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For the title character of the series, see Alex Rider (character).
Alex Rider is a series of spy novels by English author Anthony Horowitz about a teenage spy named Alex Rider. The series is aimed primarily at teenagers. Eight novels have been published to date, as well as three graphic novels, three short stories and a supplementary book. The first novel, Stormbreaker, was first released in the United Kingdom in 2000 and was adapted into a motion picture in 2006. A video game was released in 2006, based on the film. The novels are published by Walker Books in the United Kingdom. They were first published by Puffin in the United States, but have also been published more recently by Philomel, also an imprint of Penguin Books.[1] The graphic novels are published by Walker in the United Kingdom, and by Philomel in the United States.
[edit] OverviewThe books follow the life of 14-year-old orphan Alex Rider. After the death of his spy uncle, MI6 recognise Alex's talents and unwillingly recruit him. Successful in his first mission, MI6 continually find new ways to blackmail Alex into working for them and other intelligence agencies, such as the CIA and ASIS. Alex is generally told his mission contains no risk, but discovers the opposite is true during his assignment. His missions usually involve a megalomaniacal supervillain intent on either world domination or revenge, the plans of whom Alex has to stop. In some of the later novels, one of Alex's motivations is to learn about his past and his deceased parents. In the course of his missions, he gradually discovers that several members of his family have worked for MI6 in addition to his uncle, including his father and his godfather. The series parallels the James Bond franchise in many ways, and is often compared to it, as both feature MI6 agents as their protagonists. One of the main antagonists of the Alex Rider series is the criminal organization 'Scorpia', similar to SPECTRE in the James Bond franchise, and Alex is often equipped with a wide range of gadgets by MI6. [edit] Novels[edit] StormbreakerMain article: Stormbreaker Stormbreaker, published in 2000, is the series' first novel. A 14-year-old orphan, Alex Rider, learns that his uncle has died. Unbeknownst to Alex, his uncle was a spy, who had been training him for a career with MI6. Alex soon finds himself recruited by MI6 and forced to investigate Lebanese millionaire Herod Sayle, who plans to kill all of Britain's schoolchildren with his "Stormbreaker" computers. [edit] Point BlancMain article: Point Blanc Point Blanc (renamed Point Blank in North America) was published in 2001. Alex investigates Dr Hugo Grief, a South African scientist who runs Point Blanc, an academy in the French Alps. [edit] Skeleton KeyMain article: Skeleton Key (novel) Skeleton Key was published in 2002. After foiling a Triad plot to fix Wimbledon games, Alex is in danger of assassination. Forced to leave the country, MI6 sends him on a mission to Cuba with the CIA, where he encounters a former Soviet general, Alexei Sarov, with plans for a nuclear holocaust and world domination. [edit] Eagle StrikeMain article: Eagle Strike Eagle Strike was published in 2003. Damian Cray, a world-famous pop star, hopes to destroy the world's drug-making countries by hijacking the the United States' nuclear arsenal. Suspicious of him, Alex takes Cray on without the help of a skeptical MI6. [edit] ScorpiaMain article: Scorpia (novel) Scorpia was published in 2004. Following the advice of the assassin Yassen Gregorovich, Alex joins the criminal organisation "Scorpia" to find out the truth about his father. [edit] Ark AngelMain article: Ark Angel Ark Angel, published in 2005, follows Alex's second mission for the CIA to gather information on Russian billionaire Nikolei Drevin, who is financing the space hotel "Ark Angel", and the eco-terrorist organisation, Force Three. [edit] SnakeheadMain article: Snakehead (novel) Snakehead was published in 2007. Taking place immediately after Ark Angel, the novel sees Alex recruited by ASIS to infiltrate a Snakehead organisation by posing as an Afghan refugee. Alex meets his godfather, Ash, and confronts the organisation Scorpia for the second time. [edit] Crocodile TearsMain article: Crocodile Tears Crocodile Tears, the eighth novel, was published in 2009. Alex is approached by a journalist who threatens to expose his past, and later kidnapped by Desmond McCain, a high-profile but corrupt charity organiser with plans to poison an entire African country. [edit] FutureOriginally, Yassen was to follow Snakehead as the eighth book, and would be the final Alex Rider novel. However, Horowitz rethought this idea, following negative responses during school visits. Crocodile Tears was instead released as the eighth book, in November 2009. This will be followed by Yassen and then by the tenth and last book, which could be named Endurance Point making for a series of ten books.[2][3] Anthony Horowitz has hinted that he may use the title "Endurance Point" for a future Alex Rider novel.[4] [edit] CharactersMain article: List of Alex Rider characters Alex Rider is the main protagonist of the series. Alan Blunt, the director of MI6, and his assistant Mrs Jones appear in every novel, usually to brief or debrief Alex. Smithers, a character similar to Q in the James Bond franchise, supplies Alex with gadgets for his missions. A recurring character since Skeleton Key is Sabina Pleasure, who provides a love interest for Alex. Villains in the series tend to have some deformity, abnormality, or a rare disease, and are motivated by revenge or power. Usually, they are rich or influential characters, but with a master plan which would result in catastrophic consequences. [edit] Franchise[edit] Novels
[edit] Graphic novels
[edit] Supplementary books
[edit] Short stories
[edit] Films
[edit] Video Games
[edit] ReceptionSo far, the series has had 10 million sales worldwide.[6][7] The third novel, Skeleton Key, was awarded the Red House Children's Book Award.[8] [edit] See also[edit] References
[edit] External links
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