Cold War spy fiction...

[Kor]

Does anyone else out there still like this stuff? Even though the Cold War is long over, and, therefore, fiction taking place in that context may possibly be considered irrelevant by some, this is still one of my favorite settings for storytelling. It provides a great background for both light action-adventure romps and more serious drama or thrillers.

Recent efforts have included Guy Ritchie's stylish, if rather vanilla, big-screen adaptation of The Man From U.N.C.L.E. and Stephen Spielberg's Oscar bait historical film Bridge of Spies, both of which I enjoyed immensely, though on completely different levels. And to me, that is the beauty of Cold War spy fiction.

Fiction actually created in that period runs the gamut, as well. On the one hand, you have stuff like the classic Bond franchise, which IMO became a parody by the Roger Moore years, and on the other hand, you have more somber works like The Spy Who Came in From the Cold, adapted from John Le Carre's superb novel, and Len Deighton's novels with the unnamed hero, adapted into the Harry Palmer movies starring Michael Caine (but which devolved to Bond-level silliness by the third outing). And then there was the whole "Eurospy" genre which was basically made up of lower-budget copies of James Bond.

So what is some of your favorite Cold War spy fiction, and why? Do you find it more meaningful if you remember the Cold War?

 

[Admiral2]

I grew up during the Cold War, so it was hard to forget.

My favorite books at all from that era were written by Tom Clancy, so my list starts with Hunt for Red October and Cardinal of The Kremlin, and I read the first book because I saw the movie first (which is THE GREATEST MOVIE EVER MADE, and I am unanimous in this.) After that comes Firefox and Winterhawk by Craig Thomas.

Past those books I didn't read much pure spy fiction, and even these were more technothriller than spy thriller. My movies were mainly of the Bond variety.

 

[The Old Mixer]

I should give a shout-out specifically to the original Bond novels by Ian Fleming, which (compared to the films) are more grounded in general and more grounded in the Cold War era of the '50s and '60s specifically.

I also greatly enjoyed the classic Clancy novels (the ones he wrote himself).

 

[Greg Cox]

THE AMERICANS, which is all about Cold War espionage (and the emotional toll it takes on spies working on both sides of the Iron Curtain) is possibly my favorite TV series these days.

 

[Saga]

i'm with Greg. The Americans is also one of my favorite shows. i also really love the comic Velvet by Ed Brubaker and Steve Epting. a really great spy comic set in the 70s but with several flashbacks to the 50s/60s.

 

[Kor]

I enjoyed the BBC show "The Game" which only lasted one series/season. I wish they had decided to make more episodes.

Kor

 

[Greg Cox]

I also like that THE AMERICANS (largely) takes place in the pre-digital era, so there are no genius hackers calling up info on demand or "exciting" scenes of people fighting viruses and firewalls. It's all low-tech espionage: tape recorders, pay phones, dead drops, honey traps, etc. Heck, the characters don't even have cell phones to stay in touch with each other, which increases the suspense sometimes.

("Oh,no, she has no way to tell him that the mission has been aborted!")

 

[auntiehill]

I enjoyed the BBC show "The Game" which only lasted one series/season. I wish they had decided to make more episodes.

Kor

Me, too! I thought that was just brilliant. Had me positively riveted to the show. Too bad they aren't continuing it.

 

[Hugo Rune]

I also like that THE AMERICANS (largely) takes place in the pre-digital era, so there are no genius hackers calling up info on demand or "exciting" scenes of people fighting viruses and firewalls. It's all low-tech espionage: tape recorders, pay phones, dead drops, honey traps, etc. Heck, the characters don't even have cell phones to stay in touch with each other, which increases the suspense sometimes.

("Oh,no, she has no way to tell him that the mission has been aborted!")

This is pretty much the best show on TV right now. Though it is punctuated with moments of violence, explosions and sex, what thrills me are the the moral and philosophical dialogues between the characters. What is bad, what is evil, are terrible acts worth it for the greater good - and the toll is rends on the "good guys" and the "bad guys". A remarkably complex and somber show, but there isn't a single character that feels cliche or superfluous, nor one that you don't feel something positive for, even when they commit a terrible act.

The two leads are some of the most complex TV characters I have ever seen and whether it is domestic drama about the strains on their marriage, or tightly wrought espionage moments, they always feel real and oddly relatable. Matthew Rhys is wonderful as Phillip, but Keri Russel is just a tour de force as his harder, more clinical wife. She has completely awed me in this latest season.

I'm on the final episode of S4 now and, so far, this long game the show has played this season with "access codes" has been tremendous, affecting every major player on the show.

Plus, the show has the best portrayal of a privileged white teenage character on TV full stop and every scene they share with the adults is a joy. Never thought I'd write THAT sentence in my life!

Hugo - Only duty and honor are real, Misha. Isn't that what we were told?

 

[publiusr]

You might like this:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Kremlin_Letter

 

[velour]

Is it time to get nostalgic about the Cold War? Those were the days.

I, too, enjoyed reading the Tom Clancy novels. Also, there was that Frederick Forsyth book that was adapted into a movie called The Fourth Protocol that was pretty good.

My favorite cold war movie is Firefox. Ice Station Zebra was also very good.

The original Mission: Impossible series was before my time. But I have been able to watch many episodes in syndication. It may not have been a strictly spy series, but it was good enough. I loved the phony east European accents the IMF team would employ whenever they were on a mission behind the iron curtain.

 

[Owain Taggart]

The movie Pawn Sacrifice about Bobby Fischer's also really good. But that isn't really fiction.

 

[Admiral2]

Is it time to get nostalgic about the Cold War? Those were the days.

I, too, enjoyed reading the Tom Clancy novels. Also, there was that Frederick Forsyth book that was adapted into a movie called The Fourth Protocol that was pretty good.

My favorite cold war movie is Firefox. Ice Station Zebra was also very good.

The original Mission: Impossible series was before my time. But I have been able to watch many episodes in syndication. It may not have been a strictly spy series, but it was good enough. I loved the phony east European accents the IMF team would employ whenever they were on a mission behind the iron curtain.

It was more covert action than intelligence gathering, but it still qualified. I, for one, hate the way Tom Cruise has bastardized the concept.

And Firefox and Ice Station Zebra were both fantastic movies.

 

[Jedi Marso]

When it comes to the Cold War (which I also grew up in, being born in '68) I favor the Clancy stuff. I really enjoyed the Bond movies of the 70's and 80's, too. The latest stuff with Daniel Craig isn't keeping my attention- I don't think it's because they're bad movies per se, but Bond outside of the CW context just doesn't do it for me.

 

[EmoBorg]

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

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[E-DUB]

Get your hands on a copy of "Storming Intrepid", which I call the book that Clancy wishes he'd wrote. (The actual author was named Payne Harrison.) Forsyth's "Devil's Alternative" is pretty darned good too. (And another vote for "The Americans".)

 

[Timewalker]

...I am unanimous in this.

Mrs Slocombe, is that you?

I'm old enough to remember the Cold War (born in the early '60s). I'm surprised nobody has mentioned the old Get Smart sitcom.

 

[DeepSpaceYorks]

I'm quite obsessed with Cold War TV series. If anyone else is interested, and hasn't see them, please check these out:
Deutschland '83
Callan
The BBC adaptations of Tinker, Tailor and Smiley's People
Sleepers
And finally, and easily the best of them all, The Sandbaggers

 

[John Clark]

Sleepers was a lot of fun (and looks like it's heading for a release on dvd in the UK soon)

 

[Admiral2]

Mrs Slocombe, is that you?

I'm old enough to remember the Cold War (born in the early '60s). I'm surprised nobody has mentioned the old Get Smart sitcom.

It was probably assumed we were only listing the serious stuff, but if we're including parodies then absolutely Get Smart should be included.

And I first caught Sandbaggers when it was on PBS and was hooked immediately.