Don’t Close Your Eyes:
An Overview of Adventure & Thriller Fiction
“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing. Security
does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as
a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in
the long run than exposure.”
-- Helen Keller
Definitions
Adventure
– A story involving a hero (or heroine) taking
risks and overcoming dangers to complete a
journey or task.
– Also called “Male Romances”.
Thriller
– Focuses on a particular profession and tells
an action-packed story that reveals the
intricacies of that profession and the potential
dangers faced by those involved in it.
Characteristics and Appeals
for Adventure
Story Line – Usually concentrated on a
desperate mission, including plot twists and
betrayals
Characterization – Often a stereotypical strong,
moral, and committed hero with a few secondary
characters
Pacing – Always quick and often described as a
‘roller-coaster ride’
Frame – Takes place ‘elsewhere’, usually
‘extreme’ in nature
Style – Varies widely
Characteristics and Appeals
for Thrillers
Frame – An immersion into the field or
profession of the protagonist
Story Line – Complicated with frequent
plot twists
Pacing – Engrossing (can be very specific
to reader’s interests) page-turners
Characterization – Protagonists are faced
with serious dilemma which draws the
reader’s sympathies
Sub-Genres
Espionage/Spy Thrillers
Legal Thrillers
Medical/Bio Thrillers
Political/Corporate/Financial Thrillers
Crime/Caper Thrillers
Cipher Thrillers
Techno Thrillers
Survival Adventures
Military and Naval Adventures
Sub-genres contain many crossovers amongst
themselves and other genres, especially Mystery.
Espionage/Spy Thrillers
History & Future of genre
– Extremely popular during the ’70s and ’80s with plots
often involving the cold war
– Currently publishing the adventures of terrorists and
mercenaries
Sub-categories
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Action (Ludlum)
Superhero (Fleming’s Bond)
Cynical Realism (le Carré)
Amateur Agent/Adventure (Helen MacInnes)
Technology (Tom Clancy)
Espionage/Spy Thrillers
Characteristics
– Resourceful protagonist who may or may not be
trained as an actual spy. Operates under a personal
code.
– Intricate and involved plot relies heavily on twists and
puzzles within puzzles.
– International politics used to gain information.
– There is violence or the threat of violence or both.
– The tone and mood are often dark, reflect the senses
of alienation that plague these agents.
Espionage/Spy Thrillers
Key Titles & Authors
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The Thirty-Nine Steps by John Buchan
The Secret Agent by Joseph Conrad
Kim by Rudyard Kipling (YA)
Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy
Tanner Series by Lawrence Block
Liam Devlin & Sean Dillon Series by Jack Higgins
Bourne Series by Robert Ludlum
Gabriel Allon Series by Daniel Silva
Mrs. Pollifax Series by Dorothy Gilman
Espionage/Spy Thrillers
YA Trends
– Many adult titles will have YA appeal due
largely to recent movie tie-ins.
– Emerging series of “spies in training”
Anthony Horowitz – Alex Rider Series
Ally Carter – Gallagher Girls
A.J. Butcher – Spy High Series
Legal Thrillers
History & Future of the Genre
– Popularity driven by Grisham and Scott Turow bestsellers
Characteristics
– Hero/ine portrayed sympathetically.
– Plot has hero/ine caught in a web of corruption and
greed.
– Moral and social issues often figure prominently.
– Often called “fast-paced” or “page-turners”.
– Legal details and technical language usually required.
Legal Thrillers
Key Titles and Authors
– The Pelican Brief by John Grisham
– Presumed Innocent by Scott Turow
– Rough Justice by Lisa Scottoline
– Perry Mason Series by Erle Stanley Gardner
– Cal & Plato Marley Series by Bill Pomidor
– Hard Evidence by John T. Lescroart
– Degree of Guilt by Richard North Patterson
Medical/Bio Thrillers
History and Future of Genre
– Emerged in the 1990s as a result of advances in
genetic engineering and the rise of terrorism.
Characteristics
– Stories are plot driven and focus on medical and
science themes.
– Dangerous situations move the story along quickly.
– Hero/ine is usually a good doctor or researcher
caught in a dangerous situation.
– Medical and scientific details are important.
Medical/Bio Thrillers
Key Titles & Authors
– Toxin by Robin Cook
– The First Horseman by John Case
– The Andromeda Strain by Michael Crichton
– Harvest by Tess Gerritsen
– Fear Nothing by Dean Kootz
– Pandora’s Clock by John J. Nance
– When the Wind Blows by James Patterson
Political/Corporate/Financial
Thrillers
History and Future of the Genre
– Started early in the 1970s by Paul Erdman’s
The Billion Dollar Sure Thing.
– Declined in popularity in the late 1990s, but it
continues to have a steady readership and
stream of on titles.
Political/Corporate/Financial
Thrillers
Characteristics
– Themed on current issues in the news: conspiracy,
computer manipulation, corruption.
– Protagonists have backgrounds in government,
finance and/or management and have their own
moral code.
– Plot twists, intricate story lines, and action drive the
pacing.
– Realistic details relating to corporate life, finance,
politics, or government provide added insight into the
story line and complications.
Political/Corporate/Financial
Thrillers
Key Titles & Authors
– Nest of Vipers by Linda Davies
– Total Control by David Baldacci
– Zero Hour by Joseph Finder
– The Takeover by Stephen W. Frey
– The Day of the Jackal by Frederick Forsyth
– Left Behind by Tim R. LaHaye
Crime/Caper Thrillers
Characteristics
– Details of the criminal world dominate these
stories.
– Complicated, intricately twisted plots.
– Are told from the criminal’s point of view.
– Action is important, but the preparations for
the crime and its aftermath drive the pacing.
– Often graphically violent. The tone runs from
noir to more comedic.
Crime/Caper Thrillers
Key Titles and Authors
– Nobody’s Perfect by Donald E. Westlake
– Native Tongue by Carl Hiaasen
– Anderson Tapes by Lawrence Sanders
– Void Moon by Michael Connelly
– Get Shorty by Elmore Leonard
– The Gravity of Shadows by David Ramus
– Hit Man by Lawrence Block
Technothrillers
History and Future of Genre
– Emerged in the 1980s as one of the most
popular types of adventure tale.
– In the beginning the Soviets were often the
villains, though recent releases use the
Middle East and South America as settings.
– War on drugs is also finding a place in recent
plots.
Technothrillers
Characteristics
– Protagonists are almost exclusively stereotypical and
male, often part of a team.
– The resourceful protagonist uses ingenuity plus exotic
weaponry and military gadgets to extricate himself
and others from danger.
– Story lines focus on international military activities.
– Technical expertise and accuracy are important.
– Political affiliation is distinctly right wing.
Technothrillers
Key Titles and Authors
– The Hunt for Red October by Tom Clancy
– Red Phoenix by Larry Bond
– Flight of the Old Dog by Dale Brown
– Choosers of the Slain by James H. Cobb
– Flight of the Intruder by Stephen Coonts
– Voyage of the Devilfish by Michael DiMercurio
– The Circle by David Poyer
Cipher Thrillers
History and Future of Genre
– Though not begun with Dan Brown’s Da Vinci
Code, that novel definitely turned readers’
attention to these clever thrillers.
– Recent movies (like National Treasure and
The Librarian: Quest for the Spear) have also
increased the genre’s popularity.
Cipher Thrillers
Characteristics
– Protagonist is usually a researcher of some kind who
is unintentionally caught up in dangerous intrigue.
– Intricate and involved plots usually include twists and
puzzles within puzzles.
– There is usually an emphasis on history and ancient
treasure. Puzzles often involve some specialty such
as symbology, religion, government, etc.
– These thrillers are usually page-turners driven by
clues and codes.
– The mood is usually darkened by the emphasis on
corruption and deception.
Cipher Thrillers
Key Titles and Authors
– The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown
– The Third Translation by Matt Bondurant
– The Rule of Four by Ian Caldwell
– Foucault’s Pendulum by Umberto Eco
– Codex by Lev Grossman
– The Da Vinci Legacy by Lewis Perdue
– The Messenger by Daniel Silva
Survival Adventures
Characteristics
– Protagonist is often “reluctant”, but becomes
heroic through their actions in the face of
danger.
– Some of these stories, particularly if in a “lone
survivor” category, have a slower pace.
– The protagonist’s life is threatened by extreme
danger, but through with and dogged
determination, the heroes survive.
Survival Adventures
Key Titles and Authors
– Vertical Run by Joseph R. Garber
– Last of the Breed by Louis L’Amour
– White Cargo by Stuart Wood
– Jaws by Peter Benchly
– Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton
– Atlantis Found by Clive Custler
– Blackout by John J. Nance
– Darwin’s Blade by Dan Simmons
Survival Adventures
Young Adult Trends
– There is a long history and continuing
abundance of survival stories in teen fiction.
Titles & Authors
– Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George
– Hatchet by Gary Paulsen
– The Wreckers by Iain Lawrence
– SOS Titanic by Eve Bunting
– Far North by Will Hobbs
Exotic Adventures
History and Future of Genre
– Exotic Adventures belong in the “Male
Romance” genre and have been around since
Dumas.
– The popularity has diminished in recent years,
but romance authors have begun to write in
this area, adding a good deal of romance to
the stories.
Exotic Adventure
Characteristics
– Setting is in exotic locales, and the setting and sense
of place emphasize danger.
– Characters are stereotypes, and villains are often
cartoonish. Secondary characters are seldom of any
substance.
– Plots are usually out of the ordinary and often contain
fantastic elements: thus, humor may play a role in the
story.
– At the end of the books, there is a sense that justice
has been done; good triumphs over evil.
Exotic Adventure
Key Titles and Authors
– Mediterranean Caper by Clive Cussler
– Floating City by Eric Van Lustbader
– The Game of Kings by Dorothy Dunnett
– Tokaido Road by Lucia St. Clair Robson
– Isvik by Hammond Innes
– King Solomon’s Mines by H. Rider Haggard
– The Sunbird by Wilbur Smith
Military & Naval Adventure
History and Future of Genre
– Though not usually best-sellers, these
adventures have a long history and steady
readership. They are often series, featuring
recurring characters.
– Can also include the “soldier of fortune”
subgenre.
Military & Naval Adventure
Characteristics
– Although there is an identifiable hero, he is almost
always part of a community of men. Strong
secondary characters are important to the story.
– Characters and plots are more realistic, and plots
often feature real people and historical events.
– Survival is a major theme, as these characters in
military situations spend more time in immediate peril
of their lives.
Military & Naval Adventure
Key Titles and Authors
– Where Eagles Dare by Alistair MacLean
– Lieutenants by W.E.B. Griffin
– The Eagle has Flown by Jack Higgins
– Echo Platoon by Richard Marcinko
– Master and Commander by Patrick O’Brian
– Sharpe’s Triumph by Bernard Cornwell
– Lieutenant Hornblower by C.S. Forester
– Midshipman Bolitho by Alexander Kent