Smiley's People

Last summer, NPR readers voted on a list of Best Beach Books Ever. This summer it’s the Best Thriller Ever.

Last month NPR asked audience members to submit nominations for a list of the 100 most pulse-quickening, suspenseful novels ever written. They came through with some 600 titles. It was a fascinating, if unwieldy, collection.

Now, with audience input, a panel of critics*  has whittled that list down to a manageable 182 novels. That roster, which they now offer for final voting, draws from every known thriller sub-genre — techno, espionage, crime, medical, psychological, horror, legal, supernatural and more.

Which raises the question, what defines a thriller? Clearly it’s not setting or subject matter.

For the purposes of the contest, NPR sticks with the answer James Patterson once gave, which is that thrillers are defined by the “intensity of emotions they create … of apprehension and exhilaration, of excitement and breathlessness. … By definition, if a thriller doesn’t thrill, it’s not doing its job.” If the closely related mystery genre is about discovery, then thrillers are more oriented towards action and suspense. The villain may be known from the start; the fun comes from finding out how the hero will foil whatever evil plans are afoot.

In the end, the audience will decide what makes the top 100. Everyone gets 10 votes.  Lobby for your favorites on the NPR website. They will announce the winners on August 2.

*Maureen Corrigan, David Morrell, Patrick Anderson and Steve Berry