Definition and characteristics

It often uses a secret agent

Secret Agent

Secret Agent is a British film directed by Alfred Hitchcock, loosely based on two stories in Ashenden: Or the British Agent by W. Somerset Maugham. The film starred John Gielgud, Peter Lorre, Madeleine Carroll, and Robert Young...

 (solo or in a team) or superspy whose mission is a showcase of science fiction elements such as technology and ideas used for extortion

Extortion

Extortion is a criminal offence which occurs when a person unlawfully obtains either money, property or services from a person, entity, or institution, through coercion. Refraining from doing harm is sometimes euphemistically called protection. Extortion is commonly practiced by organized crime...

, plots for world domination or world destruction, futuristic weapons

Weapons in science fiction

Strange and exotic weapons are a recurring theme in science fiction. In some cases, weapons first introduced in science fiction have now been made a reality...

, gadget

Gadget

A gadget is a small technological object that has a particular function, but is often thought of as a novelty. Gadgets are invariably considered to be more unusually or cleverly designed than normal technological objects at the time of their invention...

s and fast vehicles that can travel on land, fly, or sail on or under the sea. Spy-fi does not necessarily present espionage

Espionage

Espionage or spying involves an individual obtaining information that is considered secret or confidential without the permission of the holder of the information. Espionage is inherently clandestine, lest the legitimate holder of the information change plans or take other countermeasures once it...

 as it is practiced in reality. It is escapist

Escapist fiction

Escapist fiction is fiction which provides a psychological escape from thoughts of everyday life by immersing the reader in exotic situations or activities.The term is not used favorably, though the condemnation contained in it may be slight...

 fantasy that emphasizes glamour, adventure

Adventure

An adventure is defined as an exciting or unusual experience; it may also be a bold, usually risky undertaking, with an uncertain outcome. The term is often used to refer to activities with some potential for physical danger, such as skydiving, mountain climbing and or participating in extreme sports...

 and derring-do. Note that not all spy-fi includes all elements mentioned.

Examples

• The spy protagonist
  Protagonist
  A protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to most identify...
  
   may discover in his or her investigation that a mad scientist
  Mad scientist
  A mad scientist is a stock character of popular fiction, specifically science fiction. The mad scientist may be villainous or antagonistic, benign or neutral, and whether insane, eccentric, or simply bumbling, mad scientists often work with fictional technology in order to forward their schemes, if...
  
   or evil genius
  Evil genius
  The evil demon, sometimes referred to as the evil genius, is a concept in Cartesian philosophy. In his 1641 Meditations on First Philosophy, René Descartes hypothesises the existence of an evil demon, a personification who is "as clever and deceitful as he is powerful, who has directed his entire...
  
   and his secret organisation are using futuristic technology to further their schemes. Examples of these include the James Bond
  James Bond
  James Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...
  
  film series, use of advanced scientific technologies for global influence or domination in Baroness spy novels, using space travel
  Space travel
  Space travel can refer to:*Spaceflight, the use of space technology to fly a spacecraft into and through outer space, which may include:*Spacefaring, capability of and activity in the art of spaceborn travel.*Human spaceflight...
  
   technology to destroy the world as in Kiss the Girls and Make Them Die, weather control
  Weather control
  Weather control is the act of manipulating or altering certain aspects of the environment to produce desirable changes in weather. Weather control can have the goal of preventing damaging weather, such as hurricanes or tornadoes, from occurring; of causing beneficial weather, such as rainfall in...
  
   in Our Man Flint
  Our Man Flint
  Our Man Flint is a 1966 action film that parodies of James Bond genre. The film was directed by Daniel Mann, written by Hal Fimberg and Ben Starr, and starring James Coburn as master spy Derek Flint...
  
  , using a sonic weapon in Dick Barton Strikes Back, a death ray
  Death ray
  The death ray or death beam was a theoretical particle beam or electromagnetic weapon of the 1920s through the 1930s that was claimed to have been invented independently by Nikola Tesla, Edwin R. Scott, Harry Grindell Matthews, and Graichen, as well as others...
  
   in Dick Barton at Bay, replacing world leaders with evil twin
  Evil twin
  The evil twin is an antagonist found in many different fictional genres. They are physical copies of protagonists, but with radically inverted moralities. In filmed entertainment, they can have obvious physical differences with the protagonist—such as facial hair, eyepatches, scars or distinctive...
  
  s in In Like Flint
  In Like Flint
  In Like Flint is a 1967 film directed by Gordon Douglas, the sequel to the parody spy film Our Man Flint . It posits an international feminist conspiracy to depose the ruling American patriarchy with a feminist matriarchy. To achieve and establish it, they kidnap and replace the U.S. President,...
  
  , or brainwashing assassins in The Manchurian Candidate
  The Manchurian Candidate
  The Manchurian Candidate , by Richard Condon, is a political thriller novel about the son of a prominent US political family who is brainwashed into being an unwitting assassin for the Communist Party....
  
  and Cypher
  Cypher (film)
  Cypher , is a 2002 science fiction thriller film starring Jeremy Northam and Lucy Liu. The film was written by Brian King and directed by Vincenzo Natali. The film was shown in limited release in theaters in the USA, and released on DVD on August 2nd 2005.-Plot:Morgan Sullivan, a recently...
  
  or world leaders in the Italian spoof The Amazing Dr. Goldginger (aka Due Mafiosi Contre Goldginger).

• The spy protagonist may be issued and use their own futuristic technology such as weapons, exotic means of transport, and detection devices that have not been invented as of yet. An example of this are secret agents Jeffrey Hunter
  Jeffrey Hunter
  Jeffrey Hunter was an American film and television actor. His most famous roles are as Jesus in the film King of Kings, as Martin Pawley in The Searchers, and as Capt...
  
   and France Nuyen
  France Nuyen
  France Nuyen is a French actress.-Biography:Nuyen was born in Marseille, Bouches-du-Rhône, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France. Her mother was French, her father Vietnamese. During World War II, her mother and grandfather were persecuted by the Nazis for being Gypsies...
  
   issued time travel
  Time travel
  Time travel is the concept of moving between different points in time in a manner analogous to moving between different points in space. Time travel could hypothetically involve moving backward in time to a moment earlier than the starting point, or forward to the future of that point without the...
  
   devices to thwart a plot in Dimension 5 (1966).

• The setting and the spy protagonist, may actually be in the future. An example of this is the Honorverse
  Honorverse
  The Honorverse refers to the military science fiction book series and sub-series created by David Weber and published by Baen Books. The series is set primarily after Honor Harrington's October 1, 3961, birth; although she is the protagonist in most of the stories, more recent entries make only...
  
   character Victor Cachat
  Victor Cachat
  Victor Cachat is a fictional character created by writer Eric Flint for a story featured in an anthology collection set on David Weber's Honorverse series of novels...
  
  , or his sometime partners and potential adversaries, Anton Zilwicki and Ruth Winton.

• The science fiction device may be a Macguffin
  MacGuffin
  A MacGuffin is "a plot element that catches the viewers' attention or drives the plot of a work of fiction". The defining aspect of a MacGuffin is that the major players in the story are willing to do and sacrifice almost anything to obtain it, regardless of what the MacGuffin actually is...
  
   such as the antigravity device in Licensed to Kill
  Licensed to Kill (1965 film)
  Licensed to Kill is a 1965 superspy imitation James Bond film starring Tom Adams as British secret agent Charles Vine. It was directed and co-written by Lindsay Shonteff. Producer Joseph E...
  
  .

Films and television series

• Alias
  Alias (TV series)
  Alias is an American action television series created by J. J. Abrams which was broadcast on ABC for five seasons, from September 30, 2001 to May 22, 2006...
  
  
• Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery
  Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery
  Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery is a 1997 American science fiction/action-comedy film and the first film of the Austin Powers series. It was directed by Jay Roach and written by Mike Myers who also stars in the title role. Myers also plays Dr. Evil, Austin Powers' arch-enemy...
  
  
• The Avengers
  The Avengers (TV series)
  The Avengers is a spy-fi British television series set in the 1960s Britain. The Avengers initially focused on Dr. David Keel and his assistant John Steed . Hendry left after the first series and Steed became the main character, partnered with a succession of assistants...
  
  
• The Bionic Woman
  The Bionic Woman
  The Bionic Woman is an American television series starring Lindsay Wagner that aired for three seasons between 1976 and 1978 as a spin off from The Six Million Dollar Man. Wagner stars as tennis pro Jaime Sommers who is nearly killed in a skydiving accident. Sommers' life is saved by Oscar Goldman ...
  
  
• Charles Vine
• Cypher
  Cypher (film)
  Cypher , is a 2002 science fiction thriller film starring Jeremy Northam and Lucy Liu. The film was written by Brian King and directed by Vincenzo Natali. The film was shown in limited release in theaters in the USA, and released on DVD on August 2nd 2005.-Plot:Morgan Sullivan, a recently...
  
  
• Danger Man
  Danger Man
  Danger Man is a British television series that was broadcast between 1960 and 1962, and again between 1964 and 1968. The series featured Patrick McGoohan as secret agent John Drake. Ralph Smart created the program and wrote many of the scripts...
  
  
• Department S
  Department S
  Department S is a United Kingdom spy-fi adventure series produced by ITC Entertainment. The series consists of 28 episodes which originally aired in 1969–1970. It starred Peter Wyngarde as author Jason King , Joel Fabiani as Stewart Sullivan, and Rosemary Nicols as computer expert Annabelle Hurst...
  
  
• Dick Barton
  Dick Barton
  Dick Barton - Special Agent was a popular radio programme on the BBC Light Programme. Between 1946 to 1951 it aired at 6.45 each weekday evening and at its peak it had an audience of 15 million listeners. Despite popular belief, it was not actually the BBC's first daily serial...
  
  
• Dimension 5
• Fortune Hunter (TV series)
  Fortune Hunter (TV series)
  Fortune Hunter was a weekly series show on Fox Network in 1994, starring Mark Frankel as the super-spy Carlton Dial.In the US, Fortune Hunter aired on Fox from 4 Sep 1994 to 2 Oct 1994. Of the 13 episodes produced, only five were presented to the North American audience...
  
  
• Get Smart
  Get Smart
  Get Smart is an American comedy television series that satirizes the secret agent genre. Created by Mel Brooks with Buck Henry, the show starred Don Adams , Barbara Feldon , and Edward Platt...
  
  
• G.I. Joe
• The Girl from U.N.C.L.E.
  The Girl from U.N.C.L.E.
  The Girl from U.N.C.L.E. is an American spy-fi TV series that aired on NBC for one season from September 16, 1966 to April 11, 1967. The series was a spin-off from The Man from U.N.C.L.E. and used the same theme music composed by Jerry Goldsmith, which was rearranged into a slightly different,...
  
  
• Jake 2.0
  Jake 2.0
  Jake 2.0 is an American science fiction television series originally broadcast on UPN in 2003. The series was canceled on January 14, 2004 due to low ratings, leaving four episodes unaired in the United States. In the United Kingdom, all the episodes aired on Sky1...
  
  
• James Bond
  James Bond
  James Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...
  
  
• Kim Possible
  Kim Possible
  Kim Possible is an American animated television series about a teenage crime fighter who has the task of dealing with worldwide, family, and school issues every day. The show is action-oriented, but also has a light-hearted atmosphere and often lampoons the conventions and clichés of the...
  
  
• Kiss the Girls and Make Them Die
• The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
  The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
  The Man from U.N.C.L.E. is an American television series that was broadcast on NBC from September 22, 1964, to January 15, 1968. It follows the exploits of two secret agents, played by Robert Vaughn and David McCallum, who work for a fictitious secret international espionage and law-enforcement...
  
  
• M.I. High
• Matt Helm
  Matt Helm
  Matt Helm is a fictional character created by author Donald Hamilton. He is a U.S. government counter-agent—a man whose primary job is to kill or nullify enemy agents—not a spy or secret agent in the ordinary sense of the term as used in spy thrillers.-The character and the series:The...
  
   films
• Mission: Impossible
  Mission: Impossible
  Mission: Impossible is an American television series which was created and initially produced by Bruce Geller. It chronicled the missions of a team of secret American government agents known as the Impossible Missions Force . The leader of the team was Jim Phelps, played by Peter Graves, except in...
  
  
• La Femme Nikita
• Our Man Flint
  Our Man Flint
  Our Man Flint is a 1966 action film that parodies of James Bond genre. The film was directed by Daniel Mann, written by Hal Fimberg and Ben Starr, and starring James Coburn as master spy Derek Flint...
  
  
• The Prisoner
  The Prisoner
  The Prisoner is a 17-episode British television series first broadcast in the UK from 29 September 1967 to 1 February 1968. Starring and co-created by Patrick McGoohan, it combined spy fiction with elements of science fiction, allegory and psychological drama.The series follows a British former...
  
  
• The Secret Service
  The Secret Service
  The Secret Service is a British children's espionage television series, made as a Century 21 production for ITC Entertainment and broadcast in 1969...
  
  
• The Six Million Dollar Man
  The Six Million Dollar Man
  The Six Million Dollar Man is an American television series about a former astronaut with bionic implants working for the OSI...
  
  
• The Wild Wild West
  The Wild Wild West
  The Wild Wild West is an American television series that ran on CBS for four seasons from September 17, 1965 to April 4, 1969....
  
  
• Totally Spies!
• Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons
  Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons
  Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons, often referred to as Captain Scarlet, is a 1960s British science-fiction television series produced by the Century 21 Productions company of Gerry and Sylvia Anderson, John Read and Reg Hill...
  
  
• Team America: World Police
  Team America: World Police
  Team America: World Police, often referred to as simply Team America, is a 2004 action comedy film written by Trey Parker, Matt Stone, and Pam Brady and directed by Parker, all of whom are also known for the popular animated television series South Park...
  
  

Games

• Global Agenda
  Global Agenda
  Global Agenda is an online team-based game by Hi-Rez Studios developed using Unreal Engine 3. The game went live on February 1, 2010. April, 2011, Global Agenda was re-released as a free-to-play game, introducing Elite and Free Agents in addition to an in-game cash shop featuring Agenda...
  
  
• Alpha Protocol
  Alpha Protocol
  Alpha Protocol is a third-person espionage role-playing video game, developed by Obsidian Entertainment, their first title for an original IP, and published by Sega. The game revolves around the adventures of field agent Michael Thorton...
  
  
• Deus Ex
  Deus Ex
  Deus Ex is an action role-playing game developed by Ion Storm Inc. and published by Eidos Interactive in 2000, which combines gameplay elements of first-person shooters with those of role-playing video games...
  
  
• Haven: Full Metal Zero
• Metal Gear
  Metal Gear (series)
  is a series of stealth video games created by Hideo Kojima and developed and published by Konami. The first game, Metal Gear, was released in 1987 for the MSX2. The player takes control of a special forces operative Solid Snake who is assigned to find the eponymous superweapon "Metal Gear", a...
  
  
• No One Lives Forever
  No One Lives Forever
  The Operative: No One Lives Forever is a first-person shooter video game with stealth gameplay elements, developed by Monolith Productions and published by Fox Interactive, released for Windows in 2000. The game was also ported later to the PlayStation 2 and Mac OS X...
  
  
• Splinter Cell
  Splinter Cell
  Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell is a series of stealth video games, the first of which was released in 2002, and their tie-in novels. The protagonist, Sam Fisher, is presented as a highly-trained agent of a fictional black-ops sub-division within the NSA, dubbed "Third Echelon"...
  
  
• Spycraft
  Spycraft
  Spycraft is a d20 and OGL-based role-playing game dealing with superspies and modern action. Originally published by the Alderac Entertainment Group, it is currently published under licence by Crafty Games.-History:...
  
  
• Syphon Filter
  Syphon Filter
  Syphon Filter is a stealth-based third-person shooter video game for the PlayStation released in 1999. It is the first game in the Syphon Filter series. It was re-released on December 4, 2006, on the PlayStation Network for use on the PSP...
  
  
• Top Secret/S.I.
• Silent Storm
  Silent Storm
  Silent Storm is a tactical role-playing game for Microsoft Windows, developed by Russian developer Nival Interactive and published by JoWood in 2003. The game is set in World War II Europe. The player commands a team of up to six elite soldiers on the Axis or Allied side, undertaking a variety of...
  
  

Anime

• 009-1
  009-1
  is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Shotaro Ishinomori. The manga was serialized in the Futabasha publication Weekly Manga Action from 1967 to 1970, then returned briefly in 1974. The story concerns Miléne Hoffman , a female cyborg who works as a secret agent...
  
  
• Agent Aika
  Agent Aika
  Agent Aika, known in Japan as simply , is an adventure anime OVA series. Aika Sumeragi is a Japanese woman who works as a salvager for hire, but gets caught up in a plot for world domination...
  
  
• Najica Blitz Tactics
  Najica Blitz Tactics
  is an anime television series by Studio Fantasia. It premiered across Japan between October 4, 2001 and December 27, 2001. The show is similar to that of Agent Aika—both being directed by Katsuhiko Nishijima and animated by Studio Fantasia—with much of the same content.Though Najica was later...
  
  
• Read or Die
  Read or Die
  is a series of light novels authored by Hideyuki Kurata, published under Shueisha's Super Dash Bunko imprint. Read or Die follows Yomiko Readman, codename "The Paper", an agent for the Special Operations Division of the British Library. There are currently 11 Read or Die novels. In volume 11, a...