Jim MacArthurMar 17
Charlie Stross

Len Deighton has died (age: 97):

https://www.thetimes.com/uk/obituaries/article/len-deighton-obituary-death-32565cvnk

Len Deighton obituary: writer who redefined spy thrillers dies aged 97

The creator of Harry Palmer brought anti-establishment edge to the Sixties while mastering everything from military history to ‘gastrosexual’ cookery

The Times
Mar 17 at 9:36amWeb
Show threadFazal MajidMar 17

https://archive.ph/KdXGJ

@cstross What's your favorite book of his? Mine is "XPD".

Show threadCharlie StrossMar 17
@fazalmajid It's decades since I read any of his books. The one that stuck with me most was "Bomber"—a thinly fictionalized account of the facts around an RAF heavy bomber raid on a German city during the war. Pulled no punches in describing the horror of it, from everyone's perspective.
Show threadFazal MajidMar 17
@cstross Yes, Bomber was outstanding, and I came to add it to the list, albeit in a completely different register, to the point I had forgotten Deighton wrote it.
Show threadklegdixalMar 17
@cstross @fazalmajid indeed if had to pick one it'd be Bomber before all the spy stuff.
Show threadLordWoolamalooMar 17
@cstross sad. I always keep a copy of Ipcress File on the spy fiction shelf at the bookshop, recommend it to folk who have gotten into the genre via Mick Herron. Most don't know about it, so it's nice to introduce them to it
Show threadwebhatMar 17
@cstross sad news, I loved his books
Show threadShaun Murrant (☕🧉🍻🏳️‍🌈)Mar 17
@cstross Did he ever say anything about your tribute via the Atrocity Archive?
Show threadCharlie StrossMar 17
@PilotMoonDog Not that I heard.
Show threadWellsiteGeoMar 17

@cstross
He's not dead.
He's taken his tradecraft to the next level.

(I'd say he's following "Ghost Protocol", but the MI franchise have co-opted that one.)

Show threadCharlie StrossMar 17
@WellsiteGeo He's defected to SPECTRE.
Show threadWellsiteGeoMar 17
@cstross Translucent card played. Good one.
Now why didn't I see that coming?
Show threadWellsiteGeoMar 17

@cstross

I need a techbrodude with infinite money. I want to sell him the idea of transparent cards for unarguably-fair cheating-free card games.

Then, after the cheque has cleared, while drinking fresh mango juice, shipwrecked and comatose, I intend to watch him suffer infinite Internet scorn.

It *is* more fun than pulling the wings off flies, and more ethically defensible too.

Show threadAdvanced Persistent TeapotMar 17
@cstross @WellsiteGeo he's gone over to the other side
Show threadJon LordMar 17

@cstross

Great Shame.

Years since since I read any of his books though I 'binge watched' the Ipcress File, Funeral In Berlin and Billion Dollar Brain, back-to-back a few weeks ago. Great films - well the first two anyway.

He wrote history and cookery books too.

A man of many parts.

Show threadDeterioratedStuccoMar 17
@cstross
I re-read 'The IPCRESS File' last week, by chance.
I should re-read 'Bomber'.
Show threadWenMar 17

@cstross @patrickhadfield And cooking cartoons 😋

But I love his novels