By Dean Brierly
There are all manner of spy
cinema websites scattered about the Internet, but only one that is devoted
exclusively to the source material for the many espionage films that have taken
up permanent residence in our collective consciousness. Most filmgoers rarely
give thought to the literary antecedents of their favorite silver screen spy,
yet there would be no James Bond, Harry Palmer or George Smiley if Ian Fleming,
Len Deighton and John Le Carre hadn’t created them. Fortunately, one man had
the perception to recognize this oversight, plus the expertise and dedication
to create “Spy Guys & Gals,†a cyber shrine to the numerous fictional
agents — male and female — that have populated espionage fiction for the past
five-plus decades. His name? Masteller. Randall Masteller.
A lifelong devotee
of spy novels, Masteller began researching the topic for a possible book in
2001, but eventually decided that a website was a more realistic option, and
launched the site in early 2006, dedicating it to “… the many, many men and
women who, at least in fiction, have defended our freedoms against all forms of
enemies, foreign and domestic. Well, granted, a few of them were just in it for
the money and many were only after the excitement, and sex played a huge role
in the motivation of more than a few. But still, their actions helped not only
preserve our way of life (on paper), but also brought us, the readers, many
hours of escapism and vicarious pleasure.â€