Female spy

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The classic female spy is Mata Hari, a woman who relies on her sexuality and men's inability to see past women's sexuality. By contrast, James Bond is the classic male spy: he too uses his sexuality, but the emphasis for him is on adventure, action, and his sexual activities are portrayed as "exploits" or "conquests". A number of works have taken on these conventions.

List of female spies in SF

• Sydney Bristow & numerous other agents in Alias
• Phèdre nó Delaunay in Jacqueline Carey's Kushiel series, starting with Kushiel's Dart (2001), uses a woman in the mata hari role.
• Hana Gitelman (played by Stana Katic) in "Heroes", a former Mossad agent
• Agent 355 - a spy & Yorick's bodyguard in Y: The Last Man
• Xena & Gabrielle in various undercover roles
• Rachel Mansour in Singularity Sky and Iron Sunrise by Charles Stross

See also

• Dragon lady stereotype