The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to spy fiction:

Spy fiction –

What type of thing is spy fiction?

Spy fiction can be described as all of the following:

• Genre – any category of literature or other forms of art or entertainment, e.g. music, whether written or spoken, audial or visual, based on some set of stylistic criteria. For example, jazz is a genre of music. Spy fiction is a genre of fiction, and more specifically, a genre of speculative fiction.
  • Genre of fiction – fiction is a form of narrative which deals, in part or in whole, with events that are not factual, but rat her, imaginary and invented by its author(s). Although fiction often describes a major branch of literary work, it is also applied to theatrical, cinematic, and musical work.
    • Genre of speculative fiction – broad category of narrative fiction that includes elements, settings and characters created out of imagination and speculation rather than based on reality and everyday life. It typically strays strongly from reality and so may feature fictional types of things, like agencies, abilities, and technologies that do not exist in real life.
• Genre fiction – fictional works (novels, short stories, etc.) written with the intent of fitting into a specific literary genre in order to appeal to readers and fans already familiar with that genre. Also known as popular fiction.

Genres of spy fiction

• Spy-Fi – spy fiction that includes elements of science fiction, like technological gadgets that don't exist in real life.

History of spy fiction

History of spy fiction

Spy fiction media

Spy novels

Spy films

Spy comics

Espionage role-playing games

Spy video games

Fictional secret agents

• Austin Powers – womanizing, hard-partying British spy embodying the Swinging London mod culture and hippie culture of the 1960s who, with his nemesis Dr. Evil, was frozen in a cryonics experiment. He is featured in the Austin Powers series of films.
• Jack Bauer –
• James Bond   (outline) –
• Jason Bourne –
• Sherlock Holmes –
• Ethan Hunt –
• Felix Leiter –
• Jim Phelps –
• Jack Ryan –
• Simon Templar –
• Remo Williams – U.S. government operative portrayed in The Destroyer series of novels. He is an assassin for CURE, a secret organization set up by President Kennedy to defend the country by working outside the law.

Persons influential in spy fiction

Spy fiction authors

• Tom Clancy – author of the spy novels featuring Jack Ryan.
• Ian Fleming – author of the original James Bond series of novels.
• Robert Ludlum – author of the original trilogy of Bourne novels, featuring Jason Bourne.

Actors portraying secret agents

• Tom Cruise – portrayed IMF spy Ethan Hunt, in the Mission: Impossile series of movies.
• Matt Damon – portrayed Jason Bourne, in the Bourne series of movies.
• Peter Graves – portrayed Jim Phelps, Director of the IMF, in the Mission: Impossible television series.
• Kiefer Sutherland – portrayed Jack Bauer, in the 24 television series.

Actors who have portrayed James Bond

• Sean Connery – Dr. No, From Russia with Love, Goldfinger, Thunderball, You Only Live Twice, Diamonds are Forever, Never Say Never Again
• David Niven – Casino Royale (1967 spoof)
• George Lazenby – On Her Majesty's Secret Service
• Roger Moore – Live and Let Die, The Man with the Golden Gun, The Spy Who Loved Me, Moonraker, For Your Eyes Only, Octopussy, A View to a Kill
• Timothy Dalton – The Living Daylights, License to Kill
• Pierce Brosnan – Goldeneye, Tomorrow Never Dies, The World is Not Enough, Die Another Day
• Daniel Craig – Casino Royale (2006 reboot), Quantum of Solace, Skyfall, Spectre

Actors who have portrayed Jack Ryan

• Alec Baldwin – The Hunt for Red October
• Harrison Ford – Patriot Games, Clear and Present Danger
• Ben Affleck – The Sum of All Fears
• Chris Pine – Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit