Shakedowners is a humorous science-fiction novel and the beginning of a series about a collection of misfits perpetually in over their collective heads. The book I am currently working on is the sequel to my recently released novel, Shakedowners. I am a fan of many genres, including crime and thriller, but I am foremost an author of science-fiction.

They appear most commonly as contemporary action stories but also in historical fiction, fantasy and, of biggest interest to me, science-fiction. There’s something else I find interesting about heist stories-they are, in many ways, genre-neutral. Throw some spanners in the works, maybe a betrayal, a few character flaws to be overcome, and you’re primed to go for a terrific caper. Then, we get to see how the crew are going to overcome the odds by being (often literally) in on the plan, blueprints and all. We usually have a clear external conflict from the very beginning, our team versus whatever is protecting the ‘big score’. Heists are also perfectly set up for the structure of a story. The heist story often gives us many of the things we love in story, underdogs, a sense of style, thrills, adventure and a chance to see characters who are the smartest, the fastest, the best at what they do.

They have been a mainstay of cinema since the mid-twentieth century and feature prominently in novels, TV, video games and across all media. There is something inherently lovable about the heist story.

The quantum thief by hannu rajaniemi