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)

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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.

1844The Count of Monte Cristo – betrayal and revenge are themes in this action-packed novel.

1903Heart 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.

1959The Manchurian Candidate – this Cold War classic is about a squad of American soldiers who are left paranoid after being brainwashed by Communists.

1980The 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.

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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.

Symbiosis

 

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