Dictionar
Thrillerul reprezinta, in sens amplu, un roman de suspans, caracterizat de ritmul alert al actiunii, de intensitatea maxima a emotiilor provocate cititorilor si de lupta eroului cu criminali sau teroristi geniali, societati secrete malefice, concerne internationale omnipotente, institutii ale statului ori servicii secrete neaparat corupte.
Subgenuri:
- action-adventure thriller (Matthew Reilly, Clive Cussler);
- techno thriller (Tom Clancy);
- medical thriller (Robert Cook, Paul Carson);
- legal thriller (John Grisham);
- financial thriller (Michael Ridpath);
- political thriller (David Baldacci, Nelson DeMille);
- conspiracy thriller (Richard Condon);
- military thriller (Stephen Coonts);
- serial killer thriller (James Patterson, Thomas Harris);
- psychological thriller (John Baker);
- religious thriller (Tim LaHaye, Jerry B. Jenkins);
- spy fiction (Ian Fleming, John le Carre, Robert Ludlum).
Subgenuri „hibride”:
- thriller SF (Michael Crichton);
- fantasy (Neil Gaiman);
- horror (Dean Koontz).