Thrillers are characterized by fast pacing, frequent action, and resourceful heroes who must change the plans of powerful villains. Thrillers create suspense through conventions like red herrings and cliffhangers. While thrillers often overlap with mysteries, they are distinguished by the hero needing to change the future plans of the enemy, rather than uncover a past crime. Thrillers also tend to occur on a larger scale involving preventing serial crimes, terrorism, or the overthrow of governments.