The British conspiracy cycle of the 1980s emerged in response to an increasingly Orwellian secret state in Great Britain. This book draws on original interviews with novelists, film-makers, and intelligence community insiders along with original case studies to explore one of the most politically charged periods in film and television history.
Paul Lynch is faculty leader of English language and literature at Collège Alpin Beau Soleil.
"Paul Lynch's The 1980s British Conspiracy Thriller takes a deep dive into important but sometimes neglected films and television dramas in this genre. Lynch usefully connects Thatcher-era conspiracy productions to forerunners from Hollywood and continental Europe. Beyond that, I suspect many readers will find his exploration of how real-world political and intelligence intrigues informed the making of key British conspiracy thrillers to be eye-opening. Engagingly written and rich in detail, this book is essential reading for anyone interested in the topic."
"A fascinating account of the conspiracy thriller on screen, contextualizing the form within its wider genre roots and drawing connections between Hollywood, European and British cycles of conspiracy thriller. With a focus on the 1980s, the book covers both cinema and television examples and situates them in their historical, cultural and political contexts. In so doing, it brings neglected case studies into dialogue with existing scholarship, thereby expanding the canon of the conspiracy thriller and redrawing the contours of the genre. A particular strength of the book is its incorporation of primary interview material, making it an absorbing read for both academics and general readers."