Examples of extracting information without tipping one's hand

November 8, 2022 7:36 AM

In T. Kingfisher's The Wonder Engine, there's a scene where the characters enter an underground "Shadow Market" and have to glean information from people without giving away their identity and goals. I keep thinking about what a stressful predicament this is, and I'm interested in finding more examples of people having to enter an unfriendly environment to try to extract information without tipping one's hand.

I'd be interested to hear of any book/movie/TV show recommendations that contain this dynamic as anything from the primary source of conflict to a minor one-off scene. I'm interested in fictional works, non-fiction and historical contexts, and any other media format you might think of. Bonus points for providing a brief spoiler-free bit of context for your recommendation!

posted by Oliva Porphyria to Media & Arts (9 answers total)

Best answer: The thing that instantly popped into my head was the TV series Orphan Black. Generic summary: After witnessing the suicide of a girl who looks just like her, Sarah assumes her identity. But she soon discovers a compelling conspiracy that changes her life forever.
posted by Athanassiel at 7:47 AM on November 8, 2022 [1 favorite]

Best answer: I think this comes up a bunch in the TV show Leverage.
posted by clew at 8:52 AM on November 8, 2022

Best answer: Nirvana in Fire is literally all about this, in all different levels with multiple characters doing this in an intricate dance that keeps unfolding as the series progresses. It's also just a phenomenal, exceptional show.

Very brief, generic summary: The series tells the story of Lin Shu, who, under the alias Mei Changsu, enters the capital of Liang to seek justice for a conspiracy that labeled his family as traitors 12 years before.

(I also was a big fan of the first two seasons of Orphan Black!)
posted by yueliang at 9:21 AM on November 8, 2022 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Tana French’s The Likeness is about a detective going undercover as a person who looked just like them.
posted by music for skeletons at 9:50 AM on November 8, 2022 [1 favorite]

Best answer: One of my all-time favorite stories from Metafilter. Small-scale, limited scope, more professional than unfriendly, but this is what came to mind immediately.
posted by infinitewindow at 10:03 AM on November 8, 2022

Best answer: I recently read Senlin Ascends, in which the main character, who starts off as an easy small-town mark, needs to learn this skill quickly in order to make his way in an unfamiliar world.
posted by tchemgrrl at 10:13 AM on November 8, 2022

To be clear, the main protagonist of Nirvana in Fire actually has two aliases, including an alias for his alias, so he is under three total names for the show. Pretty wild!
posted by yueliang at 10:59 AM on November 8, 2022

Best answer: If you liked The Wonder Engine, you might like the Rook and Rose trilogy by M.A. Carrick, the pen name of Marie Brennan + Alyc Helms. Multiple characters are juggling multiple personas! The third book is not yet out.
posted by cat potato at 7:44 PM on November 8, 2022

I forgot to mention this, but the epic anime Code Geass also totally fits this, the main character has two personas and then one actual self. It's on Netflix and seriously one of the most wild anime I've ever watched, but it definitely is high drama and a lot of fun. (There is also some unfortunately gratuitous fan service in the first half of season 1, but that's bc the producers were worried they couldn't make back their costs and needed fan service to sell merchandise.)
posted by yueliang at 3:44 AM on November 23, 2022