Collider has published a listicle spotlighting classic thriller novels that were so influential they effectively created the templates other writers in the genre have followed ever since.

– Robert Ludlum's "The Bourne Identity" (1980) is credited with modernising the spy thriller, blending Cold War espionage with psychological tension, high-stakes pacing and an amnesiac protagonist.
– Thomas Harris's "The Silence of the Lambs" (1988), the sequel to "Red Dragon" and origin of Hannibal Lecter's most famous portrayal, is cited as a landmark that redefined the serial-killer subgenre through its unsettling tone and character writing.
– The full list of ten titles spans from 19th-century works such as "The Spy: A Tale of the Neutral Ground" to modern entries like "Gone Girl", though the remaining eight books were not included in the available excerpt.