The Psychological Thriller Genre
My third novel, Symbiosis, is about identical twin girls called Talulah and Taliah. Symbiosis (released Jan 21st 2016) is a Psychological Thriller. This week’s post is dedicated to the Psychological Thriller literary genre.
Definition: A Psychological Thriller is a thriller story, which emphasises the psychology of its characters and their unstable emotional states… (More)
Characteristics:
- Psychological & emotional stress are primary themes.
- The conflict between the characters is predominantly
psychological/mental. - Deception is a key factor.
- Tension and suspense are ever-present.
- There is often an overlap with other genres, including Mystery,
Transgressive Fiction and Horror (particularly psychological horror). - Psychological Thrillers focus on both the hero and the villain.
- The nature of the protagonist is often questioned.
- Psychological Thrillers play with both the characters’ and reader’s
mind.
History:
1697 – Little Red Riding Hood – the story is about a manipulative, stalking wolf versus an innocent girl.
1844 – The Count of Monte Cristo – betrayal and revenge are themes in this action-packed novel.
1903 – Heart of Darkness – the human soul is the central theme in this first person account of a man traveling up the Congo River. Click here to read my review.
1959 – The Manchurian Candidate – this Cold War classic is about a squad of American soldiers who are left paranoid after being brainwashed by Communists.
1980 – The Bourne Identity – a man suffering from amnesia finds a trail of deceit when he sets out to discover his past. Most of us have probably seen the film it inspired.
My Favourite Psychological Thriller Author: Thomas Harris (Red Dragon/Silence of the Lambs).
My Most Disturbing Psychological Thriller: The Killer Inside Me by Jim Thompson. Click here to read my review.
Psychological Thriller of the Decade so far: Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn (2012) – 939,000 sales in 2014 alone.
Amazon’s Current No.1 Best Selling Psychological Thriller: The Girl With No Past by Kathryn Croft.
Most Famous Contemporary Psychological Thriller Author: Lee Child.
The Psychological Thriller I Want to Read Next: Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier.
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I have written 3 novels. My latest is the psychological thriller, Symbiosis.
