How Ian Fleming created his version of SMERSH
spynovelfan
Posts: 35MI6 Agent
I've written an in-depth article on how Ian Fleming created his version of SMERSH, revealing for the first time the source book he used for the material on the organization in Casino Royale, and much more besides. The article can be read here: http://bit.ly/atmgMQ
Comments
So typically Fleming that he used a snippett of information and then embellished it in a very believable way for the sole purpose he needed it to - to add to the whole Cold War hysteria that was sweeping through the west and provide a suitable enemy for his super spy.
I think it is typical of Fleming to have done this, but I don't think it was exactly to add to Cold War hysteria - as mentioned in the article, I think he used Mondich's book but removed a lot of the propaganda from it, and I also think the reasons he gave for abandoning SMERSH show that he was keen not to add to such feelings. Perhaps the latter was retroactive, but I think his main aim in using SMERSH was to find an exciting enemy for Bond, and to present it in a way that seemed like an authoritative and insider view of espionage.
You are right of course. I wasn't meaning he was trying to add to the hysteria -but more using the feelings towards communism and Russia as a device to write a more believable tale about the shady world of espionage. As said before an excellent article -and much appreciated.