Tag Archives: Thrillers

Some Mechanisms Underlying Narrative Tension

Posted on September 18, 2012 by

Since the WIP I’m finishing up is an espionage fantasy, it’s safe to say I’ve been thinking a lot about pacing and how thrillers achieve their heart-pounding, edge-of-your-seat engagement with the reader. Superficially, they do it through mounting tension followed … Continue reading →

Posted in Genre Observations, Writing | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

Why Do Thrillers Outsell Science Fiction?

Posted on September 11, 2012 by

I’ve written before about the relationship between spy fiction and science fiction, but after recently re-reading Tom Clancy’s The Hunt for Red October, the relationship is even further solidified in my mind. While Fleming and Le Carré provide good examples … Continue reading →

Posted in Genre Observations, Science Fiction, scifi, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Why do we love science fiction, fantasy, or horror?

Posted on October 18, 2011 by

Over on the Absolute Write Forums, GreenEpic posted a fairly thought provoking question: Does anyone have a theory as to why science fiction and fantasy are so popular? While the thread there has a bunch of really good answers, most … Continue reading →

Posted in fantasy, Genre Observations, horror, Science Fiction, scifi, specfic, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments