Spy Two Poles

myth:spy_two_poles

The Cold War split the genre into two poles. Fleming's James Bond is the fantasy: the glamorous licensed killer with his gadgets, his villains, and his women, the spy as wish-fulfilment. Le Carre is the answer: George Smiley, the tired, brilliant servant of a shabby 'Circus' riddled with moles and betrayal, the spy as a grey and guilty trade. Glamour against grime — the genre's defining quarrel. — genre history