Friday 22 September 2017

Conscious Instruments

Contending powers use conscious beings as instruments:

SMERSH sends Tatiana Romanova to entice James Bond;
the Alori send Ilaloa to entice Peregrine Thorkild Sean.

(We would say "Sean Thorkild of the Peregrine.")

Both change sides, which was always a risk for their controllers. Tatiana is one of the Bond heroines who disappears from sight as soon as her particular episode is completed whereas we do know what becomes of Ilaloa, caught in an unresolvable conflict. She helps the Nomads to escape from an Alorian planet, then jumps from the ascending space boat.

It is a remarkable achievement to create a fictional series with characters and settings recognized and valued by readers. I say this because I have just bought a new Inspector Montalbano novel with the routine opening of Salvo waking in his apartment. But, of course, the first two detective series were Dupin and Holmes. Poul Anderson, with his many fictional series, was a major successor of Conan Doyle.

4 comments:

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, Paul!

Except for Miss Moneypenny, M's executive assistant, I can't remember seeing any woman appearing in the James Bond books more than once.

And except for Miriam Abrams, the same was true of the women in Dominic Flandry's life (Kossara Vymezal included, because she was killed).

Sean

paulshackley2017@gmail.com said...

Sean,
Mary Goodnight became the secretary of the 00 Section, then the heroine of the last book. Before her, Loelia Ponsonby was Secretary.
Paul.

paulshackley2017@gmail.com said...

With some heroines, we at least learned what happened to them.

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, Paul!

Dang! I had completely forgotten about Mary Goodnight and Loelia Ponsonby. Only goes to show I need to include the Bond books among those I should reread.

Sean