Conflict Action Thrillers discussion

I started "Conflict Action Thrillers" to expand the community of groups for thrillers. I couldn't find a group that discussed the best-selling thrillers from the 1970's and the 1980's. These novels established the most enduring modern style of thriller.

Conflict action thrillers continue to be written. However, their character has changed. The roots involve circumstances and events of the political world that were beyond the ordinary comprehension of the public mind. Thrillers were an escape from these tensions. Now, a sense of subgenre is being created.

For example, Numbered Account (1998) by Christopher Reich is an entry into a subgenre about commercial banks. Black Light (1996) by Stephen Hunter is an entry into a subgenre about federal crime.

It is interesting to see from these two examples that the new subgenres are concerned with the overwelming of the individual while the earlier style of thriller was concerned with the overwelming of society itself. I look forward to intriguing conversations here!

Jasmine

I think that new opportunities are being created for the intelligence subgenre of thrillers. Older thrillers were essentially centered on events with intelligence embedded within them. However, today's marketplace is smarter, and recognizes intelligence as the more valuable component. Events can transpire around intelligence, and characters can be above intelligence.

An intelligence subgenre provides a breadth of structures and plots for a writer. Stories can be constructed above or below a structure, and plots can be made from events or intelligence.

I have two examples of intelligence thrillers. Shadow 81 by Lucien Nahum is a story about military aircraft, ships, and foreign countries. Many events unfold an exciting plot containing great details. Flight 81 is a Boeing 747. It is held up for ransom at 21,000 feet. The story is constructed just below the structural plot of military operations, which is made from intelligence not events.

The Harbinger Effect by S. K. Wolf is a story about Soviets, an American woman in West Africa, and an intelligence operation. It is a captivating narrative with engaging dialog. Let the plot stay secret. The story is constructed about a structural mystery, and the plot is made from events not intelligence.

Jasmine