It goes without saying that one of the biggest influences of O.L.D. — A Good Way to Die was the granddaddy of secret agents himself: Ian Fleming’s James Bond. As a topic, there’s a lot of cool rabbit holes we can jump down and explore: there are the war-time experiences of Ian Fleming (hint: they’re badass), the cool details of how (the late) Sean Connery was cast (hint: he was a badass), but today, let’s focus on an object that’s both synonymous with the character AND also serves as a significant plot device in O.L.D. — A Good Way to Die: the Walther PPK.

For years, the CIA had been flying ultra top-secret (and highly illegal) espionage flights over the Soviet Union. Their vehicle: the U-2 spy plane, a technological marvel seemingly lightyears ahead of anything the Soviets could throw at it. Flying at heights of 70,000 feet, the plane was assumed to be untouchable by Russian anti-aircraft weaponry. In other words, the U-2 spy plane (and the state-of-the-art cameras mounted in its nose) had free reign over Soviet airspace, to photograph whatever they pleased. But — as so often happens — the unthinkable became doable…

In O.L.D. — A Good Way to Die, our heroine Hunter Gunne drives a badass gold and black Corvette Stingray, which Steven immediately notes is similar to the cars that the NASA astronauts drove. So, let’s take a look at these iconic ASTROVETTES… 

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So not all the research that went into O.L.D. — A Good Way to Die dealt with Cold War top-secret missions. Case in point: presidential breakfasts. A real perk of being the Commander in Chief is the personal staff at your disposal. This includes culinary chefs ready and waiting to prepare anything you might desire. So, naturally, I wondered what the hell these presidents have eaten for breakfast over the years…

Today’s tidbit of Cold War research might not have actually made it into my novel — but it’s just too good not to share. So, sit back, relax and let me tell you about PROJECT A119… aka THE MISSION TO NUKE THE MOON…