According to my fallible memory and the probably more reliable wiki article [0] Q was based on Charles Fraser Smith, who came up with "Q devices". So this might be a feedback loop between art and life. Assuming that "Q" really is called "Q" internally, and that's not just publicity / misdirection...

I can recommend CFS's book "The Secret War of Charles Fraser-Smith" about his wartime experiences in sourcing and creating items for clandestine operations. Likely of interest to many HN readers.

[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Q_(James_Bond)