Book Review: Thrillers: 100 Must Reads

David Morrell and Hank Wagner, eds., Thrillers: 100 Must Reads. Longboat Key, FL: Oceanview Publishing, 2010.  ISBN: 978-1-933515-56-4.

Genre: nonfiction
Subgenre: books about books, reader's advisory, thrillers, essay
Format: hardcover
Source: Berea branch of the Madison County (KY) Public Library

This book is a collection of short essays about books in the thriller genre. Each essay is written by an author in the genre. Some of the authors writing essays include David Baldacci, Sandra Brown, Lee Child, Jeffery Deaver, R.L. Stine, and book editor David Morrell. The titles for this book were chosen as follows:

"Books were chosen on the basis of the impact each had on the genre. Did the author contribute a new subject, direction, character, and/or technique that had a lasting effect? Did a work make such an impression that it was frequently imitated? After the final list was determined, ITW [International Thriller Writers] members were invited to choose a favorite thriller from the list and write an essay that analyzes the work's importance" (xv). 

The book is arranged as follows:

• Two short introductory essays.
• 100 essays on thriller books. 

The essays start with Theseus and the Minotaur and go all the way to Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code. In between we get works like Beowulf, King Solomon's Mines, "The Most Dangerous Game," Coma, and Red Dragon. Most of the works included were novels, but there are some short stories and novellas as well.

Each essay is clearly a personal piece for the writers who often tell about the first time they read a thriller, reading experiences, and telling just enough about the plot to get readers interested. The book is free of spoilers. The essays are very easy to read. At the end of each essay you get a short paragraph about the essay's author.

As I said, the essays are easy to read. This is a good book to read through, or you can pick it up and read an essay here or there. The essays are interesting as well; I enjoyed them. I also think the book can be a good reader's advisory tool for librarians. The books provides an overview of the genre, and if you can't read every book, you still get just enough information about a thriller to talk about it.

Overall, I really liked the book. It has encouraged me to jot down some titles to read later. It also reminded me of some books I've read and enjoyed that I may want to revisit. If you want to learn more about the thrillers genre, or find some new things to read, this book is a good option.

4 out of 5 stars.

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Additional reading notes:

Scope of the thriller genre:

"Today, thrillers provide a rich literary feast embracing a wide variety of worlds-- the law, espionage, action-adventure, medicine, police and crime, romances, history, politics, high-tech, religion, and many more" (xv). 

The essence of a thriller, according to W. Craig Reed, writing about Tarzan of the Apes:

"One could say that is the essence of a thriller-- that special something that sweeps us along like a rushing river that threatens to shatter us against the rocks. But most of all, that special something that keeps us wanting to know what happens next" (87).

Doc Savage's personal oath, a good one even today that so few today could live up to:

"Let me strive every moment of my life to make myself better and better, to the best of my ability, that all may profit by it. Let me think of the right and lend all my assistance to those who need it, with no regard for anything but justice. Let me make what comes with a smile, without loss of courage. Let me be considerate of my country, of my fellow citizens and my associates in everything I say and do. Let me do right to all, and wrong to no man" (119).


On a side note, I checked, and I have read 20 of the 100 titles featured in the book. Similar to people who are reading the books featured in Paperbacks from Hell, for folks who like the thriller genre or want a challenge, they could attempt to read every book in Thrillers. I am considering the idea, but I have way too many other things to read to really focus on the project, at least for now.

Some books from their list that I would like to read:

• Edgar Rice Burroughs, Tarzan of the Apes. There have been adaptations of this all over, but I have never read the source.
• Edgar Wallace, King Kong. Same goes here.
• Lester Dent, Doc Savage: the Man of Bronze. I know comics of this have been made, but have not read those either. Again, I want to read the source, which by the way, this sounds like in the right hands could make a great movie franchise.
• Agatha Christie, And Then There Were None. I have read some other works by Christie, mainly Poirot tales. 
• Mickey Spillane's One Lonely Night. I have read some other Mike Hammer novels, just not this one yet.
• John Le Carre, The Spy Who Came in From the Cold. I've never read this author, but this book makes him sound intriguing.
• Michael Crichton, The Andromeda Strain. I've read Jurassic Park by Crichton ages ago, and I've seen the films for Jurassic Park, Sphere, and Congo. Oddly enough have not seen the film adaptation of Andromeda Strain either. 
• Brian Garfield's Death Wish. This is the basis of the film featuring Charles Bronson (and later remade with Bruce Willis in the main role). I've seen the Bronson film. 
• Robert Ludlum, The Bourne Identity. Have seen the films with Matt Damon, curious about the book.