Superspy Science: Science, Death and Tech in the World of James Bond

This is a great book that I sort of wanted to write. About a year ago, I made this comment on the James Bond subreddit, in response to someone who called out the absurdity of the villain’s plan:

I would really like to see an examination of James Bond films (and other films) for poor engineering and bad technical execution of devices. I would subscribe to that Substack.

Well folks, this is exactly that book.

It was written by a scientist (a chemist) and it examines the books and novels for their scientific accuracy and feasibility – what would work, and what is ridiculous?

The book seeks to teach. Every chapter is about some theme – vehicles, drugs, torture, animals, physical conditioning, etc. And in each, the other talks about all the times during the books and films where this thing came up, and then examines it from a scientific perspective to explain what’s valid and what’s ridiculous.

It’s just wildly entertaining. I enjoyed picking it up every time. I don’t know that much stayed with me, or that I’m any better of a person for reading about it, but it was pure pleasure to absorb.

(One nitpick: she overdoes the footnotes. Some of them are valid, but she often uses them to just to make jokes, which is really distracting. I did the exact same thing in one of my books, and after being subjected to it, I regret it.)