Imagined crossover · Spies and action
What if Jack Ryan met George Smiley?
The analyst and the spymaster. Two thinkers rather than fighters, who win by working out what the other side wants.
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The pair
Jack RyanCIA analyst who becomes PresidentBy Tom Clancy · Jack Ryan universe · first in The Hunt for Red October
George SmileyIntelligence officer of the CircusBy John le Carré · George Smiley · first in Call for the Dead
Chemistry8/10
Friction4/10
Would you read this crossover?
Where and when
London
The 1980s
The story
- How they might meet
- A young CIA analyst on attachment in London is sent to ask a retired British spymaster about a Soviet officer they both know by reputation.
- Why they would work
- Two thinkers rather than fighters, who win by working out what the other side wants.
- What each brings
- Ryan brings American confidence and a talent for analysis. Smiley brings decades of experience of the Cold War’s shadows.
- Where they would clash
- Ryan believes in his country and his cause; Smiley has seen what such certainty costs.
Strengths compared
Jack Ryan 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.
- The Hunt for Red OctoberTom Clancy · 1984 · Jack Ryan's first appearanceBuy on Amazon
- Call for the DeadJohn le Carré · 1961 · George Smiley's first appearanceBuy on Amazon
