![]() The alternating give-and-take of intelligence work and its fictionalized representations, or, as I term it, the cultural discourse of espionage, is ripe for exploration and analysis at the present moment. As a part of this analysis of the Other, I trace the lingering Orientalism that has adhered within spy fiction and spy agencies since the late 19th Century. I also contextualize the role of the “Other” within spy fiction. ![]() Throughout, I draw attention to how shifts in masculinity facilitated by cultural representations, especially James Bond, have affected intelligence work. This dissertation examines critical moments of this cross-connection, beginning in the early 20th century with the formation of MI6 in relation to William Le Queux’s invasion literature and continuing through today’s issues and imaginings of the intelligence community: specifically, torture, drone warfare, and domestic surveillance. Spy fiction and intelligence work are connected in a web of incentivization, influence, and reference, and this connection is not merely uni-directional. My dissertation breaks from traditional literary analyses of the genre by interrogating how authors, policy makers, and the general public talk about spycraft has influenced what that spycraft actually entails. Procurement processes for automated military technology could be improved by awareness of, and efforts to escape from, the mythical beliefs that surround military automation.ĭespite the sometimes fantastic nature of spy fiction, the relation between espionage practice and its cultural reproductions is not as distinct as intelligence agencies might wish. Even the most well-intentioned systems trigger new problems, different kinds of problems, and unanticipated problems. Automation requires that operators be trained to high proficiency. When automation “takes over,” human operators – instead of having fewer things to do – have new things to do. ![]() When automation is introduced, human operators must assume the additional tasks of monitoring and coordinating with the technology. ![]() Such attitudes must be balanced by a recognition that automation’s reality rarely matches its promise. The unbridled enthusiasm for automation exhibited by some technologists – and, consequently, by some technology acquisition programs – extends to claims that computers will achieve and even surpass human-like reasoning capabilities. Several mythical beliefs surround military automation, including the belief that automation reduces manpower needs, that it requires less training for operators, and that it reduces errors. ![]()
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