Buzz
Falling under the umbrella of Bestselling Novels, the Intellectual Thriller often strays from its name. It isn’t always intellectually stimulating, nor does it consistently deliver heart-pounding suspense. However, I’ve adopted this term because its more precise description – A Somewhat Predictable Narrative Involving Academic Mysteries with a Mediocre Ending – is far too wordy to repeat. This genre appears in various forms, the most prominent being those with Titles that Reference Famous Figures. In these stories, the enigma revolves around a Renowned Historical Individual. Works like Arturo Pérez-Reverte’s The Club Dumas and Matthew Pearl’s The Poe Shadow exemplify this category, alongside another book whose title I’ll omit, assuming everyone is weary of hearing it. You’re welcome. Another variation involves a Distinguished Historical Figure tasked with solving a string of Horrific Crimes. Figures like Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Sigmund Freud, and Oscar Wilde have been featured in such tales.
Other Intellectual Thrillers, such as Diane Setterfield’s The Thirteen Tale or Scarlett Thomas’ The End of Mr. Y, opt to create fictional literary or scientific personas, often leaving fans disheartened when their local librarian responds, “Never heard of them.” To add intrigue, authors occasionally incorporate supernatural elements. For example, in one of the mentioned books, the Love Interest (refer to point 5 on the list) is revealed to be a demon – specifically, the “I fought alongside Lucifer but was cast out” variety.
This isn’t to say I’m aligning with the critics who dismiss these books. In fact, Intellectual Thrillers can be highly captivating and thoroughly enjoyable. However, it’s crucial to remember that the Renaissance was not an event Dan Brown experienced. Drawing from my extensive engagement with the genre, here are the 10 Essential Elements of the Ultimate Intellectual Thriller.
3. Unsettling Event
Element: The Truly Shocking Event
Every respectable Intellectual Thriller must kick off with a Truly Shocking Event. The specific nature of this event isn’t as important as its setting, which should ideally be a campus, museum, or similar cultural institution. This event could involve a brutal murder, multiple brutal murders, a devastating fire, a building collapse, or even a toga party. Regardless of the specifics, it must be – as the name implies – truly shocking and depicted in vivid detail. While many authors lean toward gruesome murders, I recommend setting the murder during a toga party inside a museum to maximize the impact.
2. The Selected One
Element: The Chosen One
As the central figure of the Intellectual Thriller, the Chosen One is almost always the same gender as the author. Despite being exceptionally attractive and brilliant, the Chosen One is a reserved outsider with no sense of style whatsoever. To highlight their unique status or to avoid making them seem like the product of a genetic experiment designed to create perfection, the author might give them an unusual scar or birthmark. Before the Truly Shocking Event, the Chosen One spent their time delicately turning the pages of a rare 17th-century French edition of Aristotle’s Metaphysics, sighing over the thought of a fulfilling yet solitary academic life. After the event, they suddenly understand that they alone hold the key to solving the mystery. But first, they must consult...
1. The Mentor
Element: The Mentor
Typically of the same gender as the Chosen One (and the author), the Mentor is a benevolent, older expert in the protagonist’s area of study. The Mentor has always had unwavering faith in the Chosen One’s potential and intellectual prowess. Before the Truly Shocking Event, the Mentor demonstrated their trust by having the Chosen One perform tasks like carrying their luggage, passing the sugar, or fetching their glasses from a downtown second-hand bookstore during rush hour. After the event, the Mentor is eager to provide guidance. However, this advice must be delivered in a cryptic, Oracle of Delphi-like manner – though less clear and without the toxic fumes. Confused yet inspired, the Chosen One sets out on...
4. The Search
Element: The Search for Something No One Can Fully Understand
This phase dominates much of the novel, and to maintain the reader’s interest, the author must introduce...
5. The Love Interest
Element: The Love Interest
The Love Interest is easily recognizable as the first person of the opposite gender the Chosen One meets in the story. This allows the author to avoid the complexities of character development. Ideally, the Love Interest is an enthusiastic student or an expert in the Chosen One’s field or a related discipline. However, academic credentials are not crucial, as it is entirely by chance that the Love Interest discovers...
6. Rare Item
Element: The Extremely Rare Artifact
At first glance, the Extremely Rare Artifact appears to be the key to unraveling the mystery. In truth, its purpose is to highlight the growing bond between the Chosen One and the Love Interest. This is the perfect moment for the author to include some subtly suggestive dialogue, such as: Chosen One: “I thought this kind of incunabulum was just a myth, a fantasy… Do you think I could, perhaps, touch it?” Love Interest: “Touch it? You can *keep* it!” C.O.: “Are you certain you want me to?” L.I.: “Absolutely, take it! It’s yours!” C.O.: “But… It belongs in a museum!” L.I.: “You’re right. But it also belongs wherever you decide it should.”
7. Supervillain
Element: The Mentor Revealed as the Supervillain Behind Everything
Without hesitation, the Mentor interrupts the intimate moment, brandishing an ancient weapon – described in meticulous detail by the author – and seizes the Extremely Rare Artifact. The Chosen One and Love Interest pause to process the situation, quickly realizing that the Mentor has been revealed as the Supervillain orchestrating everything all along. The Chosen One expresses their shock and betrayal, carefully avoiding any acknowledgment of their own naivety.
10. Happily Ever After
Element: The Happy Ending
In a move that defies logic, professional standards, and common sense, the Police allow the two primary witnesses – and potential accomplices – to simply walk free. As a result, the Chosen One and Love Interest step into the sunlight, resuming the conversation the Mentor had so rudely interrupted. Their exchange is filled with playful hints and subtle gestures. For those curious, the Extremely Rare Artifact does eventually find its way to a museum.
9. The Cops
Element: The Police ex Machina
To the Mentor’s misfortune, the Police arrived just in time to overhear the entire confession, managing to stay completely unnoticed for the last 50 pages. They reveal themselves at the confession’s climax, disarm the Mentor, and politely usher them into a Police vehicle.
8. The Key
Element: The Key to the Mystery
Overconfident in their triumph, the Mentor succumbs to an uncontrollable urge to confess. The following 50 pages are devoted to the Mentor detailing how they masterminded the Truly Shocking Event to secure the Extremely Rare Artifact without having to search for it themselves – a task they delegated to the Chosen One.
