By James Marinero
For authors of thrillers, the Cold War was a massive subject. Then it ended. Just in time Al Quaeda arrived, and it has been a gift for novelists. Despite the countless deaths and the pain it has engineered, the central theme of an organisation bent on attacking all things Western has been the framework of many novels since 2001. With the asymmetric nature of the distributed war that has driven large scale re-organisation of armed forces, then we have another rich seam which authors have mined keenly.
This war is science fiction coming to life, with UAVs, known grimly as Predators – surely soon to join common parlance as the ‘Hoover’ did for vacuuming homes in the UK.
Predators, high resolution satellite surveillance, cyberwarfare, robot soldiers – the emerging technology list grows daily and exponentially.
This asymmetric war arrived at a propitious time, both for novelists and armed forces. The Cold War was over and Western armed forces’ budgets were being cut – their role in a relatively peaceful world was under review (relatively being the key word there). Armed forces and novelists alike were casting about for ideas. Then, Twenty First Century warfare is born, with a new set of weapons and new, sexy technology! So much written, and now has become passé.
Where will the next strong theme come from for thriller writers? I believe it is the emerging threat of China. Chinese muscle-flexing is being driven from the bottom up by a vast population with rapidly rising expectations, ingenuity and hunger. The only safe way that this internal pressure can be managed is to let it out, gradually.
The lid of the kettle – that is the that is the Chinese Communist Party – wants to stay firmly in place, so other ways have to be found to reduce growing internal pressure.
Consequently, the People’s Liberation Army is expanding its Navy, turning outward from a simple coastal defence force to a global blue water force. China also has manned space flight and a long term digital warfare program.
China has also ripped open western markets, with a huge migration of manufacturing resources and jobs alike – from the West to China, with its huge low-wage population. The vast country also has a significant control of strategic metals (such as being a major producer of neodymium); conversely, China is a huge importer of Australian iron ore, forming an important portion of Australia’s foreign currency income.
Financially, China is the largest foreign holder of US dollars and one of the top three in the published gold bullion reserves list.
These are scenarios ripe for thriller novels!
James Marinero writes topical thrillers, such as ‘ [http://www.jamesmarinero.com/Publications/Gate-of-Tears.html]Gate of Tears ‘ with themes of global politics and terrorism, with gritty action. With a strong interest in the growing power of China – its financial, industrial and military impact on the West, he blogs at [http://jamesmarinero.blogspot.com]James Marinero’s Blog
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Thriller-Novels—What-Will-Be-The-Next-Big-Theme?&id=6710173] Thriller Novels – What Will Be The Next Big Theme?
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