Fleming, Ian Lancaster

views updated Jun 08 2018

Fleming, Ian Lancaster (1908–64) English novelist. After a career as a journalist and banker, he wrote 13 escapist spy thrillers about James Bond, secret agent ‘007’, which won great popularity for their realistic detail, and sexual and violent fantasy. They include Casino Royale (1952) (in which Bond makes his first appearance), From Russia with Love (1957), and Goldfinger (1959). The subsequent films based on, or inspired by, his novels became a cinematic institution.