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Self-Parody in the James Bond Continuation Novels?
Dragonpol
https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
After my last thread on Self-Parody in Ian Fleming's James Bond novels, I got to thinking about self-parody in the Bond Continuation novels from the first continuation author Kingsley Amis all the way through to the incumbent Anthony Horowitz.
What elements of self-parody exist in the Bond Continuation novels from 1968 to the present day? I of course expect this to be a larger topic than that which the original Fleming novels provided.
I'm sure there are many examples in the Continuation Bond novels but one of the most overt to my mind is the Main de Singe or monkey's paw hand Sebastian Faulks adorned his villain Dr Julius Gorner with in his Centenary Bond Continuation novel Devil May Care (2008).
Although Mr Faulks said he based it on a real person his father had known at university, it does come across as self-parody and is the best example I can think of parodying the physically afflicted Fleming Bond villain trope. It comes off as too extreme and ridiculous even for a Bond villain and is surely more an example of pastiche more than a serious literary continuation. Perhaps that is what Mr Faulks was aiming for of course, but it still rankles. Perhaps it was even a reference back to the early script idea of Wolf Mankowitz to make Dr. No a monkey rather than the main villain! Dr Julius Gorner does sound very close to Dr Julius No.
So, I open the floor to you and look forward to hearing your personal examples of self-parody at work in the Continuation Bond novels.
What elements of self-parody exist in the Bond Continuation novels from 1968 to the present day? I of course expect this to be a larger topic than that which the original Fleming novels provided.
I'm sure there are many examples in the Continuation Bond novels but one of the most overt to my mind is the Main de Singe or monkey's paw hand Sebastian Faulks adorned his villain Dr Julius Gorner with in his Centenary Bond Continuation novel Devil May Care (2008).
Although Mr Faulks said he based it on a real person his father had known at university, it does come across as self-parody and is the best example I can think of parodying the physically afflicted Fleming Bond villain trope. It comes off as too extreme and ridiculous even for a Bond villain and is surely more an example of pastiche more than a serious literary continuation. Perhaps that is what Mr Faulks was aiming for of course, but it still rankles. Perhaps it was even a reference back to the early script idea of Wolf Mankowitz to make Dr. No a monkey rather than the main villain! Dr Julius Gorner does sound very close to Dr Julius No.
So, I open the floor to you and look forward to hearing your personal examples of self-parody at work in the Continuation Bond novels.
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Comments
Two thoughts immediately came to mind.
Never Send Flowers, John Gardner, 1993.
Bond recalls a trip with lady friend to...Disney World Orlando. Then the actual showdown with the villain kicks off at Euro Disney. Not OO7's established playgrounds to that point. (But might be sort of a nod to Dalton Bond at the amusement park in The Living Daylights.)
For Special Services, John Gardner, 1982.
Part of the villainous plot involves (deliciously described) ice cream.
To me both these items mock Bond's established background--I don't mind it a bit, they're small elements of the overall story and it's comic relief. But it's still mocking the Bond character.
Thank you. I would have to agree and these two elements were in my mind from the Gardner Bond novels. I also like your use of images on this post very much.
Anyone else want to chip in on this topic?