Only a few books or movies are first-class thrillers. In this article, I try to explain why.
Every once in a while you read a novel or see a movie that keeps you glued to the story with such excitement that you can't turn away until you know how it turns out. Everything is moving so fast, and you're so swept up in rapidly unfolding events that you don't dare leave the story for even a moment. The tension builds; you feel every jolt until a breathtaking climax leaves you exhausted.
That, my friend, is a thriller.
How did that movie grab you by the neck and take control? Why that novel and not a hundred other novels?
There isn't a simple answer. There never is when you're examining a work of art. I don't pretend to know all the secrets of a great thriller, but I've learned a few things I'll share with you.
The first and most important ingredient is emotion. If you don't feel the story in your gut, it's not a thriller. And not just any type of emotion. A great romance can break your heart, but that's not the emotion that fuels a thriller. Not that romance can't be part of a thriller, but it's not the what's-going-to- happen-next excitement of a thriller.
A great thriller builds up to an emotional high that lifts you up and takes you along for the ride. Consider Rick Deckard "retiring" androids in Blade Runner or Clarice Starling hunting Buffalo Bill in Silence of the Lambs. At first we tag along with Rick or Clarice, then gradually bond with them and feel every emotion they experience. They are both vulnerable, flawed characters, but we can feel for them, and ultimately, feel with them. Their highs and lows become ours.
A great thriller is unpredictable going forward and completely logical looking backward. Who would have guessed that a creature would burst out of a guy's chest in Alien? Or that the FBI agent in charge of the investigation would be the killer in The Poet? On the other hand, as you look back, it's believable that this alien creature could be so dangerous or that the FBI agent was the killer.
The plot also features deadlines. If they don't capture the villain soon, something terrible --- an assassination, a virus outbreak, a nuclear explosion - is going to take place. You can almost hear the clock ticking. Or is that your pulse?
A great villain is a necessary part of a first-rate thriller. Perhaps a charming psychopath such as Dr. Hannibal Lecter from Silence of the Lambs or megalomaniac Dianne Morgan from 2031: The Singularity Pogrom. The villain must be more than a match for the protagonist, who battles overwhelming odds while in constant danger. A great villain will stir feelings of hatred, fear, revulsion and maybe a little admiration in the reader or moviegoer.
The setting and all the action must be believable. For example, if the action takes place in a specific locale, then all the details (streets, landmarks, major buildings) had better be correct. If bad writing forces the reader to stop believing, then all the air comes out of the story.
And, of course, there is the climax. It must be exciting, unpredictable, resolve the major issues and yet remain consistent with the storyline. Fatal Attraction and Jaws have terrific climaxes that bring the story to a thrilling conclusion.
So that's it --- a few insights as to what makes a great thriller. Difficult to describe, but when you see one, you know it.
The most memorable science fiction characters to have appeared on TV.
Over the years, a surprising number of excellent science fiction characters have appeared on television. A memorable character requires good writing, superb acting and a little charisma. Usually, several memorable characters may be found on a good television series, one that meets the test of time. Often it takes several years to really buy into a character, because great characters are complex, developing or revealing themselves over several seasons. A critical mass of good writers is also essential; one good writer can’t carry a show year after year.
In any case, I’d like to describe a few characters that stand out in my mind. I enjoyed them when I first saw them, and I still enjoy them in reruns. Let me add that many fine characters, such as Captains Kirk and Picard, G’Kar, Boomer, Mal, Tasha, Crichton, Scotty and others didn’t make the list. They’re good, but I had to cut somewhere. My favorites are listed below as I thought about them; it’s not a ranking.
Admiral William Adama of Battlestar Galactica is a tough, honorable, natural leader. Capable of making mistakes, big ones, but also brilliant at times. A rough exterior hides his need to give and receive love, compassion and tenderness. Just looking at the man, you know he’s SOMEBODY. When he speaks in that low, rumbling voice, everyone pays attention. He’s the kind of guy I would follow into battle.
Well, maybe not battle.
Wouldn’t you like having Star Trek’s Dr. Leonard McCoy as your doctor? I know I would. This guy knows his stuff, he’s decent and loyal, and he has a great sense of humor. The friendly name calling between McCoy and Spock made the show both unique and realistic. I’ve always enjoyed mocking out my friends … although I haven’t seen any of them for a while. Sometimes McCoy’s conversation got into a rut (“He’s/she’s dead, Jim.”), but things would pick up as soon as he spotted pointy ears.
Then there’s Cylon Number Six, also from Battlestar Galactica. Blonde, slender but shapely, and legs that don’t quit. I’m beginning to drool already. Talk about an electric presence! When any version of Six turns up, you know there’s going to be plenty of action. Doesn’t matter if she’s making love or beating the stuffing out of someone, you can’t leave the room, even when your wife is shouting that dinner’s getting cold.
Is there anyone who doesn’t know the pointy-eared, super logical Vulcan named Spock? He was unique, complex and fascinating when he was introduced four decades ago, and guess what, he’s still interesting. An old friend, someone who doesn’t disappoint. There is still that struggle between human emotions and Vulcan logic, that sharp wit and that strong loyalty to friends. Hard to believe, but Spock was in the Star Trek movie last year. What an amazing career.
Battlestar’s Gaius Baltar is one of the most complex characters ever to appear in science fiction. He’s basically a villain, but you get the feeling he’s a pretty decent, if weak, character down deep. A genius, a womanizer, a leader, a manipulator --- they all apply to Baltar. He’s almost always on the wrong side of an issue, but you can’t help rooting for his good side to emerge. And those scenes with Six will melt your socks!
If Baltar were an all-powerful alien, he’d be Q. Star Trek TNG’s favorite villain, Q always presents Picard and the other Star Trek leaders with a fascinating problem to investigate. He’s self-centered, mischievous, and arrogant, but always amusing. You just have to smile when Q makes an appearance.
Captain Elizabeth Lockley was only on Babylon 5 for a year, but she really made an impression. Tough, smart, vulnerable, and very hot, she quickly established herself as the leader of B5. The woman dominates her scenes, too. Somehow, no matter who is talking, my eyes are on her.
And finally, there is Lando Molari, the Ambassador to B5 from the Centauri. Lando began the series as a lightweight villain, but gradually evolved into an honorable, brave man willing to sacrifice his happiness for the survival of his people. His relationship with G’Kar, the Narn Ambassador, gradually grew over the life of the series from mutual contempt to respect to a tragic friendship.
Okay, that’s my list. I have noticed that these great sci-fi characters become almost like friends over the years. That’s when you know a character was something special.
Check out SFSIGNAL to see the characters others have selected.
Some futurists believe there will be a point in the not too distant future where the rate of technological development becomes so fast that it will advance beyond the control of humanity. This event is called the Singularity. The most likely cause would be rapidly advancing artificial intelligence.
A future that is dominated by an artificial intelligence superseding human intelligence is entirely possible this century. Software has already been designed that surpasses human intelligence in selected narrow areas such as chess playing. Although software exhibiting general intelligence is still a long way off, there are no theoretical limitations to its creation. Once we reach the point that artificial intelligence can improve its own source code, the stage is set for rapid improvement in AI.
Let’s assume that an enhanced AI takes humanity to the Singularity in several decades. Then we ask, what lies beyond? How can we predict a future dominated by a superior intelligence? An intelligence smarter than us as we are than chimps.
The times after the Singularity remain murky because we aren’t that smart. Could a chimp ever conceive the development of human technology, even if we tried to explain every step? No, it couldn’t, so how do we look past the Singularity?
We can’t.
In fact, we may not be able to understand the steps leading up to the Singularity. We will have to fashion tools to keep pace with rapidly advancing technology. Perhaps an AI that self designs, but remains within limits we can comprehend, would keep us informed as the Singularity approaches. Perhaps genetic engineering of our brains will keep pace with technology for several years.
Another possibility is a merging of human and artificial intelligence. This seems the most promising approach, that is, if you want to see something of today’s humanity survive past the Singularity. My new novel titled 2031: The Singularity Pogrom, explores this possibility.
Let’s get back to the original question: will humanity survive the Singularity? Nobody knows or can know, but let’s pretend we can. One potential solution is to build controls into the AI, something like Asimov’s Laws, but more sophisticated. If we can, let’s infuse the AI with code that requires respect for human laws and love for human beings. This code has to foster such a strong love for humanity that the AI will never delete or emasculate the code. In other words, the AI must be indoctrinated with code that creates a child’s love for his parents. This code must survive the Singularity to assure the continued existence of humanity.
You have probably noticed that this website has been down for several days. Unfortunately, the old website was hacked and had to be redeveloped with better security. This is an ongoing process and I'll bring the website up to speed as quickly as possible. I intend to concentrate on new articles, so I may not get to some of the older posts. Sorry for the inconvenience.
No one really has the guts to say it, but if we could make better human beings by knowing how to add genes, why shouldn’t we?
—-- James Watson, Co-discoverer of the structure of DNA
My new novel, 2031: The Singularity Pogrom takes Watson’s idea and raises the ante. Why not integrate artificial and human intelligence in these "better human beings"? Would the result continue to be human or perhaps something dangerous beyond our understanding?
Welcome to the violent world of 2031.
2031 has just launched on Amazon and other sites, and I would appreciate your support. If you enjoy the novel, please post a review on Amazon. As many authors know, writing a book is the "easy" part and selling it is the more difficult chore. Please forward this message to your email contacts; making people aware of the novel is half the battle.
Well, I’m two for two now. Two books, two publishers belly up. Yup, Kunati Books, the publisher of Unholy Domain, has gone out of business. It has joined Winterwolf, the publisher of PeaceMaker, in that great publisher’s purgatory in the sky. I swear I’m not to blame. I was nice to both of them. It’s just a really tough business and you have to be well-capitalized. Both publishers are good people, and they returned all the rights to my books before they closed the door.
When your publisher disappears, it really makes you scramble. Obviously, I want to keep my books available for purchase. When Winterwolf disappeared, I decided to self-publish. It was a lot of work. I hired Lightning Source as my printer and contracted with a graphic artist to design a new cover. Never liked the original PeaceMaker cover. It turned out well and you can purchase PeaceMaker as a trade paperback or for the Kimble, but, like I said, it was a lotta work. I’d much rather be writing.
So this time I decided to pick BookSurge to publish Unholy Domain. BookSurge is owned by Amazon, so I’m hopeful they will stay in business for at least a week or two. The people I’ve worked with seem both pleasant and professional. The plan is to print a trade paperback version of Unholy Domain, which should be available around Thanksgiving at Amazon and other online retailers. Libraries and bookstores can order Unholy Domain from Baker and Taylor.
Here’s a little news --- I finished the final edits of my new novel, tentatively titled 2031: The Singularity Pogrom. 2031 completes the story that began with PeaceMaker and continued in Unholy Domain. However, I sneaked sufficient background into each book so that they read quite well on a stand-alone basis. What I’m saying is that you can read 2031 without reading PeaceMaker or Unholy Domain. Although I hope you buy all three.
Stay tuned. I have to find a publisher for 2031. This time I think I’ll break the hex. Maybe.
Unholy Domain