In This Unit • Spies in Narrative Texts • Spies in Short Stories • Spies in Computer Games • Spies in Film I Spy, You Spy

Home , Spy film

1 Have you ever discovered a secret and passed it on? 2 Who do you think is the most famous fictional spy? 3 In the last few years, many books and films have been released featuring teenage spies. Do you think it would be possible for a teenager to be a spy in real life? Explain. Those who enjoy the spy genre give a variety of reasons for their devotion. Some like the mystery and intrigue; some like the gadgets; others enjoy the exotic locations and incredible exploits of the cult heroes and villains. What are the techniques that their creators use to allow us to experience the thrills and spills of the spy story? In this unit • Spies in narrative texts • Spies in short stories • Spies in computer games • Spies in film I spy, you spy

spy noun 1. an agent employed by a nce you enter the tangled web of espionage, there is state to obtain secret Ono escape. A spy story twists and turns, keeping the protagonist information, especially of a military nature, and the audience guessing until the end. Like most literature, spy concerning its potential or fiction often reflects the preoccupations of its time. During the post– actual enemies: He was captured inside enemy lines World War II period, when famous spy fiction writers included Ian and shot as a spy. Fleming, John Le Carré and Robert Ludlum, the USSR was the big 2. one who secretly keeps watch on others: My little enemy. Fictional Russian agents were pitted against those of the UK sister is such a spy, always trying to see what my friends and the USA in a never-ending spy game that reflected Cold War and I are doing in my room. politics. So what does the future hold for the genre? Only one thing spy verb is certain: as long there are battles for ‘world domination’ and secrets 1. to find out by looking closely: He was sent to spy to be kept and revealed, there will be spies; and while out the land before the there are spies, there will be spy fiction. attack. Word history: From German spähen, to scout, reconnoitre Word family: espionage, espy Reading and writing about Technology: spyware is any software application that is planted on a computer hard spies in narrative texts drive, without the owner knowing, and that can ‘see’ the Internet sites visited. Its Spy novels purpose is to send that A good spy story draws the reader in with fast action and a information back to another source, such as a marketer. series of puzzling clues to a mystery. Often the clues will lead the reader and the protagonist to one conclusion, only to discover that they have been tricked — led astray by a clever double agent or spymaster. Below is an extract from the spy novel Sleeper by Luke C. Jackson. Set in present- day India, Sleeper centres around 15-year-old Sara Gray, a student at Calderstone’s International School. In this extract, Sara is catapulted into a dramatic situation 20 that sets in motion a series of events which will make her question her past and Wordplay fear for her future. The margin notes will give you some tips to consider when writing your own spy stories. A single sentence, ending in a cliff-hanger, t the bottom of the stairs, she steps into the living room immediately pulls the A and freezes. reader into the story. In the middle of the room, her mother is sitting in a chair, her hands behind her back. The telephone cord has been used Implied violence adds to bind her hands to each other, then to the chair’s frame. Her to the sense of mouth is covered with electrical tape, its silver surface stained impending danger. with blood that trickles from her nose. Two men stand in the room, both of European appearance, one dressed in a suit, the other in a black shirt and leather jacket. She doesn’t recognise either of them, but they both wear the same almost-blank expression as they turn to face her.

110 english alive 3 ‘You must be Sara,’ the man with the leather jacket says. He has the trace of an accent that Sara can’t identify. Sara says nothing. ‘Why are you just standing there? Aren’t you going to help your mother?’ Sara’s mind reels. Should she make a run for it? She could The only escape route probably make it upstairs, lock herself in her room, then call the is considered and dismissed immediately, police on her mobile. But without a lock on her door, it would heightening suspense. only be a matter of time before they broke in. ‘Come in,’ the man in the suit says, motioning for her to move to her left, further into the room. For the first time, Sara notices that he holds a gun, its long barrel reflecting the light from the kitchen. As she takes three shaking steps to the left, she’s surprised the gun wasn’t the first thing she saw. ‘My father will be home any minute,’ Sara says, her voice quaking. Then she thinks about Aparna’s Sara demonstrates her father, and bluffs, ‘He’s in the computer business. He’s impor- ability to think quickly. tant. And he has guards who go everywhere with him. They have guns, too.’ ‘We’ll take that chance,’ the man in leather says, smiling. A description of a For a few seconds, nobody says anything. The only sounds are number of sounds makes the scene more the drip of a tap in the kitchen, her mother sniffing softly, and the vivid for the reader. distant whine of an auto-rickshaw. Then the man in leather speaks again. ‘So Sara, your mother tells us you’re an intelligent girl. Is that correct?’ Sara doesn’t know what to say. ‘I’m going to make you an offer, one intelligent person to another. Would you like that?’ Sara’s heart is hammering. Her legs feel like they’re about to collapse beneath her. But she nods. ‘Very good,’ the man says. ‘If you answer my questions correctly, we’ll make sure no more harm comes to your mother. Okay?’ The question of who Sara is working for is Again, Sara nods, and the man continues. ‘Who are you raised. This question is working for, Sara?’ a common one in spy narratives. Sara shakes her head. ‘What do you mean? I’m not —’ She stops as he produces his own pistol and shakes his head sadly. ‘I thought you loved your mother.’ ‘I do!’ Sara cries out. ‘I do. Please, I’ll help you, if I can. Really!’ Through her interior Now the suited man is speaking in a foreign language. His monologue, it is clear that Sara understands words are short and clipped. Sara has no idea what he’s saying, more about the men, and stares at her mother. Mrs Gray’s nose continues to bleed, and and the use of her chin is cut, her forehead rising in a lump, but her eyes are sur- weapons, than she realises prisingly calm. Taking heart from her bravery, Sara forces herself to relax. She hears a voice inside her, whispering. The guy in the suit doesn’t want to use his gun.

unit 5 • Alive with . . . spies 111 Sara doesn’t know where the thought comes from. She shakes her head in confusion. Look at the way he holds it, with his finger so far from the trigger. He’s afraid to fire. Her vision clouding momentarily, Sara feels a stinging sen- sation in her temples, then forces herself to breathe more slowly. Now the leather-jacketed man is speaking again. Sara tries to con- centrate, but catches only the tail end of what he’s saying, ‘. . . our operation.’ ‘Okay,’ Sara bluffs. ‘I’ll tell you what you want to know.’ He smiles. ‘Tell us how much you remember about the operation.’ The men relax slightly. For the first time both are holding their Now the voice in her guns in plain sight, and Sara knows that their pistols contain tran- head seems to be commanding her to quilliser darts, designed to stun rather than kill. She doesn’t know defend herself, almost how she knows it, but she does. as if there are two If you’re going to do something, do it now, the voice whispers. people within Sara, Sara’s actions are arguing about the best As Sara springs forward, the man in the suit raises the pistol, those of somebody course of action. but Sara ignores it, punching him once in the solar plexus. Then, with an extensive using her own body to keep him upright she slips her hand background in martial beneath his, her right forefinger finding the gun’s exposed arts, not a schoolgirl who took a couple of trigger. kung fu lessons. Spinning in the direction of the man in the leather jacket, she aims the gun and presses the trigger, feeling three small, gas-powered explosions, each This whole scene acts shot sending a dart into the man’s broad as a complication in chest. Even as he takes a step towards her the narrative, and it his eyes roll upwards, before he crashes occurs on pages 39 to 42 of the novel after to the ground unconscious. we have been The man hunched behind her has begun introduced to Sara as to recover from the punch, and raises his free part of the orientation. The hand to her shoulder. Spinning, Sara narrative drive is simultaneously breaks his hold and developed strongly wrenches the gun from the man’s through the action and events in this grasp, using her momentum to drive scene. a foot into the soft tissue behind his knee. With a grunt, the man pitches forward, and the blade of her right hand collides with the back of his neck, knocking him out. Less than six seconds after the To have knocked two fight had begun, it’s over. Both of armed attackers unconscious in less Sara’s attackers are on the than six seconds floor, still breathing but would be impossible unconscious, and she if she hadn’t been trained to do so. But is unscathed. she doesn’t remember being trained.

112 english alive 3 READING NARRATIVE TEXTS Understanding and knowing 1. Spy narrative texts: According to the men, why have they come to see Sara? • often have an exotic 2. The author of Sleeper surprises the reader in this extract by twisting the story setting in unexpected ways. Find two examples. • include characters with 3. Find a word in the extract that means: a mysterious past • shaking, trembling • use mystery and action • to trick, deceive to propel the narrative • briefly, for a short time incorporate a series of • • conflicting clues to jerk, force • • have an underlying unharmed, not hurt. sense of danger. Making meaning 4. Why do you think it takes Sara so long to notice that the men carry guns? Is this realistic? 5. What examples can you find in the extract of (a) action, (b) mystery and (c) suspense? Which of these is used most to drive the narrative forward? 6. The novel Sleeper has an exotic location: the city of Udaipur in India. Find a clue in the extract that suggests this location. 7. This chapter teases the reader, supplying pieces of the puzzle that will not make sense until later in the story. What questions do you have about Sara’s past after reading this chapter? List at least three. Analysing and reflecting 8. When this extract ends, Sara has knocked her mother’s attackers unconscious. When she removes the gag from her mother’s mouth, what might Mrs Gray say to her daughter? 9. Based upon what you have read in the extract, what do you imagine might happen later in the novel? 10. In spy fiction, the idea of a protagonist with an unreliable memory is not new, the most famous example being Jason Bourne in Robert Ludlum’s The Bourne Identity. Why do you think this might be such an appealing idea to writers of spy stories? WRITING AND RESPONDING TO TEXTS 11. This chapter is written in the third person, but is limited to Sara’s point of view. Retell Sara’s attack on the two men from her mother’s point of view, still using the third person. 12. Sleeper poses the question ‘What if your whole life was a lie?’ Discuss this with the person next to you. 13. (a) If you had always been certain that you remembered something a certain way, and then found out that you had been wrong all along, how would you feel? (b) If this has ever actually happened to you, describe your experience to your classmate. 14. Chart this scene from Sleeper as a line graph to show how the tension rises as the action develops.

unit 5 • Alive with . . . spies 113 Short stories For the fan of spy stories, one of their appealing aspects is that they provide escapism. The short story below, A Trip to the Shop by Richard Yaxley, takes a humorous view of the spy genre, based on the idea that many readers need to escape from their humdrum daily lives. Like all short stories, this one can be read in a single sitting; it has a limited number of characters, a brief orientation, few complications and a short climax; and it is followed quickly by the resolution. The title may or may not enable the reader to predict the story’s subject matter. A Trip to the Shop by Richard Yaxley The name of the protagonist is mentioned hania,’ said her mother waspishly, ‘can you please get your nose out of that book and early in the story, clarifying who will be the S go to the shop for me?’ focus of the action. Shania did not move. She was a tall girl with a mop of brown hair and too many freckles. She was reading a book called Action Stations. Orientation It was a thriller, with a gorgeous heroine called Katerina who karate-chopped block- headed baddies, ﬂew gyrocopters upside-down over piranha-infested rivers and saved the world with the same frequency that most women apply lip-gloss. She liked the name Katerina. It had two a’s and an i. Just like Shania. ‘Shania,’ whined her mother. ‘We need some bread, honey. And tomatoes. Please!’ Link between two stories ❖❖❖❖❖❖

Italic text is the cue that Katerina appraised him with her cool, luscious eyes. we are reading the story ‘You’re a man,’ she said perceptively. ‘I have no time for men. They get in my way.’ within the story. ‘But Katerina,’ pleaded the tall, dark, handsome, part-Mediterranean stranger, ‘you and I . . . we belong together. Like wine and cheese — we are made for one another.’ ‘Very well,’ murmured Katerina seductively. ‘You may kiss me.’ The stranger leaned forward. Katerina let him get close enough to see the quality of her hand-made Latvian silk blouse, then she twirled, ﬂexed and scissor-kicked to his Action is very important kidneys. The stranger buckled immediately and fell to the ﬂoor, groaning. She laughed in spy stories. with the abandon of someone in complete control of her destiny then leapt into her red Maserati sports coupe and zoomed back down the autobahn.

❖❖❖❖❖❖

Back to the ‘real’ story ‘Oh Katerina!’ breathed Shania. ‘Oh Shania!’ yelled her mother. ‘How many times do I have to ask you?’ Shania sighed. She marked her spot in the book, closed it and placed it carefully on the table. ‘Bread and tomatoes,’ said her mother more calmly. ‘Make sure they’re ﬁrm.’ She looks so . . . ordinary, Shania thought. She tried to imagine her mother zooming down an autobahn in a red Maserati sports coupe and nearly laughed aloud. ‘Okay,’ she said.

114 english alive 3 ‘And milk,’ said her mother petulantly. ‘Okay,’ said Shania Smith. She took a ten-dollar note from the housekeeping jar and left the house.

❖❖❖❖❖❖

It didn’t take long for the action to warm up. Two hawk-eyed, hack-mouthed killers Complication were waiting for her in the shadows of the front hedge. The sun glinted off their curved swords, held wickedly before them. Shania let them get close enough to see the quality of This links with Katerina’s hand-made Latvian silk her beige Woolworths T-shirt, then she ducked, spun, grabbed their wrists in an iron grip blouse, providing a and ﬂung their weapons ﬁfty metres into the depths of the housing estate. The trained contrast between Shania’s real life and her fantasy assassins — for that was what they surely were — squealed in terror, jumped back on life. their mopeds and buzzed off. ‘Kretzel’s henchmen,’ muttered Shania through gritted teeth. ‘I knew it.’

The villain or arch enemy Kretzel was a ruthless, bald, one-eyed, squeaky-voiced megalomaniac who would is a standard feature of stop at nothing to achieve world domination. Katerina had had problems with him spy stories. too. Shania walked on down the dusty road. The shop was only a short distance away — about five hundred metres — but that was no excuse for complacency. A lot can happen in five hundred metres, thought Shania grimly. As if on cue, a giant shadow fell across her path. She looked up as three hairy, Another complication humungous woman-eating spiders stepped out from behind a CWA billboard. Their eyes spun towards her like out-of-control marbles. Then, in perfect synchrony, they lifted their front legs and began a lumbering scuttle in Shania’s direction. The lead spider raised fangs that dripped with a megalitre of death-dealing toxin. Shania rummaged in her backpack. Since first tangling with the evil Kretzel, she Gadgets are another ‘must-have’ in spy stories. rarely travelled without her AFP — Arachnid Freeze Pump. Held in the hand like a small, cylindrical pistol, it pumped a misty spray that had been specially developed in Frankfurt laboratories to put hairy, humungous woman-eating spiders in a state of suspended animation. The creatures closed in. Shania could smell their rancid fur, see the sweat gleaming on their thoraxes and their bulbous yellow abdomens. She held up the AFP and pressed a button. The spray flew out and coated the spiders. Instantly they froze. Shania checked the gauge on the side of the AFP, just as Katerina would have done. ‘Down to 12 per cent availability,’ she grimaced. ‘Hope there aren’t any more.’ She stepped beneath the legs of the spiders, taking care to avoid a frozen drip of venom that hung like a stalactite from the last spider’s jaw. Then, having looked left, right then left Use of humour ‘sends up’ again — superwomen are very conscientious about road rules and setting a good the spy genre. example — Shania crossed the road. Here the footpath followed the line of the ocean. Today, fluffed by a light breeze, the water was darker, topped with small choppy waves. Perfect conditions for an attack, thought Shania, remembering Katerina’s recent tangle with Kretzel. She took out her high-powered laser opto-binoculars and scanned the ocean. Just as she thought. Kretzel’s fleet of sniper subs were waiting below the surface of the pier like Complication marauding sharks.

unit 5 • Alive with . . . spies 115 Sniper subs are tiny vessels built for a single operator. They are amphibious and carry enough explosives to detonate an entire city. About the size of a torpedo, they are even more deadly. Shania clicked on the digitalised mapping mechanism of her opto-binoculars. Instantly she was given a graphic display showing the exact position of each sub. She counted. Twelve in all. Lucky. In her backpack was a box of micro depth charges. Another send-up of spy heroes and spy stories Twelve of them, as it happened. Shania wasted no more time. Within seconds she was disguised as a bearded tuna ﬁsherman. She sauntered out onto the pier, smiling at the playing children and waving to the men who were sitting on stools and hoping for a catch of whiting. How little they know, she thought grandly. Be with me, Katerina . . . She used a portable scopex to locate each of the subs. After she had dropped the MDCs there was a series of small popping sounds, but no-one seemed to notice. Life went on as it always had. Shania looked down into the ocean. Nothing. The subs were already plummeting to the bottom. Disaster had been averted. She wiped her brow, ripped off the beard and continued on her way.

❖❖❖❖❖❖

Shania knew immediately that the man behind the counter was a plant, probably from Kretzel’s inner sanctum. How many shop assistants have titanium fangs in their mouth and an MK47-shaped bulge under their shoulder? She used the StunBeam in Another gadget her watch to put him temporarily out of action, then grabbed her bag of groceries and scuttled out of the store, nearly tripping on a concealed plutonium bomb, which she quickly defused (red wire first, then blue followed by black). She had just completed this delicate but fulfilling task when a squadron of low-flying jet fighters zoomed out of the clouds. Complication ‘Kamikaze,’ said Shania to no-one in particular. ‘What a drag.’ She shrugged, took a make-up mirror from her back pocket and deflected the sun’s rays directly into the path of the aircraft. Suddenly blinded, the pilots panicked, strayed off course and the fighters hurtled into the ocean with a ripping, roaring explosion and a huge splash. As Katerina says, thought Shania, a modern girl should never go out without her make-up mirror.

❖❖❖❖❖❖

On the way home there was a minor skirmish with a giant rolling boulder — easily dis-

Protagonist continues to integrated with her new, astro-powered Rock-Blaster — as well as two sword fights, a show incredible heroic quick scuffle with a Sherman tank and a tricky obstacle course through a cloud of poi- abilities. soned arrows. But, like Katerina in Action Stations, Shania managed brilliantly, and soon she was standing on the corner of their street. Use of name Smith suggests ordinariness of She scanned the horizon. Her acutely developed nose-for-danger told her it was Shania’s real life. By over — all threats defeated. She sighed, wiped her forehead and smiled to herself. It contrast, most spy heroes have exotic or glamorous had been a busy day, but nothing she couldn’t handle, and tomorrow would bring names. other challenges. It was all part of the business of being who she was — Shania Smith, superwoman and saviour of the solar system. She took one final look around. Everything appeared to be normal. Her mother’s brick-and-tile house squatted in the

116 english alive 3 middle of a suburb of brick-and-tile houses. In the distance she could see more brick- and-tiles punctuated by the odd taller building and shopping centre. The sky — so recently filled with the fumes of spider-breath and buzzing jet fighters — was once again clear and blue. Behind her, the ocean — lately filled with marauding submarines and exploding depth charges — lapped gently against the beach. Shania sauntered up the driveway of their home, wondering if someone tall, dark and handsome, and probably Mediterranean, would be waiting for her. A rakish Renaldo, perhaps, or Jean-Paul with a snorting Spanish horse and fedora hat. She looked ahead but could see only her mother, small and dumpy in a rayon print dress as she hung out the washing. ‘Did you get the bread?’ she asked. ‘Yes.’ Shania held out the bag. ‘One loaf of white sandwich bread and six firm tomatoes.’ ‘Thanks,’ said her mother, not really listening. ‘Not a problem.’ If only she knew, thought Shania. If she knew about the real me — Shania Smith, superwoman, saviour of the solar system, defender of rights, vanquisher of evil, goddess of all that is good and true — she wouldn’t be so blasé. She smiled to herself, wandered back inside to the lounge room. Action Stations was on the table where she had left it. She sat down, tired from her afternoon’s exertions. Repelling giant spiders, sinking marauding submarines, defusing massive bombs, out- witting trained assassins, dodging kamikaze aircraft — it all took it out of you. She yawned, picked up her book and started reading again.

❖❖❖❖❖❖

Italics again link to the Katerina opened the door of the six-star apartment. Jean-Paul, a tall, dark, handsome story within the story that man who wore a fedora and moved as if he might own a snorting Spanish horse, walked began on page 114. towards her with a glass of champagne. ‘Guess what, ma cherie,’ Jean-Paul said in his resonant, perfect-tenor voice. Katerina drained the champagne in a single gulp, glided to the bar and poured herself another. ‘What?’ ‘My share portfolio has increased by ﬁfteen million per cent in the last ten minutes,’ said Jean-Paul, checking his new gold Rolex watch. ‘Because of this, I have just bought an island in the Mediterranean, a squadron of luxury Lear jets and two succulent lobsters. Ma cherie, I want you to be with me there . . . Katerina looked into his deep dark eyes, felt her body shake with longing . . .

❖❖❖❖❖❖

‘Shania! Shania!’ Her mother was shaking her shoulder. ‘Wake up!’ She stretched, yawned, opened her eyes. Climax, twist and resolution all occur ‘Mum, I was asleep . . .’ together, bringing reader ‘You forgot the milk. Go back to the shop at once and get the milk!’ back to earth. ‘Oh,’ said Shania Smith. The book lay, face down, on the ﬂoor beside her.

unit 5 • Alive with . . . spies 117 READING SHORT STORY TEXTS Understanding and knowing 1. Spy short stories: Why does Shania admire the character of Katerina in Action Stations? • have a clear beginning, 2. How do you think Shania feels about her mother? Which two sections of the middle and end story provide this information? • take place in a limited 3. Find six words or phrases in the story that you associate with the spy amount of time genre. • involve only two or 4. List the gadgets that Shania has at her disposal in the story. three main characters 5. • assume that the reader List three adjectives to describe: knows nothing of the (a) Shania’s appearance characters prior to (b) Katerina’s appearance. reading the story • use action and suspense Making meaning to propel the story 6. Why do you think the author called this story A Trip to the Shop? Suggest a • may end with a twist. more exciting title for the story. 7. What, if anything, did you enjoy about this story? What sort of reader would

eCD-R you recommend it to? th O M n o Analysing and reflecting 8. This is a story within a story. Discuss with a partner how the author has done Story Spinner this, and then draw up a graph to illustrate its structure. 9. How does the ending make you feel? Does the beginning of the story prepare you for the ending? 10. Who seems like a more realistic character: Shania, Katerina, or Sara Gray in Sleeper? Explain your answer using relevant examples from the stories. WRITING AND RESPONDING TO TEXTS 11. Teenage spies are very popular. Check out the official website of another fictional teenage spy, Alex Rider at www.alexrider.com, and then consider the following questions. (a) Is the site enjoyable to explore? Explain. (b) Who does the website appear to be targeting? Think about age, gender and interests. (c) Is there anything the web developers could have done to make the experience more enjoyable for you? (d) If you were going to design a website for Sleeper and its main character, Sara Gray, how would you use what you have learned from exploring the Alex Rider website to make the experience most enjoyable for visitors? 12. Imagine that the Australian government approached you tomorrow with a proposition: ‘Come and work for us’. They would train you in the various skills that a spy needs (known as ‘tradecraft’), and then send you all over the world to learn what you could about people and organisations on behalf of the government. They would clear it with your parents and make sure your school was none the wiser. The only trouble is that it could be dangerous. Would you do it? Why or why not? Discuss with a partner the pros and cons. 21 13. Choose a scene from A Trip to the Shop and illustrate it. Crack a code

118 english alive 3 eCD-R th O Using dialogue to maintain reader interest M n o The modern spy story is complex, but should never get so bogged down in detail that the reader loses interest. One way in which a writer can keep a Script Scriber story ﬂowing, even while delivering crucial information, is by using dialogue. Look at the following passage from Sleeper.

itting back, Sara realises how quiet the house is. Usually, one of the staff would have offered Sara a cup of tea or coffee by now. But, apart from them, the kitchen is empty. ‘Is everything okay?’ she asks. Staring at her hands, Apona seems to have lost some of her usual confidence. ‘It’s . . . I can’t believe . . .’ Shaking her head, she attempts to smile, but her bottom lip trembles and she has to look away. ‘It’s nothing for you to worry about, Sara. But I’m — I will have to stay here today. In case .. . my father needs me.’ They had planned to go into town this afternoon, so that Apona could choose a present. Sara had saved her pocket money for a few weeks, and had a thousand lacing her hands on rupees — around thirty-five US dollars — easily enough to buy something nice; her hips, Terri asked, P Apona would get the best possible price. ‘Steve, where are you ‘Did something happen?’ Sara asks. ‘Is everyone okay?’ going?’ ‘Yes,’ Apona says. ‘Everybody’s fine. It’s nothing like that. Last night . . .’ ‘I am going out, ‘What is it?’ Sara asks. Terri,’ Steve answered. When her friend looks at her, her eyes fill with tears. ‘Something’s missing ... ‘Is that acceptable to something to do with my dad’s new project. Something important.’ you?’ ‘You were meant to There is information in this passage about the thing that has gone missing do your chores before from Apona’s father’s study, but the information does not come across as you left the house today. rushed or forced. The first step to writing good dialogue is to recognise that You promised Mother real people rarely speak ‘correctly’. A normal conversation will be filled with you would do them.’ broken sentences and questions, and peppered with contractions and ‘And I will do them, colloquial language. Look at the conversation on the left. By contrast, the Terri,’ Steve insisted. ‘I speakers sound very formal and, as a result, their argument sounds awkward will do them as soon as I and unconvincing. return. You must trust me.’ Over to you 1. Keeping the same basic lines of dialogue, rewrite the formal conversation in a more realistic way, having the characters interrupt each other and use ✔learning slang where appropriate. I CAN: The second element of good dialogue is what is not said but is suggested in understand what drives a spy narrative forward the characters’ tone and body language. Imagine that the scenario above left appreciate some of the was part of a spy story. Terri is older than her brother, and feels protective of elements of spy fiction him. She does not want to tell him that she thinks the house is being recognise the differences between a watched. Steve knows the house is being watched, and had been intending spy short story and a to find out who was doing the watching when his sister had called him back. spy novel 2. appreciate the design of Keeping the same four lines of dialogue you wrote for question 1, add a website based upon a body language and descriptions of the way things are said. Try to reflect popular spy series the sister’s concern for her brother as well as both characters’ frustration use dialogue to with each other. maintain reader interest.

unit 5 • Alive with . . . spies 119 Reading and writing about spies in visual texts Spies in computer games Computer games today attract some of the most popular novel- ists and screenplay writers, and have overtaken movies in proﬁts earned. Filled with complex puzzles, the best games are visual texts that are held together by an absorbing plot, and are enjoyed globally by people of all ages. With unique cell-style animation, XIII is a stylish thriller that owes a lot not only to the comic on which it is based but also to Robert Ludlum’s The Bourne Identity. Engaging characters, a wide range of challenges and a complex storyline make XIII a favourite among those who love a good spy story.

Based on the French comic by William Vance and Jean Van Hamme, XIII is a comic-book-style computer game known as a first-person shooter. It tells the story of a man who wakes up on a beach with no memory of how he got there and no idea who he is. The only clues he has to his identity are a key to a safety deposit box in New York and the number XIII tattooed on his shoulder.

When the American president is assassinated, the protagonist discovers that he is the main suspect, but he has no memory of the event and is convinced that he is being set up. Is the protagonist a hero or an assassin?

120 english alive 3 The black and white colour scheme makes it clear that the scene took place in the past. An otherwise unremarkable setting allows the player to focus on the main character. In film terms, a high camera angle is used to suggest that the character lacks power . . . perhaps the power to stop himself doing something he would not otherwise do. A mirror is commonly used by a character when they are questioning their An early cut scene ﬂashes back to a time identity. when the protagonist stood in front of a mirror, about to reveal a tattoo on his arm of the number XIII. The game of XIII uses a computer graphics technique known as cel-shading. With its thick linework and heavy shadowing, this technique creates a hand-drawn appearance and style that mimics that of a comic book.

The character of XIII has an array of weapons and gadgets to choose from.

unit 5 • Alive with . . . spies 121 MAIN FRAME Reds and browns give the scene a sense of menace. The first-person perspective makes the player feel as if they are completely immersed in the action. The sound of the explosion is spelled out in bold, orange text, heightening the comic- book feel of the scene.

INNER FRAMES Frames within frames reflect the game’s comic-book roots.

VALUES ON LEFT-HAND SIDE OF MAIN FRAME The player’s strength and ammunition are shown on- screen for quick reference. When attacked by a heavily armoured chopper, the protagonist protects himself with a rocket launcher, one of many weapons he has been trained to use.

MAIN FRAME The location is constantly varied: one minute it is set on the beach, the next in snow, thus keeping the game visually engaging.

MINOR FRAME The close-up on a two-way radio demonstrates its potential importance to the character.

OTHER ON-SCREEN FEATURES The player has a choice of fighting techniques/weapons: hand-to- hand combat, throwing knives and crossbow, all of which are silent when used correctly. The on-screen text alerts the player to what the protagonist senses: The protagonist uses stealth to gain access to a ‘Feeling an alarm near!!’ His awareness of these elements increases highly fortiﬁed military base where General by completing different challenges and regaining the skills he was Carrington, the man who once trained him, is being kept under lock and key. once trained to use.

The doctor’s expression is stern, suggesting he means business. The scalpel and needle, one held in each hand, are in the foreground, giving them prominence and making the doctor appear more menacing. A fish-eye lens effect is used to mimic the character’s warped perceptions. A green fluid in the needle contrasts strongly with the white of the doctor’s coat, drawing the player’s eye. In the background, an X-ray viewing screen can be seen, with what may be the protagonist’s x-rays displayed, suggesting that he has been here for a while.

There is great contrast between light and shadow in the room, but the The protagonist has to ﬁght his way out of the colour scheme is dark overall, creating a sense of foreboding. lab while under the effects of a toxic serum.

122 english alive 3 READING AND VIEWING SPIES IN COMPUTER GAMES

A spy computer game: Understanding and knowing • uses film techniques 1. What Arabic numeral is represented by the Roman numerals XIII? such as different angles 2. What skills would a player need to master in order to succeed in XIII? and lighting techniques 3. XIII is a spy story. However, it also fits into other genres. From what you have • is broken into episodes, read and seen of it, which seems most appropriate: each with a number of • action smaller goals, before • ending with a climactic mystery challenge or fight • adventure • • will usually take place in science fiction? a series of distinct Explain. locations 4. Which of the images from the game interests you the most? Why? • may contain a range of storytelling techniques, Making meaning including cut scenes 5. Which age group and gender do you think XIII is predominantly aimed at? and flashbacks What makes you say this? • may combine a realistic 6. look and a stylised How could the game be altered to appeal to a wider audience? look. 7. Like a film, a computer game’s score heightens the mood. What kind of music would best suit XIII? 8. The protagonist discovers that he has the number XIII tattooed on his shoulder. Judging by what you have seen and read, what could this number mean? Who, or what, could be number I? Analysing and reflecting 9. Why might the game’s producers have decided to present XIII from the first- person perspective? What would the effect have been if they had presented it from over the shoulder of the character, as on page 121 (top)? 10. XIII is very stylised, looking much more like a comic book than real life. In your opinion, does this less realistic look add to or detract from the game’s appeal? 11. Often ‘shooters’ are considered boys’ games. But is it true that boys and girls prefer different types of games? Discuss this with your classmates to gain a consensus on what types of games girls and boys prefer. Assuming there is a difference in preference, what might account for this? WRITING AND RESPONDING TO TEXTS 12. Choose one of the images from XIII on pages 120 to 122. How might this level be redesigned to allow a player to succeed without simply shooting the ✔ bad guy/s? Present your response as a diagram if you wish. learning 13. I CAN: Every week you can turn on the television and watch shows that review understand how the movies, discussing characters and plots and making recommendations. Do look and feel of a you believe that computer games will ever get this kind of mainstream computer game is acceptance? Explain. constructed to appeal to a particular audience 14. Look at the image at the top of page 121. Imagine you are the protagonist. create alternative ways You have no idea where you are or why, and you remember nothing of your of solving a level of a life before waking up in this room. Write half a page describing what you see, spy-based computer game. hear, taste, smell and feel after waking up in the doctor’s surgery.

unit 5 • Alive with . . . spies 123 Reading spy films Although there have been many spies in ﬁction, by far the most famous is James Bond. He is a cultural icon, appearing in novels, ﬁlms and computer games. And with a new actor announced to play James Bond, there is no sign of him hanging up his ‘licence to kill’ any time soon.

eCD-R The Bond movies have really become a sub-genre of spy stories. Without th O M n realism to hold them back, the ﬁlms centre on the idea of the ‘super spy’ and are o littered with gadgets, weapons and pretty girls. Gone are the shadowy ﬁgures of

MeZine spy literature; the bad guys in Bond stories are much more ‘up front’: they want to start World War III from their space stations or underground lairs. And questions of morality are almost non-existent, as Bond dispatches dozens of enemies in every film, often in the most elaborate and gruesome way possible. Agent 007, super spy Since hitting the big screen in 1952 with Dr No, the unflappable Agent 007 has set the pace for super spies. His sig- nature line, Shaken, not stirred (the way he likes his martinis), reflects his cool demeanour and is recognised the world over.

Dressed in a dinner suit, with a flower in his lapel, Bond The Bond Girl appears suave and The Bond Girl combines sex appeal sophisticated. with strength. Giacinta ‘Jinx’ His gun is silenced, Johnson, played by Halle Berry, is an suggesting that the agent of America’s National Security secret agent is at least somewhat concerned Agency, and will stop at nothing to with being stealthy. catch her man.

Bond’s expression is Wearing a bikini, ‘Jinx’ entices Bond to hard and unforgiving, trust her . . . but is she all that she seems? leaving no room for argument. The knife worn on her designer belt suggests that she knows how to protect herself. It also refers to an earlier Bond Girl played by Ursula Andress, who wore a bikini with a similar knife belt.

124 english alive 3 Every country has a distinctive look, belief system and set of customs, which Bond movies incorporate to give each ﬁlm a different feel. Later spy stories, including Luke C. Jackson’s novel Sleeper, maintain this tradition.

When travelling in another country, Bond usually changes his attire very little, and seems more concerned with stirring things up than blending in. When asked who he is, he simply replies, ‘Bond . . . James Bond’. An evil organisation Bond has faced SPECTRE (the Special Executive for Counter- intelligence, Terrorism, Revenge and Extortion) in a number of adventures. Originally, SPECTRE aimed to control the world by pitting the two superpowers, America and the USSR, against one another, before attacking the victor.

Emilio Largo, second-in-command of SPECTRE, wears a white suit and appears completely comfortable among the rich and powerful — as does Bond. Largo is made to look less trustworthy with the addition of an eye patch.

The super villain The head of SPECTRE, Ernst Stavro Blofeld, is James Bond’s arch enemy, appearing in six Bond ﬁlms. Originally, his face was not shown; instead, ﬁlmmakers used a close-up of a hand stroking a white Angora cat. This made him appear more mysterious.

A large scar runs down the right-hand side of Blofeld’s face, hinting at a violent past. Usually the presence of a pet would signal that a character is kind; here, it is used in a menacing way, the villain compulsively stroking his cat while ordering men to their deaths.

unit 5 • Alive with . . . spies 125 In order to complete his missions, Bond requires technical assistance in the form of gadgets. These are provided by the ‘Q Division’ of MI6. Throughout Bond’s career, many gadgets have been hidden in his watch; more recently, he has carried a stun gun, a mobile phone with a high- tech lock pick, and a remote control for his BMW.

Before Bond goes on a mission, there is always a demonstration of the latest prototypes back at headquarters. The films indulge in humour by displaying gadgets that are not quite ready or are just plain silly, this one being demonstrated by the legendary character Q.

Usually designed to match his clothing, the gadgets that Bond actually uses have a clean, stylish look. They are hidden from prying eyes, but are ready for immediate use. This pen doubles as a gun.

The Bond gadgets were parodied in the television series Get Smart. As Agent 86, Maxwell Smart was equipped with unnecessary and impractical gadgets such as a shoe phone. This would have attracted so much attention that it would have been easier to ﬁnd a pay phone instead.

126 english alive 3 READING SPY FILMS Understanding and knowing 1. Super-spy films: Who was James Bond’s arch enemy? • are less concerned with 2. Which appeals to you more: a traditional spy story or a super-spy story? realism than with Why? providing thrills 3. Which of the following is not a feature of the super-spy sub-genre? • pit the super spy against a powerful enemy who (a) Gadgets is usually bent on world (b) Exotic locations domination (c) Moral ambiguity • involve the use of (d) Thrills and spills elaborate gadgets • are often parodied in Making meaning film and television. 4. It has been suggested that a super spy needs to be opposed by a super villain. Why might this be? 5. Which would be easier to use as the basis for a computer game: a traditional spy story or a super-spy story? Explain. 6. Why might the super-spy genre be parodied more often than the more traditional spy story? Analysing and reflecting 7. In super-spy parodies such as the Austin Powers films and Get Smart the main character is depicted as not very bright, but the main woman — the equivalent of the Bond Girl — remains fairly intelligent and resourceful. Why might this be? 8. Some people describe Bond films as formulaic; clearly, to some extent this is true. In your opinion, is it a bad thing that they are formulaic? 9. For fans, do spy films appeal because they provide escapism? (Escapism is the avoidance of reality through the imagination or through entertainment.) In pairs, discuss whether you think this is the main reason for their appeal. For what other reasons might such films appeal to viewers? What might be the profile of a typical spy film fan? WRITING AND RESPONDING TO TEXTS 10. Pretend you have just begun working for Q Division. Design a gadget for use by a teenage spy. Present it in the form of a detailed diagram. Remember that the gadget needs to be useful for the teenage spy and should be concealed in a device that would not raise an eyebrow if he or she were searched. 11. Create your own super-spy parody. Sketch your character and then write a 22 description of them including the following: Design a spy gadget (a) name (b) catchphrase (c) allies (d) favourite gadget/s (e) a brief description of their personality 23 (f) a brief description of their most famous mission, including a catchy title Spy-Q along the lines of Thunderball, Moonraker or You Only Live Twice.

unit 5 • Alive with . . . spies 127 Creating a super villain A super spy needs an arch enemy . . . someone to run into a number of times before meeting in a ﬁnal showdown. This is the super villain. They typically have an elaborate background that ties into their present evil deeds, and are not satisﬁed with merely controlling a company or small country: they want to take over the world.

In the 1997 super-spy spoof Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery, James Bond’s arch enemy Blofeld was parodied in the character of Dr Evil. From his secret island lair, the super villain planned to send an explosive device into the centre of the Earth, which would swamp the planet with boiling hot magma . . . unless the world’s leaders paid him a hefty ransom.

128 english alive 3 > Over to you 1. Design a suitable arch enemy for either James Bond or your own parody of a super spy. In your profile, include: (a) a head or full-body sketch (b) a list of their skills (c) their favourite weapon (d) under what circumstances they first met the super spy. 2. Most ‘final fights’ are preceded by a scene in which all the loose ends are tied up before the battle begins. Write a brief passage of dialogue in which the villain describes their motives for trying to take over the world. And remember: the best parodies keep the same basic structure as a serious spy story, but change small details in order to create a comedic effect. It does ✔learning not have to be too ‘over the top’. I CAN: 3. A final showdown usually takes place in the location at which the villain recognise the difference feels most at home, such as Dr Evil’s volcanic lair or moon base. between a traditional Sometimes it will involve the villain fighting from within a vehicle that spy story and a super- spy story represents their personality. Design a setting for this final showdown, design a parody of a drawing it either from overhead or from eye level. How might your super spy villain use the terrain to enhance their chances of defeating the super create a suitably evil spy? super villain.

lthough spies have existed for thousands of A years, the job title was not officially acknowledged by Western governments until early in the twentieth century. Even today, much of what spies actually do is cloaked in secrecy. Filling the gap between what we suspect and what we know is the fictional spy — highly trained and equipped for any situation. But it is not simply the protagonist’s resourcefulness that guarantees a readership for the spy story. The best spy stories question the notions of good and evil, and explore the grey area between. As the world moves into an era in which companies have as much power as small governments, and the enemy could be anywhere, the spy is a fitting hero in an era of uncertainty. Often asked to do things that they may disagree with, spies must maintain a strong sense of self if they want to survive. As Michael Cox, editor of The Oxford Book of Spy Stories writes, ‘For writers, the great game is still there to be played’. And of course it is there for readers too. Spy on!

unit 5 • Alive with . . . spies 129 The designer who came in from the cold In a bid to capitalise upon the popularity of ‘super-spy’ stories around The game may be serious or the world, an Australian computer-game-design company has come satirical, but you must cater for to your school. They want to design a spy game aimed squarely at the both male and female players. And teen market (boys and girls) and have decided to allow you and a remember: this is a super-spy game, classmate to flesh out the concept before they approach their so think big. Big organisations, big investors. The following scene will eventually be animated, forming a villains, and big thrills for the cut scene to begin the game. player. With your partner, complete the following activities. hen he looked through the binoculars and saw the money on the Wbed, Owen stopped short. He was no stranger to large sums of The look/feel money, but there was something about the duffle bag filled with cash that • Will the game be serious or made it hard to breathe. satirical? He was only meant to watch. Watch and make notes. Instead, he’d left • Which point of view will the his equipment in the bare-walled apartment across the road and entered game show? Terry’s room. Closing the door quietly behind him, Owen listened care- • Will the artwork be realistic, fully. He heard running water, then the clink of metal on porcelain. Terry comic-book style or something was shaving. else altogether? Owen was leaving the room and walking down the brightly lit corridor, • What kind of music will duffle bag slung over his shoulder, before he had time to talk himself out of accompany the game? it. A minute later, he was jumping on a bus, paying for a ticket and The protagonist squeezing himself between the late-night passengers, hoping the trains • Sketch a picture of Owen and would still be running. list his skills. What weapons/ He reached the busy station fifteen minutes later, and was about to walk gadgets might he have on him through the entrance when he sensed, rather than heard, the car pull up to as he enters the train station? the curb. He turned around and saw the black-coated men making their • What items might he pick up and way through the crowd towards him. So he started to run. use to fend off his pursuers once It was what they’d trained him to do. he is inside the train station?

SAMPLE STORYBOARD

130 english alive 3 The story • Who might the money belong to? • Who might Owen have been trained by? • Imagine that when he eventually reaches the train, three ﬂoors down, Owen meets either an ally or an enemy. Who is it? The gameplay • How will you design this level so that players can achieve success in different ways? • Draw a map of the train station from above, including two possible routes that the protagonist can take to get to his train. • Design one puzzle for the player to solve within the level. Marketing material Once you have completed the activities above, you will need to prepare sample marketing material for your computer game.

Packaging Unit 5 • The front cover of your game’s case may contain a single captivating image or a series of images that convey different aspects of the game. On the back cover, it should contain a blurb. Use punchy language to grab the reader’s attention. Website • No computer game marketing campaign is complete without an ofﬁcial website. Suggest three ways in which the look and feel of the game could be built upon in an online setting. If you like, you can create a sample page using a website development program.

A computer game case should leap off the shelf, forcing a potential player to pick it up.

unit 5 • Alive with . . . spies 131 point of view: the perspective Key terms from which a story is told Try these blurb: brief description of a book, protagonist: the leading character Novels DVD or computer game, designed or hero in a play, novel or film Sleeper by Luke C. Jackson, John to entice potential readers/viewer resolution: the process by which Wiley & Sons climax: the highest point of the dramatic tension in a narrative Stormbreaker: the First Alex Rider tension in a story, where the main or drama falls and the conflict Mission by Anthony Horowitz, action is concluded comes to a satisfactory end Walker Books Cold War: the period of tension satirical: describes a text that Computer games between communist and non- makes fun of human vice or communist countries, from 1945 weakness, often with the intent of XIII to 1991 criticising or changing an aspect of Goldeneye: Rogue Agent colloquial: describes language our society James Bond: From Russia with that is part of everyday, informal score: the music written for a film Love speech or a play Television shows complication: a problem that spoof: an imitation of a well- occurs in a plot, and which known art form or genre in order Alias heightens the dramatic tension to make fun of it Get Smart cut scene: found in computer stylised: using artistic forms and Films games, a scene that tells a vital conventions to create effects; James Bond: Die Another Day, piece of the story and does not having a distinctive style allow the player to interact with MGM sub-genre: a sub-division of a characters on screen Agent Cody Banks, MGM larger genre double agent: an agent who is Austin Powers: International Man third person: third person acting for more than one intelligence of Mystery, New Line pronouns are he, she and they, so a organisation and passing on the text written in the third person talks Dr No, MGM secrets of one to the other about characters in this way. first-person shooter: a ‘shoot twist: a surprise ending ’em up’ style of game, presented Connections with a first-person perspective, so visual text: a text constructed Narratives: see pages 2–6, 7–9, that the action is viewed as if using visual images rather than 20–4, 30–4, 60–1, 71–3, through the character’s eyes words, for example a photograph 172–4, 186–8 fish-eye lens: a wide-angle Films: see pages 11–14 photographic lens that covers about Word list 180°, producing a circular image Word Alternatives with foreshortening in the centre On the web and distortion towards the edges crucial vital, critical, pivotal Go to www.jaconline.com.au/ englishalive/ea3 and click on formulaic: based upon a set exotic unusual, out of the formula or pattern ordinary the following weblinks: CIA: spy-fi interior monologue: fitting appropriate, suitable, conversation with oneself in one’s proper CIA: artefacts own head Alex Rider gruesome revolting, blood- narrative: a written or spoken curdling text type that tells a story narrative drive: the force that mission assignment, task On the CD-ROM moves a story forward resourceful adaptable, flexible, MeZine: make your own mini- orientation: beginning of a story, ingenious mag (see page 124) when characters are introduced stealthy secretive, undetectable Story Spinner: spin your own and settings established story (see page 118) unpredictable erratic, unforeseen parody: to imitate something in Script Scriber: get set to script order to ridicule it villain scoundrel, wrongdoer write (see page 119)

132 english alive 3