Fiction combining suspense/thrill/plot with humor
September 12, 2015 10:31 AM Subscribe
I am interested in books that manage to combine a successful plot-driven approach (particularly thrillers or other airport-style reading, like Crichton or Dan Brown) with humor, either in the form of characters, dialogue, or narration. When has it been done successfully? When has it been attempted unsuccessfully? Are they like oil and water, and if so, why?
More interested in learning by example how it can be done, or why it cannot be done, than coming up with specific reading suggestions, but if both are possible . . . who'd say no? Many thanks!
More interested in learning by example how it can be done, or why it cannot be done, than coming up with specific reading suggestions, but if both are possible . . . who'd say no? Many thanks!
You could try some Christopher Brookmyre. He's a metafilter type of chap politically and uses both male and female led characters. He's Scottish and most of his stuff is set there, though with some international travel. He has a few lead characters who recur, so you might want to check you are starting at the beginning of a character arc if you pick one up.
You could do worse than start with 'All Fun and Games until someone loses an Eye'.
posted by biffa at 11:02 AM on September 12, 2015
You could do worse than start with 'All Fun and Games until someone loses an Eye'.
posted by biffa at 11:02 AM on September 12, 2015
They're older, but the two Robert Ludlum books (which are the definition of airport reading) you want are The Road to Gandolfo and The Road to Omaha. The first one is about a misguided plot to kidnap the Pope. The second involves a misguided plot to hand over major tracts of land (including a US Airbase) to a native-American group as part of a treaty obligation. The reason I suggest these two (one is a sequel to the other) is that Ludlum uses a lot of the same tropes he uses in his straight adventures (talented individual thrown into a complicated world of danger and espionage, etc.) and just flips them on their head by pointing out the absurdity in the situations. The main character also tends to react emotionally in the exact opposite manner than his other characters do in similar situations.
The Gun Seller by Hugh Laurie (yes that Hugh Laurie) should also be on your list. The protagonist is a smart-ass, which serves to lighten the mood of what could otherwise be a grim and dark tale of adventure more suitable for being turned into a Liam Neeson movie than something with a ligher, more willing to wink at the audience actor (maybe Roger Moore).
posted by sardonyx at 11:09 AM on September 12, 2015 [2 favorites]
The Gun Seller by Hugh Laurie (yes that Hugh Laurie) should also be on your list. The protagonist is a smart-ass, which serves to lighten the mood of what could otherwise be a grim and dark tale of adventure more suitable for being turned into a Liam Neeson movie than something with a ligher, more willing to wink at the audience actor (maybe Roger Moore).
posted by sardonyx at 11:09 AM on September 12, 2015 [2 favorites]
Are you familiar with Jasper Fforde's "The Big Over Easy" and "The Fourth Bear"? Witty, plot-heavy murder mystery, with as many nods to noir as to nursery rhymes.
posted by MonkeyToes at 11:11 AM on September 12, 2015 [4 favorites]
posted by MonkeyToes at 11:11 AM on September 12, 2015 [4 favorites]
Carl Hiaasen
JD Robb (The Eve Dallas books. I wasn't sure the humor was intentional when I first started reading these, but now I think it is.)
Elmore Leonard (or maybe I just have a weird sense of humor)
posted by Bruce H. at 11:19 AM on September 12, 2015 [7 favorites]
JD Robb (The Eve Dallas books. I wasn't sure the humor was intentional when I first started reading these, but now I think it is.)
Elmore Leonard (or maybe I just have a weird sense of humor)
posted by Bruce H. at 11:19 AM on September 12, 2015 [7 favorites]
Charles Stross does this well. I don't think humor and suspense are competing interests in a story at all. Humor is all about tone, and suspense can be accomplished with plotting.
posted by deathpanels at 11:23 AM on September 12, 2015
posted by deathpanels at 11:23 AM on September 12, 2015
Dreaming of Babylon, by Richard Brautigan. The plot-driven aspect of the book is saturated in irony, so I'm not sure to what extent that meets your criteria, but it's a great example for me of "how it can be done."
(And in fact, on preview: all of Raymond Chandler's Philip Marlowe books are filled with a dry, dark humor.)
posted by AndNeverWell at 11:44 AM on September 12, 2015 [1 favorite]
(And in fact, on preview: all of Raymond Chandler's Philip Marlowe books are filled with a dry, dark humor.)
posted by AndNeverWell at 11:44 AM on September 12, 2015 [1 favorite]
The Myron Bolitar novels by Harlan Coben and the Elvis Cole novels by Robert Crais are very funny, with lots of tension and action.
posted by Pater Aletheias at 11:45 AM on September 12, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by Pater Aletheias at 11:45 AM on September 12, 2015 [3 favorites]
Isn't this John Scalzi's wheelhouse?
posted by MisantropicPainforest at 11:56 AM on September 12, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by MisantropicPainforest at 11:56 AM on September 12, 2015 [1 favorite]
If you don't mind going for old school reading, then Alistair MacLean's When Eight Bells Toll has pretty high-caliber action adventure stuff with a sardonic humor. I liked the voice. I'm not sure all of his work was funny, but I remember this one being so.
In modern hard-boiled science fiction, I think A. Lee Martinez is pretty funny.
posted by puddledork at 12:44 PM on September 12, 2015 [1 favorite]
In modern hard-boiled science fiction, I think A. Lee Martinez is pretty funny.
posted by puddledork at 12:44 PM on September 12, 2015 [1 favorite]
Gregory McDonald's Fletch books?
posted by TWinbrook8 at 1:37 PM on September 12, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by TWinbrook8 at 1:37 PM on September 12, 2015 [2 favorites]
Simon Brett's mystery's featuring Charles Parish.
Janey Evavovich mysteries featuring Stephanie Plum.
posted by SemiSalt at 1:53 PM on September 12, 2015
Janey Evavovich mysteries featuring Stephanie Plum.
posted by SemiSalt at 1:53 PM on September 12, 2015
Definitely Carl Hiaasen. Those are very funny and sometimes scary.
posted by irisclara at 2:31 PM on September 12, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by irisclara at 2:31 PM on September 12, 2015 [2 favorites]
Ha! I came here to type the exact phrase "The Gun Seller by Hugh Laurie (yes that Hugh Laurie)" but I see MonkeyToes has done it for me. Will ditto the Jasper Fforde.
I would also recommend "Beat The Reaper" by Josh Bazell, which is by turns absolutely hilarious, edge-of-your-seat thrilling and really grim. I don't get easily squicked, but this had one scene in it that left me covering my eyes and screaming. And yet I would read it again!
posted by rednikki at 2:31 PM on September 12, 2015
I would also recommend "Beat The Reaper" by Josh Bazell, which is by turns absolutely hilarious, edge-of-your-seat thrilling and really grim. I don't get easily squicked, but this had one scene in it that left me covering my eyes and screaming. And yet I would read it again!
posted by rednikki at 2:31 PM on September 12, 2015
It's been decades since I've read it, but isn't this what Doorways in the Sand by Roger Zelazny is all about?
posted by matildaben at 2:33 PM on September 12, 2015
posted by matildaben at 2:33 PM on September 12, 2015
Crime, thrills and humour are the domain of Robert G Barrett.
posted by Thella at 2:37 PM on September 12, 2015
posted by Thella at 2:37 PM on September 12, 2015
Jacqueline "Jack" Daniels police detective series by J.A. Konrath is humorous. Note, it also has moments of fairly relentless violence.
posted by fuse theorem at 2:43 PM on September 12, 2015
posted by fuse theorem at 2:43 PM on September 12, 2015
Max Barry's Jennifer Government is definitely like this.
posted by jessamyn at 3:38 PM on September 12, 2015
posted by jessamyn at 3:38 PM on September 12, 2015
Donald E Westlake's John Dortmunder series.
posted by SemiSalt at 3:40 PM on September 12, 2015 [6 favorites]
posted by SemiSalt at 3:40 PM on September 12, 2015 [6 favorites]
Jess Walter's great book Citizen Vince is so perfect for you that you will be sad after you've finished it. But don't worry! The Zero doesn't exactly tick every box but so close you won't care.
posted by janey47 at 4:03 PM on September 12, 2015
posted by janey47 at 4:03 PM on September 12, 2015
Jay Cronley has written a bunch of fun stuff, some made into less great movies back in the day, but well worth digging up if you can.
Also George MacDonald Fraser's Flashman books.
posted by BWA at 4:26 PM on September 12, 2015
Also George MacDonald Fraser's Flashman books.
posted by BWA at 4:26 PM on September 12, 2015
Good call AndNeverWell: Dreaming of Babylon FTW!
I suppose one could argue that some of the Tom Robbins books like "Still Life With Woodpecker" and "Another Roadside Attraction" have an action or suspense element. They're certainly funny enough!
If you don't mind some Science Fiction in your mad, pell-Mell fun then try Rudy Rucker's "Ware" books.
posted by cleroy at 5:26 PM on September 12, 2015
I suppose one could argue that some of the Tom Robbins books like "Still Life With Woodpecker" and "Another Roadside Attraction" have an action or suspense element. They're certainly funny enough!
If you don't mind some Science Fiction in your mad, pell-Mell fun then try Rudy Rucker's "Ware" books.
posted by cleroy at 5:26 PM on September 12, 2015
I second SemiSalt's recommendation of Donald Westlake's Dortmunder series. A couple other Westlake books that might fit your criteria are Dancing Aztecs and Trust Me on This.
posted by merejane at 5:54 PM on September 12, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by merejane at 5:54 PM on September 12, 2015 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Great suggestions, everyone! There are an embarrassing number of new finds for me among these, so quite helpful.
It'll be very interesting to read these diagnostically. So many of the books that are thought to be gripping and white-knuckle are so self-serious that I find them hard to take; at the same time, those that are more amusing seem to be challenged to maintain the necessary pace. Same on the screen, where so many seem to get the balance badly wrong. It seems easier for whatever reason in comedy-drama, but thrillers are particularly challenged, I'd assumed because humor breaks the tension.
Keep 'em coming, and thanks! I appreciate your generosity.
posted by Clyde Mnestra at 6:14 PM on September 12, 2015
It'll be very interesting to read these diagnostically. So many of the books that are thought to be gripping and white-knuckle are so self-serious that I find them hard to take; at the same time, those that are more amusing seem to be challenged to maintain the necessary pace. Same on the screen, where so many seem to get the balance badly wrong. It seems easier for whatever reason in comedy-drama, but thrillers are particularly challenged, I'd assumed because humor breaks the tension.
Keep 'em coming, and thanks! I appreciate your generosity.
posted by Clyde Mnestra at 6:14 PM on September 12, 2015
I've always found Terry Pratchett's Discworld series reliably engaging from a plot point of view, as well as being everywhere from gently satirical to pants-wetting funny.
posted by flabdablet at 6:37 PM on September 12, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by flabdablet at 6:37 PM on September 12, 2015 [1 favorite]
Tim Powers does the funny/suspenseful thing. He often has characters treat absurd things and situations with dead seriousness.
Last Call is wall-to-wall insanity, built on the idea that games of chance are literally magic, and all that that implies.
posted by Mister Moofoo at 12:41 AM on September 14, 2015
Last Call is wall-to-wall insanity, built on the idea that games of chance are literally magic, and all that that implies.
posted by Mister Moofoo at 12:41 AM on September 14, 2015
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In Hercule Poirot (and Miss Marple), there is a clash between their fuddy-duddiness and the horror of murder in which they engage themselves, that creates some of the humor.
posted by DMelanogaster at 10:42 AM on September 12, 2015 [2 favorites]