Suspense fiction
Suspense fiction is a genre designed to evoke anxiety and a sense of dread in readers as the narrative unfolds. It originated in the eighteenth century, stemming from gothic fiction, and has since evolved into various forms, including psychological thrillers and contemporary bestsellers. Authors in this genre often create tension by either withholding outcomes or detailing impending catastrophes, engaging readers in a gripping experience where stakes are clearly defined. Suspense fiction differentiates itself from mystery and thriller genres primarily through pacing and the amount of information available to readers. While mysteries typically involve solving a puzzle with the protagonist, and thrillers present fast-paced, danger-laden adventures, suspense fiction emphasizes a gradual build-up of tension. Techniques such as relatable protagonists, cliffhangers, and parallel plotlines enhance the emotional connection and anxiety felt by readers. The genre appeals to many due to its ability to provide a safe outlet for experiencing fear and tension, culminating in a satisfying resolution that activates the brain's reward system. Through these elements, suspense fiction allows readers to explore ethical dilemmas and personal challenges faced by characters in high-stakes situations.
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Suspense fiction
Suspense is a genre of fiction that creates a sense of anxiety in the reader as the story unfolds. Publishers often weave suspense into the genres of mystery and thriller fiction. While similar, suspense differs from these genres in pacing and the information the writer makes available to the reader. Suspense fiction, which employs surprise, tension, and mystery, first emerged in the eighteenth century as gothic fiction. It evolved as mystery, thriller, psychological thriller, and finally in the late twentieth century as suspense fiction. It remains popular in the twenty-first century, with titles such as Gone Girl (2012) by Gillian Flynn and The Girl on the Train (2016) by Paula Hawkins regularly arriving on bestseller lists.
Background
The origin of suspense fiction is gothic horror, which debuted in 1764 with the publication of The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole. This novel has many of the hallmarks of gothic fiction including an evil ruler, a dark and forbidding castle, and a damsel in distress. Decades later, Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley changed the tone of the genre with her debut novel, Frankenstein (1818), which has at its center a scientist whose ambition brought evil to his family and the world. Edgar Allan Poe, best known for gothic horror stories and poetry, also created the first detective fiction in 1841 with “The Murders in the Rue Morgue,” a story known for developing and maintaining suspense. Other notable works of the nineteenth century include The Woman in White (1859) by Wilkie Collins, Dracula (1897) by Bram Stoker, and The Strange Case of Doctor Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1886) by Robert Louis Stevenson.
Thriller fiction arrived in the early twentieth century with novels such as The Thirty-Nine Steps (1915) by John Buchan and Bulldog Drummond (1929) by H.C. McNeile. These were known for exciting action, mystery, and suspense. Suspenseful films of the 1940s and 1950s, the era of film noir, and novels by Raymond Chandler, Dashiell Hammett, and others further developed suspense fiction. The works of this period were known for darkness, violent criminals, and private detectives poised on the edge of ruin when they come to the aid of femme fatales.
Psychological thrillers, the next development of suspense fiction, became popular in the 1960s and 1970s. Such novels as Patricia Highsmith’s The Talented Mr. Ripley (1955) explore the psychology of criminals while heightening readers’ sense of alarm and feelings of foreboding.
Overview
The hallmark of suspense fiction is a sense of dread about what might happen. Authors typically develop the genre in one of two ways. Often, the reader does not know the outcome of the anxiety-producing situation and tensely awaits resolution. In other cases, the author has spelled out the catastrophe, and the reader focuses on finally seeing it end. However, authors and publishers have increasingly blurred the lines between types of crime fiction and often use the terms mystery, thriller, and suspense interchangeably.
Suspense fiction differs from mystery fiction in the amount of information the reader has available and the focus of the story. Mysteries are puzzles, often called whodunnits, that the protagonist and reader are solving together. The crime appears at the start of the story, and the plot details the investigation. The reader knows no more than the investigator until the mystery is solved in the end. Thrillers tend to be cat-and-mouse adventures full of danger. At any moment, disaster may strike, so readers remain gripped by rapidly changing situations and surprising action. Suspense usually reveals the stakes at the start and unfolds more slowly, heightening uncertainty.
Writers employ a variety of techniques in writing suspense fiction. Prologues are common, as is the use of a compressed timeframe, usually involving a race to stop the villain. The writer often includes the villain’s point of view to increase the sense that danger is imminent.
The appeal of suspense fiction is due in part to physiology—the fight or flight system is activated—and psychology. Many people enjoy experiencing anxiety and fear in a safe way, such as when they ride a roller coaster. They enjoy the sense of relief they feel afterward. Anxiety produced by reading a story can result in a similar feeling. Feelings of anticipation and tension activate the reward center in the brain, causing it to release the neurotransmitter dopamine, which is associated with pleasure. The feeling of surprise that a reader experiences when an author throws a twist into a suspense story can cause discomfort, but resolution of the situation and story causes the reader to feel satisfied.
Furthermore, the protagonist of a suspenseful story is often a character with whom the reader can relate. Developing an emotional connection helps readers become immersed in stories and heightens the anxiety about what may happen to a protagonist. Like other works of fiction, suspense allows readers to explore dilemmas through the characters. Readers consider their own beliefs and inclinations as the fictional characters make ethical and moral decisions.
Writers use a range of techniques in crafting suspense, paying particular attention to making the protagonist empathetic and relatable. To do this, the writer gives the character typical life situations, such as unpaid bills, dissatisfaction with one’s job, conflict with a sibling or coworker, a relationship breakup, or a car that will not start. Humanizing the hero with such details allows the reader to sympathize. The writer can also give the reader a reason to like the character by showing the hero’s desire to attain a goal. Obstacles that cause permanent harm to the hero psychologically, personally, or professionally—post-traumatic stress disorder, loss of child custody, or demotion, for example—raise the stakes and make the hero more empathetic. As the protagonist struggles, the chances of succeeding hang in the balance, causing greater anxiety in the reader. The writer can increase the suspense by making the situation more dire, the stakes more personal, or the issue time-sensitive, such as a race to find a kidnap victim or redeem the protagonist in some way. Isolating the hero, making the protagonist a lone wolf butting up against the establishment that does not recognize impending peril, can increase empathy. Parallel plot lines, such as those showing the villain’s actions or advances toward a goal, and cliffhangers at the end of pivotal chapters can raise the stakes for the protagonist and heighten anxiety in the reader.
Bibliography
Beecher, Donald. “Suspense.” Philosophy and Literature, vol. 31, no. 2, 2007, pp. 255 – 279. DOI: 10.1353/phl.2007.0022. Accessed 16 Nov. 2023.
“Genre Basics—Suspense—Article.” Author Learning Center, www.authorlearningcenter.com/writing/i-have-an-idea/w/choosing-your-topic/1946/genre-basics---suspense---article. Accessed 15 Nov. 2023.
Pagan, Amanda. “A Brief History of Gothic Horror.” New York Public Library Blog, 18 Oct. 2018, www.nypl.org/blog/2018/10/18/brief-history-gothic-horror. Accessed 15 Nov. 2023.
Salao, Cole. “Elements of Suspense That Will Keep Your Readers Hooked.” TCK Publishing, www.tckpublishing.com/elements-of-suspense/. Accessed 15 Nov. 2023.
Spratford, Becky. “The Curious Case of the Appeal of Mystery, Thriller, and Suspense.” RA for All, 29 May 2015, raforall.blogspot.com/2015/05/. Accessed 16 Nov. 2023.
“The Suspense Genre.” Mystery & Suspense Magazine, 5 Apr. 2023, www.mysteryandsuspense.com/the-suspense-genre/. Accessed 15 Nov. 2023.
Wood, Simon. “9 Tricks to Writing Suspense Fiction.” Writer’s Digest, 10 July 2008, www.writersdigest.com/improve-my-writing/nine-tricks-to-writing-suspense-fiction. Accessed 15 Nov. 2023.
Woodson, Stacy. “Mystery, Thriller, or Suspense: Does the Label Matter?” DIYMFA, 14 Mar. 2017, diymfa.com/reading/mystery-thriller-suspense-label-matter/. Accessed 15 Nov. 2023.