This study is an attempt to address the issue of of the uncanny in literature, which is the bulk of the thesis and the rest concerns also the uncanny in visual media and part of the thesis will be devoted to the uncanny in reality and cultural events. The method of research is to capture the uncanny element from the angle and perspective of its influence upon humans and their fear – how the uncanny incites fear, its mechanisms and consequences. The thesis consists basically of two parts – first, more voluptuous part is literal and the second deals with visual media. In the first part the focus is mainly on E. A. Poe and Gothic fictional literature, and the purpose of the second part is to focus on sci-fi and horror movies – namely Blade Runner, Terminator series and Child s Play. The transitional part between first and second deals with real life occurences and incorporates uncanny in reality, cultural events and my own insights and experiences of the uncanny from the real life. The purpose of the thesis is to show that the uncanny is one of the greatest sources – one may say archetypal source of fear, if not even the greatest fear that one can experience.