Techniques of the Uncanny

Technology thrills. It extends, supplements, and augments our presence and reach in the world, beyond the limitations imposed by nature. Curiously, technology can also strike us as creepy, threatening, and “uncanny” for these same reasons. In this course, we explore approaches to the uncanny that reflect on technicity, technique, and technology. We begin with the canonical essay by Sigmund Freud about Hoffmann’s “The Sandman,” then move through a selection of uncanny tales (including Tieck, Kleist, Poe, Kafka), and end the semester with examples from twentieth-century speculative fiction (Philip K. Dick, Ursula Le Guin, Octavia Butler). We will focus on literary techniques that produce the effect of the uncanny, in connection with larger social, and cultural anxieties around identity, otherness, and human agency. Readings and discussions are in English, and the course is open to students of all levels and concentrations.