One of the best spy thrillers from the early days of this genre is The Thirty Nine Steps by John Buchan. This book was about the urgent need for counter-espionage at a time when the Germans were plotting against the British navy. This was a common theme in books of the time and the division between good and evil was clearly drawn. European powers were battling for supremacy and for the first time spies were becoming important to governments. Intelligence and counter-intelligence agencies had been established, giving authors inspiration for their novels.
After World War 1 authors began to reveal a cynicism in their espionage novels. They were becoming critical of governments and their agencies. Their spies were often lonely individuals going through internal conflicts. One of these authors was Graham Greene.
Another man who was writing espionage thrillers of a very different nature at the same time was Ian Fleming. He gave us the ultimate fictional hero in the form of James Bond. His plots were far-fetched and depended heavily on fantastic gadgets and amazing escapes. Good and evil characters, flag-waving nationalism and cosmopolitan glamor were all part of the appeal. Of course the movies based on these novels have made James Bond a legendary figure.
The Cold War gave an enormous boost to espionage fiction and lead to its great popularity during the years which followed. The new writers offered more realism and authenticity in the works they wrote. They explored the moral conflicts and ideological contradictions of the secret world. Skepticism about all the political rhetoric was conveyed.
A well-known novel which addressed these issues was a novel which told the story of a British agent who wanted to end his career. John Le Carre creates a world unlike any previously experienced in this genre. His years spent in intelligence gave him inside knowledge about the murky dealings of international espionage.
When Frederick Forsyth wrote his novel in 1971 not even he realized that his assassin, The Jackal would make such an impact or that his book would become a best seller. The realism of this work gave many the impression that it was more than a work of fiction. This assassin, who was on a mission to kill President de Gaulle, was chillingly portrayed.
Initially the genre was dominated by British novelists but American authors such as Robert Ludlum and Tom Clancy changed this, writing best selling espionage fiction. The Jason Bourne character, who struggles to find out who he is and why his own government is trying to kill him, has become very well known.
With the two world wars and the Cold War far behind us, contemporary espionage novels have taken different directions. Other issues have become relevant as the world shrinks and technology changes. Terrorism is just one of those issues being addressed today. The best spy thrillers continue to make this type of fiction an intoxicating combination of power, politics, intrigue and suspense.
After World War 1 authors began to reveal a cynicism in their espionage novels. They were becoming critical of governments and their agencies. Their spies were often lonely individuals going through internal conflicts. One of these authors was Graham Greene.
Another man who was writing espionage thrillers of a very different nature at the same time was Ian Fleming. He gave us the ultimate fictional hero in the form of James Bond. His plots were far-fetched and depended heavily on fantastic gadgets and amazing escapes. Good and evil characters, flag-waving nationalism and cosmopolitan glamor were all part of the appeal. Of course the movies based on these novels have made James Bond a legendary figure.
The Cold War gave an enormous boost to espionage fiction and lead to its great popularity during the years which followed. The new writers offered more realism and authenticity in the works they wrote. They explored the moral conflicts and ideological contradictions of the secret world. Skepticism about all the political rhetoric was conveyed.
A well-known novel which addressed these issues was a novel which told the story of a British agent who wanted to end his career. John Le Carre creates a world unlike any previously experienced in this genre. His years spent in intelligence gave him inside knowledge about the murky dealings of international espionage.
When Frederick Forsyth wrote his novel in 1971 not even he realized that his assassin, The Jackal would make such an impact or that his book would become a best seller. The realism of this work gave many the impression that it was more than a work of fiction. This assassin, who was on a mission to kill President de Gaulle, was chillingly portrayed.
Initially the genre was dominated by British novelists but American authors such as Robert Ludlum and Tom Clancy changed this, writing best selling espionage fiction. The Jason Bourne character, who struggles to find out who he is and why his own government is trying to kill him, has become very well known.
With the two world wars and the Cold War far behind us, contemporary espionage novels have taken different directions. Other issues have become relevant as the world shrinks and technology changes. Terrorism is just one of those issues being addressed today. The best spy thrillers continue to make this type of fiction an intoxicating combination of power, politics, intrigue and suspense.
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