Monster, Gay, and Gothic: Queer Gothic in Pongsakorn’s Klinkaraweg

Abstract

Pongsakorn’s Klinkaraweg (2006) is a Gothic fantasy novel that stands out for its innovative fusion of queerness with the Gothic tradition. Its queering of the genre is evident not only in its thematic concern but also in its narrative form. While Gothic literature often explores transgressive subjects such as miscegenation, sexual violence, and the abuse of power, it typically resolves these tensions by restoring social norms and reestablishing order. Klinkaraweg, however, offers a queer reading of the Gothic that actively challenges these conventions. It exposes the inherent vulnerability of gender norms, highlights the fluidity of gender identities, and confronts the pervasive violence of homophobia. This queer sensibility extends to the novel’s narrative style, which combines the horror of the Gothic tradition with the playful, subversive nature of camp. In this hybrid form, humor functions not only as a source of pleasure but also as a critical tool—one that exposes and ridicules rigid gender norms, rendering them absurd and unstable.