Tevun-Krus #71 - Spy-Fi

@Nablai's Nebula

With the August Punk Wars II behind us, I was excited for this month's Spy-Fi article. As a genre and sub-culture, spy-fi is here to stay, no doubt about it. However, trends naturally evolve and new ones come into being, and I have always wondered what the next aesthetic of interest will be. There is no doubt in my mind with the whole neo-vintage trend is still going strong, so the next big genre will be another subset of retro-futurism. Something on the lines of.... can you guess? Hint: It's the topic of this month's article.

Now, I hear you asking what is "spy-fi"?

Spy-fi is a genre of fiction that combines espionage themes with science fiction, often in the form of gadgets and spy devices. It is perhaps best known for its associations with the Cold War, which was the high point of the genre. Features include the effects of technology on the espionage trade and the technological gadgets used by the characters. Even though the technologies and gadgets portrayed are well beyond current scientific reality and often stretch our imagination.

In spy-fi, characters or protagonists working as a secret agent (they're not always spies) become embroiled in a world of adventure and espionage, where they struggle against the agents of an opposing power, which may in turn be based on something as realistic as a foreign government or as fanciful as a diabolical mastermind. These adventures may also revolve around defeating a rival superpower or singular enemy from achieving a nefarious aim. The story plot may include themes such as world domination, world destruction, futuristic weapons, and gadgets. Backgrounds vary from outright fantasy, such as outer space or under the sea, to real but exotic locations...

Spy-Fi does not necessarily present espionage as it is practiced in reality but rather glamorizes spy-craft through its focus on high-tech equipment, agencies, and organizations with nearly limitless resources and incredibly high-stakes adventures. Technology is uber-modern for the time and place of the setting, and it is often disguised as innocuous objects such as pens, spectacles, playing cards, watches, hand-cuffs, ties, buttons, rings(how could I forget that!), band-aids and so on and so forth...

The spy protagonist may discover during his/ her investigation that a mad scientist or an evil genius and their secret organization are using futuristic technology to further their schemes. Some examples include: James Bond film series, where the use of advanced scientific technologies for global influence is shown; domination as a theme is emphasized in 'The Baroness' spy novels; and using space travel technology to destroy the world as in 'Kiss the Girls and Make Them Die'; to weather control in 'Our Man Flint'; and using a sonic weapon in 'Dick Barton Strikes Back'; using a death ray in 'Dick Barton at Bay'; or replacing world leaders with evil twins in In 'Like Flint'.

While the most famous examples of the genre reach incredible heights of fanciful science fiction (Moonraker and many other Bond films), the genre can also include the realistic and serious (I Spy and Danger Man), the humorous (Get Smart) and even the philosophical (The Prisoner). The British television series The Avengers covers a wide range of spy-fi's themes depending on the season and corresponding female protagonist, ranging from the gritty (1962-1964 with Cathy Gale), to the witty (1965-1968 with Emma Peel), to the semi-absurd (1968-1969 with Tara King). Other major examples of the spy-fi genre include The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Charlie's Angels, and even Austin Powers (which is a parody of certain more ludicrous aspects of the spy-fi genre).