Are We All Wrong About 007’s Creator?

Movie producers are still searching for a new James Bond to replace Daniel Craig, which means it’s likely to be at least a couple of years until a new 007 movie appears. In the meantime, I’ve been reading short stories by Bond’s creator, Ian Fleming, and have found that some are terrific, and far above what you might expect from the films.

That’s especially true of two well-written and fast-paced stories in Fleming’s short story collection, For Your Eyes Only: the title story and “Quantum of Solace.” Both have familiar trappings, including palmy tropical settings and overseas assignments from the British secret service, which sends its hedonistic spy to Jamaica and the Bahamas.

But the stories also have a psychological depth that may surprise anyone who expects little more than shootouts and seduction from 007 (in “Quantum of Solace,” Bond has no love interest at all). Over at @Medium, I write about what I found in Fleming that I didn’t expect:

View at Medium.com