suspense, thriller, and horror
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SUSPENSE, THRILLER, AND HORROR
WHAT IS IT?
According to the dictionary,
“suspense” is a state or condition of
mental uncertainty or excitement. In
literary works, it is that quality that
makes the reader or audience
uncertain or tense about the outcome
of events. Suspense makes the reader
ask "What will happen next?"
Suspense is greatest when
it focuses attention on a
sympathetic character. For
example, you read or see
that the character is
hanging off a ledge. How
does that make you feel?
Another example would be a
character tied to railroad
tracks and a train is coming
fast. Do you get the chills?
Sometimes, suspense is
also associated with thriller
and horror. Note that
suspense is not to be
confused with bloody films
and such. Suspense and
horror makes the fear come
out of you. Blood, however,
makes other emotions come
out.
A thriller provides the sudden rush of
emotions, excitement, sense of suspense
and exhilaration that drive the narrative,
sometimes subtly with peaks and lulls,
sometimes at a constant, breakneck pace
thrills. In this genre, the objective is to
deliver a story with sustained tension,
surprise, and a constant sense of impending
doom.
QUOTE BY JAMES PATTERSON (AUTHOR OF ALEX CROSS
SERIES)
“...Thrillers provide such a rich literary feast.
There are all kinds. The legal thriller, spy thriller,
action-adventure thriller, medical thriller, police
thriller, romantic thriller, historical thriller, political
thriller, religious thriller, high-tech thriller, military
thriller. The list goes on and on, with new variations
constantly being invented.
In fact, this openness to expansion is one of the
genre's most enduring characteristics. But what
gives the variety of thrillers a common ground is the
intensity of emotions they create, particularly those
of apprehension and exhilaration, of excitement and
breathlessness, all designed to generate that all-
important thrill. By definition, if a thriller doesn't
thrill, it's not doing its job.”
—James Patterson, June 2006,
"Introduction," Thriller
Psycho
The Borne
Ultimatum
Red Dragon
The Woman in Black
Shutter Island
Insidious
Edgar Allan Poe (The
Raven)
Stephen King (The
Stand)
James Patterson (Alex
Cross)
Dan Brown (The Lost
Symbol)
Dean Koontz (Odd
Thomas)
Suspense Movies
Suspense Literature
Authors
SUSPENSE GAMES
Resident Evil
Silent Hill
FEAR
Dead Space
Heavy Rain
Alan Wake
Dead Island
WHAT MAKES YOU GET THE CHILLS?
Write a narrative of four
sentences of something that
makes you scared or get the
chills!