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This is Fresh Air. I'm David B. and Cooley.

John LeCarray wrote spy novels that transcended the genre. Philip Roth called LeCheret's 1986 novel, A Perfect Spy, the best English novel since the war.

The author's most beloved character was George Smiley, the physically unassuming but brilliant British spymaster.

He was the protagonist of many Le Corre novels, including Tinker Taylor Soldier Spy and Smiley's

people, both of which were adapted into hit TV miniseries, starring Alec Guinness as George Smiley.

Le Carey, whose real name was David Cornwell, died in 2020. But George Smiley returned last year in the novel called Carla's Choice. It was written

by Cornwell's son, Nick, who goes by his own pen name, Nick Harkaway.

Harkaway spoke with fresh air Sam Brigger last year.

Here's Sam.

Carlos' choice takes place in 1963, between LeCarrie's novels The Spy Who Came in from the Cold and Tinker-Taylor Soldier Spy.

Smiley has retired from the circus, the nickname for the British Overseas Intelligence intelligence agency after an agent and his lover were killed in east berlin their lives sacrificed for the success of a mission a decision smiley initially agreed to but has come to regret but smiley is called back into service by his boss, known as Control, to conduct one simple interview.

However, that leads to much more than he bargained for. The story also serves as the origin

story of Smiley's nemesis and the KGB, known only as Carla. This is Nick Harkaway's first

George Smiley novel, but his eighth overall. They include Tiger Man, Noman, and Titanium Noir.

So Nick Harkaway, welcome to Fresh Air. Hello. Tell me, how did you decide to write a

George Smiley novel, and why now? I actually decided not to. We had this conversation

running inside the family, because when we inherited the estate, the literary estate, we inherited an obligation to try to keep the books read, to keep the name alive, but more than anything else to keep the books in circulation and so on.

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