Madhumita Bhattacharyya decided to set her latest novel in Kolkata in the early 2000s when cell phones were not so ubiquitous. “I find them a serious hindrance,” says the author of the Reema Ray trilogy.
“In a thriller, the flow of information is one of the most critical aspects to control. Who knows what, and when, is what creates suspense. The ability to make a phone call in a situation of danger is a serious buzz kill. Would anyone read a book about Robert Langdon Googling his way to the Holy Grail?”
Bhaskar Chattopadhyay, on the other hand, says, “Instant communication can be favourable to some stories while detrimental to others. For instance, lack of communication can work as a wonderful means of keeping the suspense alive. On other occasions, the availability of information through mobile communication is mandatory, because the storyline depends on that crucial bit of information.
In the end, I think it depends on the canvas of the story. As a writer, once you’ve mounted your canvas on the easel, you only have that much space to paint your story on. And a good writer will always find means and ways to make the story interesting and yet keep it logical.”
Fantasy author Shweta Taneja says, “Cell phones are essential for a thriller based in a modern setting. The way we communicate and seek knowledge has completely changed with phones, and as writers, the plots we create need to include it. Let me give you an example.
If you are standing on MG Road and see a monster walking out of a shop, what would your first instinct be? I would probably take a photograph of it and Instagram it from my phone—which is what any protagonist in one of my stories would do.”
Radhika Nathan initially felt cell phones were a hindrance. “I couldn’t build the suspense of the protagonists not knowing some information on time, or the safety and whereabouts of someone realistically. But after some thought, I was able to make cell phones an aid.”
Anita Nair, who has written police procedurals featuring Inspector Gowda, as well as a historical, Idris , says, “If the setting is contemporary, it is impossible to conceive of a novel, especially a thriller, where a cell phone doesn’t have a role to play.”
All authors admit to using cell phones to advance their plots. Anita says: “They had a crucial role in both my thrillers as well as Lessons in Forgetting and Alphabet Soup for Lovers .”
Bhaskar, whose Patang details a suspenseful hunt for a serial killer, has a poignant fact revealed through a cell phone. “It is an interesting element of the story, and it advances and supports the overall framework, and gives a nice twist to it.”
Selfies with zombies at a rock concert are a part of “ Matsya’s Curse , book two of the Anantya Tantrist series,” Shweta says. “Not only cell phones, there are tablets, computers, smartwatches, drones, cameras and all kinds of tech gadgets in my stories. I’m quite liberal with the use of technology, mixing it up with magic in my fantasy books.”
In her latest historical thriller, A Time to Burnish , Radhika says she uses “Cell phones in various ways, from spying to tracking.” Even Madhumita says she has used the cell phone on occasion. “In Goa Undercover (the third Reema Ray mystery), for instance, a phone plays a pivotal role in the climax. To ignore their presence in our lives would be silly. But I have also tried to reduce the intrusions, so they don’t hijack the plot.”
Talking about novels that use technology well, Madhumita clarifies, “Stieg Larsson uses technology without making it the heart of the story. Lisbeth Salander is a genius with her computer, but there is so much going on offline as well, with very old-school crime and criminals.”
Love them or hate them, mobile phones are part of our lives and narratives.
So even though Frederick Forsyth said, “If The Day of the Jackal was set now, it would be a very short book, thanks to the advances in technology,” there are ways to make technology work in a thriller. The Sherlock Holmes reboots are a case in point, where the hansom cabs and the mist-wreathed streets of turn-of-the-century London have moved into the 21st century with all the millennial trappings without losing out on the suspense.
