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Female Agents in the Male World of Cold War Spy Novels: The Spies Who Stayed Out in the Cold is an in-depth analysis of the way writers of Cold War spy novels have portrayed their female characters, paying particular attention to women presented as secret agents and to the work of women writers.

The book explores the scope and range of spy fiction while offering a tentative definition of the genre. It reviews the work of major male authors including Ian Fleming, Peter O'Donnell, John le Carre and Len Deighton, with particular attention to Deighton's portrayal of SIS officer Fiona Samson across his nine-volume series. It also examines female authors, notably Helen MacInnes, and provides an in-depth analysis of Evelyn Anthony's portrayal of SIS officer Davina Graham in her four-volume series. A postscript surveys Cold War spy fiction produced since the fall of the Berlin Wall, offering insights into the genre's evolution in the post-Cold War era.

In essence, the role of women as agents, both in the sense of professional spies and autonomous, empowered individuals is a central concern of the volume. It examines the androcentric world of Cold War spy novels through a feminist prism.