Spy Fiction
| Tropes and genres | |
|---|---|
| Related tropes/genres | spy, spy-fi |
| Related articles on Fanlore. | |
This article or section needs expansion. |
Spy fiction is a genre which involves espionage as an important context or plot device, emerged in the early twentieth century, inspired by rivalries and intrigues between the major powers, and the establishment of modern intelligence agencies.
Many authors of spy fiction have themselves been intelligence officers working for British agencies or American agencies. 'Insider' spy fiction has a special claim to authenticity and overlaps with biographical and other documentary accounts of secret service. Much spy fiction was adapted as spy films in the 1960s, ranging from the fantastical James Bond series to the realistic The Spy Who Came in from the Cold (1965), and the hybrid The Quiller Memorandum (1966). While some of these novels were adult and well written, their cinematic interpretations were adolescent parody. This phenomenon spread widely in Europe in the 1960s and is known as the Eurospy genre.
Spy fiction seem less likely to spawn fandoms, compared to adjacent genres like police procedurals. This may be due to increased plotting issues, a reliance on the BOTW, or lack of popularity.
Subgenres
- Spy comedy: usually parody the clichés and camp elements characteristic to the espionage genre.
- Spy horror: spy fiction with horror fiction.
- Spy-Fi: spy fiction with elements of science fiction.
- Spy Thriller: the most common subgenre of spy fiction
Intelligence Agency
Below is a short list of intelligence, security, espionage and counter-espionage agencies in addition to secret services or secret police that are mentioned in canons or fanworks:
- MI5
- MI6
- CIA
- FBI
- IMF
- CI5
- H.T.U.V.
- UNCLE
- TRUSH
- KINGSMAN
Canon/Fandom Examples
| Examples Wanted: Editors are encouraged to add more examples or a wider variety of examples. |
- Alias
- Burn Notice
- James Bond
- Company Business
- I Spy
- La Femme Nikita (TV series)
- The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (TV series)
- The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (2015 film)
- Mission: Impossible (TV Series)
- Mission: Impossible (film series)
- The Sandbaggers
- Spies in Disguise
- SPYxFAMILY
Notes and References
Notes
- See also Spy fiction Wikipedia Page for more Information.