or eventually modulates to the uncanny or the marvelous, the reader is faced with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-kerr/in-any-event-whether-a-supernatural-tale-remains-altogether-fantastic/) [Howard Kerr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-kerr/) > [Heather A. 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