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The Game of X
This spy business can happen to anyone. That's what William P. Nye discovers when he accepts the offer of a job from his friend George—just a casual invitation in a little Paris cafe. Nye little realises that this is the start of his meteoric careers as Special Agent X—an imaginary super-spy dreamed up as a ploy in the war of nerves...
X bluffs and blunders along the perilous paths of big-time espionage—chained to the wall in a medieval torture chamber, snatched in the nick of time from the jaws of rusty iron pincers... jabbed by a red-faced enemy agent's knife on a crowded steamer... pea-shot with poison darts by a dwarf disguised as a schoolboy... chased by a gondola through the foul-smelling garbage-laden canals of Venice... flying an aeroplane without a lesson... duelling to the death with ancient battle-axes...
Nye begins to wonder if he really is the indomitable, feared, king-size Agent X. Everyone else seems to think so...
X bluffs and blunders along the perilous paths of big-time espionage—chained to the wall in a medieval torture chamber, snatched in the nick of time from the jaws of rusty iron pincers... jabbed by a red-faced enemy agent's knife on a crowded steamer... pea-shot with poison darts by a dwarf disguised as a schoolboy... chased by a gondola through the foul-smelling garbage-laden canals of Venice... flying an aeroplane without a lesson... duelling to the death with ancient battle-axes...
Nye begins to wonder if he really is the indomitable, feared, king-size Agent X. Everyone else seems to think so...
159 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1965
23 people are currently reading
211 people want to read
About the author
Robert Sheckley
1,394 books667 followersOne of science fiction's great humorists, Sheckley was a prolific short story writer beginning in 1952 with titles including "Specialist", "Pilgrimage to Earth", "Warm", "The Prize of Peril", and "Seventh Victim", collected in volumes from Untouched by Human Hands (1954) to Is That What People Do? (1984) and a five-volume set of Collected Stories (1991). His first novel, Immortality, Inc. (1958), was followed by The Status Civilization (1960), Journey Beyond Tomorrow (1962), Mindswap (1966), and several others. Sheckley served as fiction editor for Omni magazine from January 1980 through September 1981, and was named Author Emeritus by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America in 2001.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
July 18, 2016
Poor old Robert Sheckley - it doesn't pay to be too far ahead of the curve. He wrote zany SF romps like Mindswap and Dimension of Miracles, and only a few fans took any notice. Then Douglas Adams did pretty much the same thing and became a global brand. Adams was probably as surprised as anyone to see what had happened, and to his credit was open about the extent to which he'd been inspired by Sheckley.
Well, if it had only been the SF. In this utterly forgotten book, written when Mike Myers was about two years old, Sheckley also invented the klutzy spy novel. The hero is a normal guy who just happens to have a friend in the CIA or whatever it is. The friend asks him if he could do a little job for them. It's completely safe and routine. All he has to do is get on a train and carry a briefcase of sensitive papers from one city to another. They want a courier that no one will recognise.
So he boards the train, and when he's about to get off... the briefcase has gone! He simply can't understand it, he had it under his eyes the whole time. Naive and trusting as he is, he doesn't realise he's been the piece of cheese in a trap. The train was full of other agents, and they were just waiting for the Soviet guy to make his move. When he tries to leave the train with the incriminating briefcase, they pounce. In fact, our hero has succeeded 100%.
So that's the prequel. A few months later, the CIA operative is back again and wonders if he can do him another favour. The Russian has been comprehensively blackmailed, and now he's sure his colleagues are on to him. He wants to defect... but he'll only surrender to the guy who so brilliantly trapped him on the train. He's lost in admiration. He was so sure, so completely sure that the man with the briefcase was an idiot. No one has ever managed to fool him this thoroughly. His honour demands that he turn himself in to this master-spy.
The CIA dude convinces our hero that it's safe, it's routine, nothing can possibly go wrong. Of course, everything goes wrong, and suddenly he's stuck in the middle of a deadly espionage game where everyone incorrectly believes he's James Bond, whereas in fact he's just an average Joe who's seen a few spy thrillers and is doing his best to make it up as he goes along. I particularly liked the obligatory hot babes. From memory (it's a first-person narrative):
____________________________________
My copy arrived, and I read it last night in a bit more than an hour. (It's a very short book). I'm afraid it wasn't in fact as funny as I'd remembered.
At the time, I couldn't understand why Adams had been so much more successful than Sheckley, but now it's obvious: even though Sheckley has plenty of ideas and they're covering roughly the same territory, Adams is stylistically a much better writer. It's interesting to see, with 30-odd years of additional perspective, that the world is fairer than I'd thought.
Well, if it had only been the SF. In this utterly forgotten book, written when Mike Myers was about two years old, Sheckley also invented the klutzy spy novel. The hero is a normal guy who just happens to have a friend in the CIA or whatever it is. The friend asks him if he could do a little job for them. It's completely safe and routine. All he has to do is get on a train and carry a briefcase of sensitive papers from one city to another. They want a courier that no one will recognise.
So he boards the train, and when he's about to get off... the briefcase has gone! He simply can't understand it, he had it under his eyes the whole time. Naive and trusting as he is, he doesn't realise he's been the piece of cheese in a trap. The train was full of other agents, and they were just waiting for the Soviet guy to make his move. When he tries to leave the train with the incriminating briefcase, they pounce. In fact, our hero has succeeded 100%.
So that's the prequel. A few months later, the CIA operative is back again and wonders if he can do him another favour. The Russian has been comprehensively blackmailed, and now he's sure his colleagues are on to him. He wants to defect... but he'll only surrender to the guy who so brilliantly trapped him on the train. He's lost in admiration. He was so sure, so completely sure that the man with the briefcase was an idiot. No one has ever managed to fool him this thoroughly. His honour demands that he turn himself in to this master-spy.
The CIA dude convinces our hero that it's safe, it's routine, nothing can possibly go wrong. Of course, everything goes wrong, and suddenly he's stuck in the middle of a deadly espionage game where everyone incorrectly believes he's James Bond, whereas in fact he's just an average Joe who's seen a few spy thrillers and is doing his best to make it up as he goes along. I particularly liked the obligatory hot babes. From memory (it's a first-person narrative):
She didn't fall weeping into my arms, and I didn't feel her high, proud breasts press fiercely against me. Instead, she made coffee and we talked.Needless to say, it's long out of print, but I see several cheap copies on abebooks.com. I think I'll buy one and find out if it's as funny as I remember!
____________________________________
My copy arrived, and I read it last night in a bit more than an hour. (It's a very short book). I'm afraid it wasn't in fact as funny as I'd remembered.
At the time, I couldn't understand why Adams had been so much more successful than Sheckley, but now it's obvious: even though Sheckley has plenty of ideas and they're covering roughly the same territory, Adams is stylistically a much better writer. It's interesting to see, with 30-odd years of additional perspective, that the world is fairer than I'd thought.
July 8, 2024
The Game of X is not a science fiction novel, but rather a humorous parody of the mid-'60s spy genre. It was published in 1965, and the 1981 Disney film Condorman was very loosely based on it. It's the first-person account of William Nye (not the science guy) of his adventures after he's recruited to impersonate a superspy. He traverses a bit of Europe and encounters a femme fatale and an enemy agent named Forster. It's much more in the spirit of Austin Powers and Maxwell Smart than James Bond, unless you're watching Casino Royale. It's a fun, fast read.
November 18, 2010
A lost favourite from my long-ago childhood days--- days when you really could get "007" after-shave and cologne and kids got toy "spy briefcases" with toy disassemblable sniper's rifles for Xmas.
"The Game of X" is Robt. Sheckley's brilliant comic spy thriller--- and it does work both as a thriller and as a send-up of Bond-like tales. Sheckley's hero is a slacker ex-pat whose fabulations land him a world full of spies and assassins...and who fakes and talks and lucks his way into hilarious successes.
I read this when I was maybe thirteen...and wanted to be inside this story immediately. All these years later, it still works as a tale. While a couple of films have nodded to it, it still awaits its own film.
"The Game of X" is Robt. Sheckley's brilliant comic spy thriller--- and it does work both as a thriller and as a send-up of Bond-like tales. Sheckley's hero is a slacker ex-pat whose fabulations land him a world full of spies and assassins...and who fakes and talks and lucks his way into hilarious successes.
I read this when I was maybe thirteen...and wanted to be inside this story immediately. All these years later, it still works as a tale. While a couple of films have nodded to it, it still awaits its own film.
March 21, 2017
I couldn't believe this book was published in the 60's. The tone of this book felt like it could have been Heinlein's work. The story was funny and had its unexpected moments. The story was good and the characters had a instant dynamic that brought this all to life. This is a good read.
Mr Joe
Mr Joe
February 2, 2022
La novela que inspiró la película Condorman, una especie de Mike Myers, pero muchos años antes. Es un poco como si Douglas Adams escribiera una de espías, aunque yo creo que Adams escribía mejor.
June 26, 2022
The skeleton beneath Condorman. Fun and short.
The Game of X by Robert Sheckley is about an American looking to extend his visa in France and ends up becoming an international spy in the process. It's also one of those books that you might never guess was adapted into a film because it's so very different from the resulting movie.
William P. Nye has tried everything he can think of to land a job he can stick to while in France. His money is running out, as has his visa. Soon he's going to be a penniless illegal. That's when his friend George who works for the CIA offers him a job he can't refuse: become the mysterious Mr. X and meet a man who has important intel from the Iron Curtain.
http://pussreboots.com/blog/2022/comm...
The Game of X by Robert Sheckley is about an American looking to extend his visa in France and ends up becoming an international spy in the process. It's also one of those books that you might never guess was adapted into a film because it's so very different from the resulting movie.
William P. Nye has tried everything he can think of to land a job he can stick to while in France. His money is running out, as has his visa. Soon he's going to be a penniless illegal. That's when his friend George who works for the CIA offers him a job he can't refuse: become the mysterious Mr. X and meet a man who has important intel from the Iron Curtain.
http://pussreboots.com/blog/2022/comm...
August 9, 2018
Charmingly witty and a brilliant deviation from the typical spy novel. Full of unexpected social satire. A tad over-the-top at times.
June 21, 2025
http://whatsread.pp.ua/work/10055
З тим, що книга слабко нагадує Шеклі, мабуть, погоджуся. Тим паче кумедною є проба автора себе в такому жанрі, так би мовити нова (або, краще, інша 🙂 грань таланту). І якщо не дивитися на книгу критично, а розглядати як пародію в стилі Бонда, то - досить прикольно. Думаю, автор і не претендував на серйозність, а якщо, так би мовити, "вслухатися" в гумор, то тут і відчувається рука Шеклі...
Початок, щоправда, сіренький (не більше семи) і справді виглядає як один із багатьох поганеньких шпигуноманських романчиків, але десь після першої третини відчувається вся несерйозність і пародійність автора, і з усвідомленням того, що автор і не претендував на добротний роман про шпиЙонів, змінюється і набір критеріїв оцінки, читати стає цікавіше, а головне веселіше. Безглузді проколи невдалого простачка агента-початківця починають всерйоз посміхати. Тут і проблеми катера з танковим мотором, і бажання взяти на "понт" маститого агента тощо.
Особливо мені сподобалася сцена з літаком, я навіть перейнявся проблемами героя, почав вживатися в його роль. Ситуація, коли всі просто впевнені, що ви ас-пілот і від вашого вміння керувати літаком залежить порятунок вас і ваших товаришів, просто неперевершена: і як же ж його підняти? Що я там у книжках читав і в кіно бачив?)). У всякому разі, по-любому краще (адекватніше) Обміну розумів чи численних Жертв 😉.
З тим, що книга слабко нагадує Шеклі, мабуть, погоджуся. Тим паче кумедною є проба автора себе в такому жанрі, так би мовити нова (або, краще, інша 🙂 грань таланту). І якщо не дивитися на книгу критично, а розглядати як пародію в стилі Бонда, то - досить прикольно. Думаю, автор і не претендував на серйозність, а якщо, так би мовити, "вслухатися" в гумор, то тут і відчувається рука Шеклі...
Початок, щоправда, сіренький (не більше семи) і справді виглядає як один із багатьох поганеньких шпигуноманських романчиків, але десь після першої третини відчувається вся несерйозність і пародійність автора, і з усвідомленням того, що автор і не претендував на добротний роман про шпиЙонів, змінюється і набір критеріїв оцінки, читати стає цікавіше, а головне веселіше. Безглузді проколи невдалого простачка агента-початківця починають всерйоз посміхати. Тут і проблеми катера з танковим мотором, і бажання взяти на "понт" маститого агента тощо.
Особливо мені сподобалася сцена з літаком, я навіть перейнявся проблемами героя, почав вживатися в його роль. Ситуація, коли всі просто впевнені, що ви ас-пілот і від вашого вміння керувати літаком залежить порятунок вас і ваших товаришів, просто неперевершена: і як же ж його підняти? Що я там у книжках читав і в кіно бачив?)). У всякому разі, по-любому краще (адекватніше) Обміну розумів чи численних Жертв 😉.
May 26, 2022
( Format : Audiobook )
"An envious facility for self deception."
Enjoying life in Europe and almost out of money, young American Nye accepts a job offered by long time friend, George: to trap a spy. An incompetent who somehow muddled through, this is a silly but amusing novella which definitely made me smile. Written in the first person, narrator Clive Wyman convincingly becomes the fantasy spy, Nye, aka Agent X, his well modulated voice easy to enjoy
A good pairing of text and reader.
A fun story from Robert Sheckley, available to download for free until 23rd June, 2022, from the Audible Plus programme. Thanks, Audible.
"An envious facility for self deception."
Enjoying life in Europe and almost out of money, young American Nye accepts a job offered by long time friend, George: to trap a spy. An incompetent who somehow muddled through, this is a silly but amusing novella which definitely made me smile. Written in the first person, narrator Clive Wyman convincingly becomes the fantasy spy, Nye, aka Agent X, his well modulated voice easy to enjoy
A good pairing of text and reader.
A fun story from Robert Sheckley, available to download for free until 23rd June, 2022, from the Audible Plus programme. Thanks, Audible.
December 20, 2021
I think this was a kind of proto-Douglas Adams story. It doesn't tip entirely enough into the comedic or satire of what I think it wants to, but is nonetheless told and written well. I can see how this inspired a lot of the satire and comedy that was to come. It works pretty well as a Bond story (there's even a pretty good cameo in there), but doesn't stand out enough in today's landscape to be important. I feel like if I had read this in the 1960s, I would have absolutely loved it, especially if I was into spy stories.
April 6, 2022
This one was utterly charming. Reading it for a podcast on Condorman, which is a ridiculous, spoofy spy-comedy from the 80s. This one is marginally more grounded, but all the funnier for that fact. And Sheckley really leans into the humor, taking metaphors and running them into the ground in a delightful way.
This is a perfect airplane read for a short flight.
This is a perfect airplane read for a short flight.
July 7, 2020
I vividly remember some of the author's books which I read over forty five years ago but if it had not been for my diary entry recording that I had read this one I would not have known I had read this. Must have been forgettable.
March 28, 2022
Fun little story about a civilian who is asked to pose as a made-up super agent. Then finds that he needs to become one to survive a mission that goes wrong.
Part Our Man In Havana, part Johnny English.
Part Our Man In Havana, part Johnny English.
October 29, 2020
Unexpectedly delightful random pick on Audible. Great story, narrator wonderful.
January 12, 2021
Fun espionage story about an American in mid-60’s Italy who bumbles his way into some international intrigue. Fans of James Bond books should enjoy this. Recommended for lite reading.
January 24, 2021
A fun 60s spy romp I first read 20-25 years ago. Didn’t realize until today it was the inspiration for the Disney movie Condorman, which was a childhood favorite.
March 23, 2021
Quite silly, but a lot of fun; very fast-moving—I read it entirely over a long lunch.
June 15, 2021
Fun little spy adventure.
Nothing of much substance, but I felt entertained.
Got this because Condorman was one of my favorite movies as a kid.
Nothing of much substance, but I felt entertained.
Got this because Condorman was one of my favorite movies as a kid.
Read
June 28, 2021Audible r.m
January 2, 2022
Utterly ridiculous. I still prefer Condorman, the film loosely inspired by this book, but it's a fun piece of brain candy
January 13, 2022
Nice plot twist at the end
December 25, 2022
A fun little spy novel but I prefer sheckleys science fiction short stories
July 17, 2023
Very enjoyable romp and lightly pokes fun at the spy genre while bringing a pace and likability to the book as it rattles along.
August 11, 2023
This is a fun 60s take on the spy genre.
December 21, 2020
The inspiration for the Disney movie "Condorman", it is a very fun read. A fun "fish out of water" adventure spy story mixed with moments of humor, it keeps you reading.
February 27, 2017
Right around the same time of Maxwell Smart and Inspector Clouseau, Robert Sheckley created Agent X. His 1962 novel is a clever and laugh-out-loud take on the spy genre. Agent X is a fabrication of the CIA after an average unemployed expatriate living in Paris is asked to perform a simple briefcase exchange on a train to Vienna. This little inconsequential mission goes spectacularly wrong – and right. To augment their success, the CIA embellishes big-time the exploits of the fictitious Agent X. Then, the USSR issues a challenge for another X mission.
It’s well written (Sheckley obviously loves language, and also loves throwing in esoteric words that don’t belong in a pulp novel), witty, and down-right funny. I can see why it has a large (apparently) cult following. There seem to be a lot of people out there who covet and protect their first editions. (It’s in the public domain, so you can find a free copy if you look around).
One of the most entertaining books I’ve read in a while. You’ll love it.
It’s well written (Sheckley obviously loves language, and also loves throwing in esoteric words that don’t belong in a pulp novel), witty, and down-right funny. I can see why it has a large (apparently) cult following. There seem to be a lot of people out there who covet and protect their first editions. (It’s in the public domain, so you can find a free copy if you look around).
One of the most entertaining books I’ve read in a while. You’ll love it.
April 14, 2015
Aunque sea más conocido como autor de ciencia ficción, Robert Sheckley también escribió unas cuantas novelas de espías. "The game of X" fue publicada en España por la editorial Molino dentro de su "Biblioteca Oro espionaje" como "El agente X en acción".
La historia es bastante típica: al protagonista de encargan la misión de sacar de Venecia a un agente enemigo que quiere desertar. Es el "Agente X" el espía más importante del mundo, capaz de luchar y pilotar cualquier tipo de vehículo, capaz de salir con vida de cualquier problema. Pero hay un problema: el célebre agente X es William P. Nye, un ocioso parado que acepta el cargo sin tiene la más mínima idea de la profesión mencionada. Su única misión consiste en guardar las apariencias y hacer creer a los demás, que efectivamente el Agente X existe.
Esta premisa sirve a Sheckley para recrearse en los contrastes de la ciudad de Venecia, para narrar vibrantes escenas de acción y suspense... y para narrarnos las hilarantes lineas de pensamiento de su protagonista, esforzándose por parecer un espía de verdad. Tiene diálogos chispeantes, un sentido del humor divertidísimo y un ritmo muy agradable de leer.
Al final, la trama del rescate es casi lo de menos, lo que uno quiere es ver en que embrollos se mete el protagonista y como logra salir de ellos sin tener la más mínima idea de como hacerlo él mismo. Por eso funciona tan bien esta novelita.
Ligera, divertida y por momentos inteligente. Una buena lectura para pasar un buen rato.
La historia es bastante típica: al protagonista de encargan la misión de sacar de Venecia a un agente enemigo que quiere desertar. Es el "Agente X" el espía más importante del mundo, capaz de luchar y pilotar cualquier tipo de vehículo, capaz de salir con vida de cualquier problema. Pero hay un problema: el célebre agente X es William P. Nye, un ocioso parado que acepta el cargo sin tiene la más mínima idea de la profesión mencionada. Su única misión consiste en guardar las apariencias y hacer creer a los demás, que efectivamente el Agente X existe.
Esta premisa sirve a Sheckley para recrearse en los contrastes de la ciudad de Venecia, para narrar vibrantes escenas de acción y suspense... y para narrarnos las hilarantes lineas de pensamiento de su protagonista, esforzándose por parecer un espía de verdad. Tiene diálogos chispeantes, un sentido del humor divertidísimo y un ritmo muy agradable de leer.
Al final, la trama del rescate es casi lo de menos, lo que uno quiere es ver en que embrollos se mete el protagonista y como logra salir de ellos sin tener la más mínima idea de como hacerlo él mismo. Por eso funciona tan bien esta novelita.
Ligera, divertida y por momentos inteligente. Una buena lectura para pasar un buen rato.
January 18, 2022
This short book is a spy tale, about a civilian who is drafted into the spy service and mistaken for a superspy. It's written well enough, and the protagonist is amusing, but it wasn't compelling enough for me to continue after the first hour.
December 26, 2012
The game of X came to my attention, not through Sheckley's noted science fiction novels, but rather through the surreal Disney film CONDORMAN. Since my first viewing of that film I wondered what could possibly come from a novel that would warrant a title card in the opening credits.
Well, the book is a very quick read. Missing from the print adventure is any mention of the hero's animation career and his journey into a flying superhero. rather, this book is a breezy, taut take on the James Bond hysteria. This hero is able to accomplish some amazing things just from watching those films.
None of the adventures are unique, probably to make each section comparable to a Bond set piece.
Overall, this was a simple book that was in no way an insult, but recommended only to those that have a thing for the genre.. or Disney's CONDORMAN...
Well, the book is a very quick read. Missing from the print adventure is any mention of the hero's animation career and his journey into a flying superhero. rather, this book is a breezy, taut take on the James Bond hysteria. This hero is able to accomplish some amazing things just from watching those films.
None of the adventures are unique, probably to make each section comparable to a Bond set piece.
Overall, this was a simple book that was in no way an insult, but recommended only to those that have a thing for the genre.. or Disney's CONDORMAN...
Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews