"'Of course, most of their strength lies in the myth - in the myth of Scotland Yard, of Sherlock Holmes, of the Secret Service.'"
-Ian Fleming, From Russia, with Love (London, 1964), CHAPTER 5, p. 38 -
- and to Croesus:
"'Ever since Croesus, the first millionaire, invented gold coins, money has depreciated.'"
- ibid., CHAPTER 14, p. 103.
Anderson readers remember that Manse Everard met Holmes in the opening installment of the Time Patrol series and then met Croesus in the second installment and also that several other Andersonian characters spent time in Constantinople, later renamed Istanbul.
Of course, Fleming never entertained any notion of associations with Poul Anderson. Holmes, Croesus and Constantinople/Istanbul are three parts of our vast, often-referenced, common inheritance. However, each reader makes his or her own connections. I think of Everard when reading about Bond and, indeed, another Andersonian time traveler refers to James Bond who has become a myth like Holmes.
3 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
And this is as good a place as any to say I found the only known reference to Ian Fleming's character James Bond in Anderson's works: in Chapter 2 (as you said) of THE CORRIDORS OF TIME. Malcolm Lockidge told Storm Darroway: "Well--that is" Lockridge recovered some humor. "If you wanted James Bond, you sure were mistaken." And Storm reacted with a puzzlement indicating she had not understood the allusion.
And made me wonder if Anderson had ever read any of le Carre's spy novels? I don't think so.
Finished rereading A CIRCUS OF HELLS. And because of your influence and example, I've been noticing details I overlooked or passed over too hastily in past readings of the book.
Ad astra! Sean
Sean,
I have referred to le Carre on this blog but will have to search to remind myself of what I said.
Paul.
Kaor, Paul!
I do remember you mentioning the books of le Carre, and I even have a copy of his THE PERFECT SPY, which I think belonged to my late mother. But I've not (yet) read it.
Anderson may have read some of the spy novels of Fleming, le Carre, and William F. Buckley, but that reference to James Bond in THE CORRIDORS OF TIME might well be the only allusion to the spy novels of any of these writers to be found in his stories.
Ad astra! Sean
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