Dont Close Your Eyes: An Overview of Adventure

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Dont Close Your EyesAn 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

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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.

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Characteristics and Appealsfor 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

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Characteristics and Appealsfor 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
  readers interests) page-turners
• Characterization Protagonists are faced with
  serious dilemma which draws the readers
  sympathies

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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.

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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
• Action (Ludlum)
• Superhero (Flemings Bond)
• Cynical Realism (le Carré)
• Amateur Agent/Adventure (Helen MacInnes)
• Technology (Tom Clancy)

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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.

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Espionage/Spy Thrillers

• Key Titles Authors
• 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

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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

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Legal Thrillers

• History Future of the Genre
• Popularity driven by Grisham and Scott Turow
  best-sellers
• 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.

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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

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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.

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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
• Pandoras Clock by John J. Nance
• When the Wind Blows by James Patterson

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Political/Corporate/Financial Thrillers

• History and Future of the Genre
• Started early in the 1970s by Paul Erdmans 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.

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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.

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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

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Crime/Caper Thrillers

• Characteristics
• Details of the criminal world dominate these
  stories.
• Complicated, intricately twisted plots.
• Are told from the criminals 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.

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Crime/Caper Thrillers

• Key Titles and Authors
• Nobodys 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

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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.

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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.

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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

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Cipher Thrillers

• History and Future of Genre
• Though not begun with Dan Browns 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 genres popularity.

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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.

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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
• Foucaults Pendulum by Umberto Eco
• Codex by Lev Grossman
• The Da Vinci Legacy by Lewis Perdue
• The Messenger by Daniel Silva

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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 protagonists life is threatened by extreme
  danger, but through with and dogged
  determination, the heroes survive.

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Survival Adventures

• Key Titles and Authors
• Vertical Run by Joseph R. Garber
• Last of the Breed by Louis LAmour
• White Cargo by Stuart Wood
• Jaws by Peter Benchly
• Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton
• Atlantis Found by Clive Custler
• Blackout by John J. Nance
• Darwins Blade by Dan Simmons

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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

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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.

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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.

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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 Solomons Mines by H. Rider Haggard
• The Sunbird by Wilbur Smith

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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.

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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.

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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 OBrian
• Sharpes Triumph by Bernard Cornwell
• Lieutenant Hornblower by C.S. Forester
• Midshipman Bolitho by Alexander Kent