Literature Atlas

How Stories Are Told
Sign In
Text size
100%
Theme

Switch Atlas

Genre

Thriller

Satire and Mystery Fiction

Thriller is a genre of fiction with numerous, often overlapping subgenres including crime, horror and detective fiction, defined not by subject matter but by the moods it elicits in its audience: heightened suspense, excitement, surprise, anticipation and anxiety.

Facts
Place of Origin
United Kingdom 1
Notable Example
The Thirty-Nine Steps (1915) by John Buchan 1
Defining Trait
Defined by the mood of suspense, excitement, surprise, anticipation and anxiety it elicits 1
Defining Trait
Mood and Effect 1
Connections

Encompasses Form

Conspiracy Fiction, Genres
Financial Thriller, Genres
Legal Thriller, Genres
Political Thriller, Genres
Psychological Thriller, Genres
Spy Fiction, Genres
Techno-thriller, Genres

Features Author

Dan Brown, Authors
Source Wikipedia: Dan Brown
Daphne du Maurier, Authors
Source Wikipedia: Daphne du Maurier

Subgenres

Conspiracy Fiction, Genres
Source Conspiracy Fiction (Wikipedia)
Financial Thriller, Genres
Source Wikipedia: Financial thriller
Political Thriller, Genres
Source Political Thriller (Wikipedia)
Psychological Thriller, Genres
Source Psychological Thriller (Wikipedia)
In the Other Atlases

Originated In

United Kingdom

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject originated.

Sources
1. Thriller (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia Foundation
  • Lead paragraph, second sentence
    Thrillers are characterized and defined by the moods they elicit, giving their audiences heightened feelings of suspense, excitement, surprise, anticipation and anxiety.
  • History paragraph, Thirty-Nine Steps sentence
    The Thirty-Nine Steps (1915) is an early detective thriller by John Buchan, in which an innocent man becomes the prime suspect in a murder case and finds himself on the run from both the police and enemy spies.
  • History paragraph, Riddle of the Sands sentence
    The first recognizable modern thriller was Erskine Childers' The Riddle of the Sands (1903), in which two young Englishmen stumble upon a secret German armada preparing to invade their homeland.
  • Lead paragraph, defining sentence
    Thriller is a genre of fiction with numerous, often overlapping, subgenres, including crime, horror, and detective fiction.
View the Source
Psychological Thriller (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationSubgenres: Psychological Thriller, Lead paragraph
Quote, Subgenres: Psychological Thriller, Lead paragraph
is a subgenre of the broader ranging thriller
View the Source
Wikipedia: Financial thriller
Subgenres: Financial Thriller, Lead paragraph
Quote, Subgenres: Financial Thriller, Lead paragraph
are a subgenre of thriller fiction
View the Source
Conspiracy Fiction (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia Foundation (Wikipedia)Subgenres: Conspiracy Fiction, Lead paragraph
Quote, Subgenres: Conspiracy Fiction, Lead paragraph
is a subgenre of thriller fiction
View the Source
Political Thriller (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationSubgenres: Political Thriller, Lead paragraph, sentence naming the parent genre
Quote, Subgenres: Political Thriller, Lead paragraph, sentence naming the parent genre
A political thriller is a thriller that is set against the backdrop of a political power struggle; high stakes and suspense are the core of the story.
View the Source
Wikipedia: Dan Brown
Features Author: Dan Brown, Infobox, genre field
Quote, Features Author: Dan Brown, Infobox, genre field
Genre: Thriller, adventure, mystery, conspiracy
View the Source
Wikipedia: Daphne du Maurier
Features Author: Daphne du Maurier, Infobox, genre field
Quote, Features Author: Daphne du Maurier, Infobox, genre field
Genre: Literary fiction, thriller
View the Source
Comments (0)
No comments yet. Be the first to share a thought.
Reader Challenges (0)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.