Which British author created the character James Bond?

Ian Fleming created the British secret agent James Bond. Bond first appeared in Fleming’s novel Casino Royale, published in 1953, as Commander James Bond, an MI6 officer associated with the code number 007.

Fleming drew on people and experiences from his work in Britain’s Naval Intelligence Division during the Second World War. He described Bond as a composite of agents and commando figures he had encountered. Fleming also borrowed the character’s name from American ornithologist James Bond, author of Birds of the West Indies; Fleming wanted a name that sounded ordinary and unromantic.

Fleming wrote twelve Bond novels and two collections of short stories. The books later inspired the long-running film series, which began with Dr. No in 1962, starring Sean Connery. The cinematic Bond is famous for gadgets, exotic locations and recurring villains, but the literary character is generally darker and less polished.

A common mistake is crediting an actor such as Connery for creating Bond. Actors made the role famous on screen, but Fleming invented the character and established his original literary world.