Be an Interplanetary Spy
Twelve puzzle-based interactive sci-fi books for young readers.
Be An Interplanetary Spy is a series of twelve interactive children's science fiction books. The series was designed by Byron Preiss Visual Publications and first published by Bantam Books between 1983 and 1985. The books were released only in paperback, with bright covers and black-and-white illustrations throughout. They were aimed at younger readers. Unlike other interactive series like Choose Your Own Adventure or Fighting Fantasy, each book relies heavily on images. The art style mixes comic-book-style line drawings with blocky, straight-edged illustrations that resemble the graphics of video games from that era.
The reader plays a member of Spy Center, an organization that keeps order across the galaxy and acts as a mix of police and intelligence agency. Its headquarters are in Sector 777, called 'The Sector of Illusions.' The main character is usually just called Spy, and the text and pictures avoid showing the Spy's gender or specific physical traits, so any reader can identify with them. Each story is self-contained, but some characters appear in multiple books, and earlier events are sometimes mentioned later. Every novel presents a crime or mystery to solve, and over the series the reader gets promotions. Most books follow a pattern: Spy Center contacts the reader, gives them a mission, and often provides a disguise. The reader must contact certain people, who are usually spies or working with Spy Center. The stories are linear; the reader moves through a set plot by solving puzzles that are either pass or fail. Failing often means the Spy dies or the story ends immediately. The reader's choices rarely change the storyline, only whether they can continue.
Instead of asking readers to pick actions or use dice for combat, these books focus on puzzle solving. Challenges include mazes, pattern matching, and visualization problems, all presented as images. The stories are written in second person. The writers often used the books' own ISBN numbers—calling them "Interplanetary Spy Binary Numbers"—as codes or clues. The books encourage readers to write in blank spaces or boxes, fold pages, and even cut out a model in one novel, *The Star Crystal*. Because of this, finding a copy in mint condition today is nearly impossible.
There are twelve books in the series, published in timeline order. Although the books have "Story by" credits, the writers also d
- field
- Interactive children's science fiction book series
- publisher
- Bantam Books
- designer
- Byron Preiss Visual Publications
- publication_years
- 1983 to 1985
- number_of_books
- 12
- format
- Paperback
Lore & Background
The underlying concept of the series is that the reader is a member of an agency known as Spy Center, an organization that maintains order throughout the galaxy and falls partway between a police service and an intelligence agency. This agency has its headquarters in Sector 777, known as 'The Sector of Illusions'. The reader's character is usually referred to simply as Spy, and the story and illustrations almost always deliberately avoid identifying the Spy's gender or any specific physical characteristics, ensuring the widest possible chance of affinity between the Spy as character and the reader. Individual stories are stand-alone and need not be read in any particular order to succeed, however several characters recur throughout the series and earlier events are often referenced later.
Reader's Guide
The Be An Interplanetary Spy series holds a unique place in the history of interactive fiction for its heavy reliance on image-based puzzles—such as mazes, pattern matching, and visualization problems—rather than text-based choices or dice-driven combat. Readers were actively encouraged to make changes to the books themselves, including writing in blank spaces, folding pages, and even cutting out a model in one novel (The Star Crystal). Because of this, it is almost impossible to find a copy today in mint condition. The series also used the books' own ISBN numbers, called 'Interplanetary Spy Binary Numbers,' as codes or clues within the stories. While the stories are quite linear, with the reader advancing through a set plot by solving 'succeed or fail' puzzles, the series charted the reader's progress up the ranks with promotions received over the entire run of novels. Its distinctive visual style and puzzle-centric approach set it apart from contemporaries like Choose Your Own Adventure and Fighting Fantasy.
Did You Know?
- Each book consists largely of illustrations in a style that mixes comic book-like line drawings with blocky, straight edge illustrations matching the graphical quality of video games from the time of publication.
- The writers frequently used the books' own ISBN numbers, which they called 'Interplanetary Spy Binary Numbers,' as codes or clues within the stories.
- One novel, The Star Crystal, included a cutout model that readers were encouraged to assemble.
- The reader's character is usually referred to simply as Spy, and the story and illustrations almost always deliberately avoid identifying the Spy's gender or any specific physical characteristics.
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