Espionage Thriller Novels - Two Classic Foundation Works

Arguably the first modern espionage thriller novel was 'Riddle of the Sands' by Erskine Childers, dating back to 1903. Then along came 'The Thirty Nine Steps' by John Buchan, in 1915, made into a film released in 1935 starring Robert Donat - directed by none other than Alfred Hitchcock. Together, they helped define the genre, I believe.

I still have a copy of Childers's book on my bookshelf - as a sailor, it's still a fascinating read for me. Of course, I'm a lot younger, but as a boy I sailed on yachts of 'Dulcibella's type many times, with oil lamps and decks which leaked copiously. The tale is basically a comment on the United Kingdom's woeful military status at the turn of the century, ill-equipped to counter a potential German invasion. It was farsighted, but whether it was an influence on John Buchan, I don't know.

The real life events after Riddle of the Sands could make a thriller novel. Although he was born in Mayfair (London) and had fought in the Boer War and the First World War, his views gradually altered towards favouring a Free Ireland and he became an active Irish nationalist. He was himself a sailor but also a gun-runner on his yacht 'Asgard'. The 51 feet long ketch, which he had built reportedly for £1,000, is now a national treasure in Ireland. All sides suspected him of being a double agent the three sides being the warring factions in the Irish Civil War, and the United Kingdom. He was caught and tried by the Irish Provisional Government itself, and executed by firing squad for arms offences. There are several facets to this true tale - too many to explore here; suffice it to say that it's as convoluted a tale as any worthwhile espionage fiction supplies.

Now, to 'The Thirty Nine Steps'. The plot is one that has become a classic device for espionage thriller authors and screenplay writers alike - that of the 'man on the run'. As with Childers's book, it was focused on the potential for a German invasion of the United Kingdom, and a coterie of German spies in Britain. The book's title is itself a recurrent theme throughout the tale, and a key to the conundrum that exercises Richard Hannay (the main character), and, of course, the reader.

Commentators suggest that the author described the story as a 'shocker'. We don't use that term for the espionage or action genres, though I suppose the classification may be loosely used for horror stories these days. What Buchan meant bythe term 'shocker' relates to the story being barely credible for the typical reader. Suspending reader belief and building credibility are basic tools in the writer's toolkit.

The ability to suspend belief is essential in most thriller novel sub-genres if the thrills are to be credible and the reader is a sceptic. On the other hand, building credibility can be achieved by including plenty of detail (which requires research), such as might be found in the best of techno-thrillers.

Both Childers and Buchan included detail to enhance credibility, but Childers, given his sailing background albeit initially as an amateur, and later as a professional in the Royal Navy was able to excel.

There's a final fascination, and that is that Hannay of 'The Thirty Nine Steps', progresses through a series of three further escapades in sequels - perhaps the very first example of the thriller novels 'franchise' now so popular with authors and readers alike.