They’re still distinctive. Rex Stout’s Nero Wolfe never strays from his part as the brilliant, detached recluse. John D. MacDonald’s Travis McGee is forever hard-boiled, with a soft center. Ian Fleming’s James Bond lives in a predictable, fully formed world that includes a running flirtation with Miss Moneypenny, a distinctive brand of custom cigarettes, and a recurring faculty for smart-ass comments, perfectly timed.
