Imagined crossover · Spies and action
What if James Bond met George Smiley?
The two faces of British intelligence. The glamorous and the grey: two opposite visions of what a British spy is.
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The pair
James BondAgent 007 of the British Secret ServiceBy Ian Fleming · James Bond · first in Casino Royale
George SmileyIntelligence officer of the CircusBy John le Carré · George Smiley · first in Call for the Dead
Chemistry6/10
Friction8/10
Would you read this crossover?
Where and when
London and Berlin
The early 1960s
The story
- How they might meet
- A defector in East Berlin will speak only to the Circus, and Smiley needs a man who can get him across the Wall.
- Why they would work
- The glamorous and the grey: two opposite visions of what a British spy is.
- What each brings
- Bond has courage, nerve and lethal skill. Smiley has patience, memory and the ability to see a traitor in a filing cabinet.
- Where they would clash
- Smiley would think Bond reckless and conspicuous; Bond would think Smiley dull, until he saw him work.
Strengths compared
James Bond George Smiley
Our own ratings out of 10, for fun.
On the page together
The years in which each character's books were published.
Read your way in
Start with each character's first appearance.
- Casino RoyaleIan Fleming · 1953 · James Bond's first appearanceBuy on Amazon
- Call for the DeadJohn le Carré · 1961 · George Smiley's first appearanceBuy on Amazon
