4 replies to this topic

[whiteskwirl]

I'm looking for suggestions of good action-packed thrillers. I'm not well-read in the thriller genre. Aside from Bond and Michael Crichton, my exposure to thrillers is rather random. I do know that I hate Lee Child's writing style, so no need to suggest anything by him. I've also read very little from the UK. I don't really even know who's out there (from the UK).

Any thoughts? Basically, I'm looking for books that would make great action movies.


And if anyone has read anything by Alistair Maclean, I would appreciate your thoughts on him, as he seems interesting.

[Trident]

Hm, depends. If you are mostly into 'Action! Action! Action!' then Matthew Reilly may be up your alley. I've only read a few of his books, ICE STATION, CONTEST and TEMPLE and if anything they are incredibly fast moving and up-to-the-brim packed with OTT action, the printed equivalent to a Bruckheimer production.

A little less action in favour of character (mind you, a little) is James Rollins. Have only read DEEP FATHOM, which I felt was also very fast.

Alistair MacLean was a class of his own and has very much invented the genre with GUNS OF NAVARONE. That book constitutes the template for this particular kind of thriller, a group of agents penetrating a high security military installation to destroy the thing and in one way or another you can find the theme in many action thrillers that came after GUNS. Other great reads by MacLean are FEAR IS THE KEY, WHEN EIGHT BELLS TOLL, PUPPET ON A CHAIN and WHERE EAGLES DARE. The last one was apparently written specifically for the film, although the book toned down some of the action. It's still an incredibly tense thriller, actually a leaner remake of the (much longer) GUNS and if you compare the two you can see how MacLean grew into writing more 'filmic'.

Alas, MacLean also was a hit-and-miss case and his later works pale in comparison to GUNS, EAGLES or ICE STATION ZEBRA. If you start checking out MacLean, start with the ones pre-1970 or so.

[AMC Hornet]

Maclean also wrote a litle thing called Golden Rendezvous, which is worth a peek. It was filmed with Richard Harris and Gordon Jackson heading the cast.

Leslie Charteris' Saint books, while not action-packed, still have that eloquent, paid-by-the-word-so-use-lots-of-adjectives style that Fleming employed so well.

Craig Thomas writes a formulaic, fortunately/unfortunately rollercoaster ride. Start with Firefox, then Firefox Down.

Donald Hamilton's Matt Helm books, though blunt and brutal, fit the bill. Avoid anything numbered, like Nick Carter or Mack Bolan - they're cheap, ghost-written trash.

If you can find any of John Gardner's Boysie Oaks books you're in for a double treat - the first successful spy series to follow Fleming also has its tongue firmly lodged in its cheek.

Good hunting and good reading!

[terminus]

Any of the Andy McDermott series - but read them in order (Atlantis, Hercules, Excalibur, Genesis, Osiris and the forthcoming Vault) as there are continuing plot threads. Very Bond in tone and style, albeit cinematic Bond - something the authors almost openly admitted.

The Lucifer Box series - especially the third novel, Black Butterfly.

And a couple of the Chris Ryan novels - notably Ultimate Weapon and Strike Back.

[s.a.s. Malko]

Robert Ludlums Matarese circle, the Parsifal mosaic and the Bourne trilogy, David Morells the fifth profession, the Protector, the brotherhood of the rose and the fraternity of the stone and extreme denial. For hand to hand combat you have to read barry eislers John Rain books.