The Cossack Variation: A “Realistic” Cold War Spy Novel

Mason, Howard (2024) The Cossack Variation: A “Realistic” Cold War Spy Novel. Doctoral thesis (PhD), Manchester Metropolitan University.

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Abstract

The Cossack Variation: A “Realistic” Cold War Spy Novel is a practice-related thesis that combines an analytical commentary with a creative writing portfolio, namely a novel intended to be of publishable quality. The central point of contention is the idea that spy fiction can be divided into two strands: the more “romantic”, “sensationalist” or “heroic” variant epitomised by Ian Fleming’s James Bond stories and the more “realistic” approach for which the standard-bearer is John le Carré. The aim of the thesis is, through an interrogation of this alleged bifurcation by means a critical review of relevant scholarly research and a wide range of Cold War spy fiction, to examine and define the concept of “realistic” spy fiction, before applying the results of that examination to the writing of a novel which centres on the hunt for a mole in the upper echelons of the CIA. The thesis is divided into three parts. Part One introduces the critical contexts and theoretical framework for the novel that constitutes Part Two. Part Three comprises a reflective commentary that reviews the writing process as well as the relationship between Parts One and Two. The original contribution of the thesis to knowledge and practice is threefold. Firstly, it reviews, develops and intervenes in the existing literature on “realistic” spy fiction. Secondly, the novel, loosely based on the exploits of real-life double agents Aldrich Ames and Ryszard Kuklinski, is intent on catalysing an innovative rethink of the genre. It is designed to challenge deeply ingrained stereotypes of twentieth-century spy fiction by foregrounding a woman FBI agent as one of its two protagonists and deliberately opting for a 1980s setting widely eschewed by other recent writers in the genre. Further, it innovatively balances the representation of historical truth with an interest in the narrative craft in the handling of material previously unaddressed in written fiction. Thirdly, the thesis is an example of self-reflexive research-led practice which integrates scholarly research with innovative creative practice.