Tales of the Impossible
David Copperfield isn't the only one who has many tales to tell, all of which seem too good to be true.
Fiction is make believe, which doesn't mean that writers distort reality. Nothing wrong if Jules Verne describes the descent of Nautilus into the depths of the sea, making readers believe that they are aboard the ship. Likewise, Carl Sagan's account of astronauts traveling faster than the speed of light, in able to reach a galaxy millions of miles away form the Solar System, isn't improbable at all. It could be the vision of the future. Eric Ambler, an influential author of spy novels, is a trendsetter. The premise of his novels involves an amateur who founds himself in the company of hardened criminals. He will be part of the heist, only to find out that he is better than the rest of them.
"The Light of Day" was about Topkapi Palace, where the sultans of the Ottoman Palace once lived. It became a tourist destination, where a part of the palace housed the emerald-encrusted dagger belonging to Sultan Mahmud I. He was a diminutive figure, whose reign saw the Ottomans waged war against the Austrians, Persians, and Russians. He valued the dagger, which a small of group of crooks wanted to steal from the museum. But they needed one more individual. They wanted an expatriate who knew Istanbul too well.
Arthur Abdel Simpson was not your respectable Englishman. This portly chap was engaged in shady businesses, so it wasn't surprising that the crooks (who wanted the dagger) hooked him through blackmail. Several chapters took readers back to Simpson's early years in England. They would understand how he ended up in the wrong side of the fence - and why he was the best person (to assist in stealing Mahmud's dagger). It seemed impossible, as an alarm system was set after the closing of the museum. Police would be all over Topkapi moments after someone stepped on the floor. But don't underestimate Simpson, an unlikely suspect. Peter Ustinov played Simpson in the big-screen version, his comic performance earned him an Oscar (for Best Supporting Actor).
What if
Harlan Coben's "Tell No One" appeared in the New York Times Best Seller List. The author, who was from Newark, New Jersey, would turned out to be exceptional in the thriller genre.
Beck and Elizabeth went to a summer camp where they frolicked when they were kids. They were a young married couple, and they thought of reminiscing old times. But something happened after they went skinny dipping. Elizabeth was brutally murdered. Beck picked up the pieces and lived with regret for 8 years. He was still trying to get over that painful episode, when he received an e-mail. His wife was alive all these years.
Readers would be confused, then wondered what Elizabeth did. Why didn't she get in touch with her husband? Was the killing all planned up? Readers would be astounded with the twists and turns, resulting to a series of revelations that would surprise them. Don't stop.
