What is a Thriller?

Thrillers are a genre of book, film and television programming. The genre uses suspense, tension and excitement as the main elements. 


There are several sub-genres of thrillers; conspiracy, crime, erotic, legal, political, phsychological, rape and revenge and supernatural. 

“	...Thrillers provide such a rich literary feast. There are all kinds. The legal thriller, spy thriller, action-adventure thriller, medical thriller, police thriller, romantic thriller, historical thriller, political thriller, religious thriller, high-tech thriller, military thriller. The list goes on and on, with new variations constantly being invented. In fact, this openness to expansion is one of the genre's most enduring characteristics. But what gives the variety of thrillers a common ground is the intensity of emotions they create, particularly those of apprehension and exhilaration, of excitement and breathlessness, all designed to generate that all-important thrill. By definition, if a thriller doesn't thrill, it's not doing its job.	”
—James Patterson, June 2006, "Introduction,"  Thrillers aren't like horror as they mentally scare the audience rather than physically.  Thrillers normally show the audience the villian so the audience knows what is going to happen to the victim.