Thriller Genre

A Thriller Genre is a fiction genre characterized by fast-paced, high-stakes narratives designed to keep the reader or audience on the edge of their seat.

• Context:
  • It can (typically) involve Protagonists facing intense, life-threatening situations or moral dilemmas.
  • It can (often) feature Antagonists with complex motivations and formidable resources.
  • It can range from being a Psychological Thriller that explores the mind and behavior of characters to an Action Thriller that focuses on physical confrontations and chases.
  • It can highlight Suspense and Tension, using pacing and plot twists to keep the audience engaged.
  • It can depict Investigations and Mysteries, often with a focus on solving a central enigma or thwarting a villain's plan.
  • ...
• Example(s):
  • Classic Thriller Fictions, such as:
    • Alfred Hitchcock's "Psycho" that uses psychological horror and suspense to create a chilling narrative.
    • Ian Fleming's "James Bond" series that combines espionage, action, and intrigue to keep readers engaged.
    • Robert Ludlum's "The Bourne Identity" that follows an amnesiac protagonist uncovering his true identity while being pursued by assassins.
    • Patricia Highsmith's "Strangers on a Train" that explores the psychological tension between two strangers who meet and plot murders.
    • ...
  • Contemporary Thriller Fictions, such as:
    • Gillian Flynn's "Gone Girl" that delves into the complexities of a marriage and a missing person case with unexpected twists.
    • Dan Brown's "The Da Vinci Code" that combines historical intrigue, religious themes, and fast-paced adventure.
    • Paula Hawkins's "The Girl on the Train" that involves a woman's obsession with a couple she observes during her daily commute, leading to a mystery.
    • Lee Child's "Jack Reacher" series that follows a former military police officer using his skills to solve crimes and dispense justice.
    • John Grisham's "The Pelican Brief" that involves a law student uncovering a conspiracy at the highest levels of government.
    • ...
  • Legal Thrillers, such as:
    • Michael Connelly's "The Lincoln Lawyer" that features Mickey Haller, a defense attorney who operates out of his Lincoln Town Car, delving into the moral ambiguities of the legal profession.
    • Bryan Stevenson's "Just Mercy" that addresses systemic racial injustices in the American legal system, focusing on Stevenson's work as a defense attorney for those wrongfully condemned.
    • Lisa Scottoline's "Mistaken Identity" that involves a lawyer defending a woman who may be her twin sister, exploring themes of identity and family secrets.
    • Steve Cavanagh's "Thirteen" that follows a con artist turned lawyer defending a movie star accused of multiple murders.
    • Dark Waters (2019 Film) that dramatizes Robert Bilott's legal battle against DuPont, revealing corporate pollution and environmental justice issues.
    • ...
  • International Thriller Fictions, such as:
    • Stieg Larsson's "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" that features a journalist and a hacker investigating a decades-old disappearance in Sweden.
    • Keigo Higashino's "The Devotion of Suspect X" that involves a brilliant mathematician helping his neighbor cover up a murder in Japan.
    • Henning Mankell's "Kurt Wallander" series that follows a Swedish detective solving complex crimes in a moody, atmospheric setting.
    • Carlos Ruiz Zafón's "The Shadow of the Wind" that combines literary thriller elements with historical fiction set in post-war Barcelona.
  • Conspiracy Fiction Genre.
  • ...
• Counter-Example(s):
  • Romance Fictions, which focus on romantic relationships and emotional narratives rather than suspense and tension.
  • Comedy Fictions, which emphasize humor and light-hearted plots instead of high-stakes and thrilling situations.
• See: Crime Fiction, Mystery Fiction, Action Fiction, Suspense, Psychological Thriller, Legal Thriller Fiction, Espionage Fiction.

---

---

References

2024

• (Wikipedia, 2024) ⇒ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thriller_(genre) Retrieved:2024-5-4.
  • Thriller is a genre of fiction with numerous, often overlapping, subgenres, including crime, horror, and detective fiction. Thrillers are characterized and defined by the moods they elicit, giving their audiences heightened feelings of suspense, excitement, surprise, anticipation and anxiety. This genre is well suited to film and television.

    A thriller generally keeps its audience on the "edge of their seats" as the plot builds towards a climax. The cover-up of important information is a common element. Literary devices such as red herrings, plot twists, unreliable narrators, and cliffhangers are used extensively. A thriller is often a villain-driven plot, whereby they present obstacles that the protagonist or hero must overcome. Some examples of thrillers are the films of Alfred Hitchcock around the mid 20th century. Some popular 21st-century mainstream examples include: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Gone Girl, The Girl on the Train, The Woman in the Window, and the British television series Utopia.

---