Ian Fleming's ''Thrilling Cities''

The James Bond Complex

Hello dear listeners!

The wait is finally over. Ian Fleming returns to the podcast!

Yes, we ask you the listeners to take a round world trip with us this week, from Hong Kong to Honolulu to Berlin. Fleming was a man of the world, and Matt and Edgar would like to think of themselves as such too. However, given the unfortunate situation with the…’’you know what’’ afflicting the world currently, the next best option is to read and discuss Thrilling Cities, a collection of essays written by Fleming himself in 1959 and 1960 for the Sunday Times.

The master spy novelist always had a nose for the unique, the sexy, the exotic, and whatever delivered a good frisson of excitement. This quality shines brightly in Thrilling Cities, so much so that the boys couldn’t contain themselves with topics: living back-to-back Friday the 13ths, thinking of a special SF moment when Fleming woos a geisha, New York the Big Rotten Apple, gangsters actually being really terrific people, marine life conservationism via destroying said marine life, our aim of obtaining official diver licences and surf’s up dude!!!!

So sit back, relax, and discover a marvellous collection of, well, thrilling cities. Circa 1959 and 1960, mind you. So far in April 2021, it’s the safest way to travel!