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Since Eon is taking its time to develop Bond 26, I would like, during this time, to continue to see new instalments of the literary series being published. While it's true that we, literary fans, have no reason to complain, I don't think we're at saturation point yet. To have a new Bond novel in 2025 would be a great way to wait for Bond 26.
Yes, I think a book a year would be good. In April, Kim Sherwood's 2nd Double-0 book A Spy Like Me will be released. Plus, she's confirmed that she's writing a third. So, while we may not be getting a full on adult Bond novel, we do have at least two more books to look forward to.
My three realistic picks for a continuation novel author are: Guy Adams, Charles Cumming and in particular, Charlotte Philby. They can write good thrillers, and have experience in the spy genre. IFP should hire them over the next couple of years.
That would've been a great experience I'm sure. I was only born during Gardner's run so I missed out on that although I soon made up for it! The Fleming-Amis-Gardner-Benson classic era run will always be my favourite. Don't forget that as well as WAMTK in 2022 we had the OHM2S novella from Charlie Higson this year too.
It's funny because both Charlotte Philby and Charles Cumming were asked what they would do with the Bond franchise. Obviously, the question was asked regarding the cinematic franchise, and not the literary series:
The first Horowitz book was seen as part of the 'guest author' series, but now he's done three, I suppose they're their own trilogy.
So we've had the Gardner era, the Benson era, the guest author series (of three books) and the Horowitz trilogy. I enjoyed the Higson, but viewed it more as a curio than a full-bloodied entry into the Bond novel series.
For my part, I'd like to see the future continuation novels to be like Horowitz's books, and take place in Fleming's world. I suspect most people that buy James Bond novels, would prefer this also, but I could be wrong.
I don't want my Bond novels to reference facebook or whatever. I want a Bond that smokes and drinks too much and lives in the fifties or sixties. And I'd not mind a bit if he was written as a bit of a misogynist or whatever. I'm a grown up, I can cope with that.
Yes, it seems that IFP didn't leave us in the dark for the last couple of years.
I'd still trust them with writing. IFP likes to hire fans it seems (only Faulks may be the only non fan since Gardener), they should give them a chance.
I want Bond to stay as modern as possible. I feel that IFP has played it somewhat safe with five of the last seven adult Bond novels taking place in the past. That's one of the reasons that I hold Jeffery Deaver and Kim Sherwood in high regard. They were like Fleming: setting Bond in a present time. Bond was a modern character for his time. IFP should keep at least part of it that way. I still support more spin-offs for certain characters. Moneypenny, Double-00 and even Dynamite Comics' versions of M, Moneypenny and in particular Felix Leiter prove that these characters have as much life as Bond does. I'm somewhat surprised that IFP hasn't tried modern day villain spin-offs. I have a few ideas of my own. Hopefully my hopes and dreams for the future of James Bond (Literary, Film and Video Game) will come true, in one way or another.
I agree. While I applause IFP for bringing Bond back to his original time period after Gardner and Benson, as it was a breath of fresh air, I think it's now time to take Bond to the 2020s. As you said, Fleming set Bond in a present time and, after a decade or so of vintage literary Bond, and since the character is nowhere to be find on the big screen right now, it's now relevant for Bond novels to take place in present days.
When the new cinematic Bond era has begun, and after three or four books set in the modern era, then it may be interesting for the IFP to return to the 50s/60s.
It's not a deal-breaker though, if a future novel were set in modern times I'd still buy it and look forward to reading it. I enjoyed the Deaver book, (the Boyd one less so), but I thought Horowitz was the man who really gave the Fleming fans something special to enjoy. I thought they were splendid tributes to the Fleming Bond.
James Bond was a modern man in Fleming's day, sure. But so was Sherlock Holmes in Conan Doyle's books. Does that mean he should be written as a 2023 sleuth in continuation novels now? I don't know. As I say, it's not a deal breaker.
Sherlock Holmes has more books released in his world much more often than Bond does. I think it's time for IFP to learn more from Conan Doyle's estate. Don't be afraid to try new things. I'm still interested in Bond in any time period. Horowitz in particular, as you said, was fantastic for the job. I hope EON would listen to him on future story ideas. Setting him in Fleming's timeline is less of a risk in my viewpoints, though. However, similar to what you said, I don't want Bond being on social media while on a mission. It's WAY too out of character for him. As I said also, quite a few of the villains are just as relevant as Bond. Namely Goldfinger and Blofeld. Dynamite Comics proved that. I think IFP should look at their run as possible influences in the future.
I agree with you as well!
Steven Spielberg.
Lawrence Kasdan.
I agree. I'd rather IFP try another spinoff character book over Bond going back to the past.
Fingers crossed it's a Bond. I would like another, this time full-size Higson; his book was just pure fun I thought.
That would be great. Here's hopping it's a new adult Bond continuation novel as opposed to another spinoff project.
Is it just me, or is anyone else completely not interested in Moneypenny and Young Bond stuff?
Edit -
While we're talking about continuation authors, here's my little 'post Benson' collection. The black Trigger Mortis was the Waterstone's special edition with the Fleming screenplay in. There are two FAAD and WAMTK because I bought the Goldsboro special editions too. They're really nice. But all these are first editions.
If I were to rate them, the Horowitz ones come out way on top, but I've enjoyed most of them, with only Solo being a disappointment I think.
Special mention should be made of the Waterstones special edition of With a Mind to Kill. Look at those sprayed page edges!
I love stuff like that.
No, you're not alone in that. As a literary Bond fan I'm largely a traditionalist who wants an adult Bond continuation novel above all else. Of course I don't mind experimentation with the plot and the form of said Bond novels as even Ian Fleming himself did that. Spinoffs like Young Bond, The Moneypenny Diaries and the new Double O series of novels by Kim Sherwood are of much less interest to me sadly.
As for spin offs and 'young' books, not a bit interested. They may be successful books, but would they sell if the Bond name wasn't attached to those stories?
It's funny, when Gardner and even Benson did their run of books, the world wasn't that different to Fleming's day. Obviously fashions and politics had changed, but the last twenty years has seen a much bigger change than the 60's - 90's I think. Attitudes are certainly different now, and modern technology means a James Bond novel set in the current day will have a totally different vibe to Fleming's books. The further we get from the sixties, the more a character like the original literary James Bond becomes an anachronism. Any author setting Bond in current times will have a very hard job making the character feel like Fleming's Bond I think.
For me the original Bond is still the same Bond. It doesn't matter the Bond introduced in CR would be a hundred years old. Fictional characters don't need to age in real time. It doesn't bother me that the original Bond couldn't have conceived of a home computer but that today's Bond is quite at home with technology. Case in point. A lot of us original fans made the transition from the dial phone to the mobile fairly easily. Only difference is we're much older. Bond isn't. Like his title, Deaver seems to have been given carte blanche.
While your likely right i am honestly hoping for an Adult Higson Bond Novel set in the current year
Yes, I was thinking that too but hopefully it's something else.
Yeah, there are things I enjoy about Carte Blanche (it has some good set pieces, the reinvention of Bond's position, and the best title of maybe any post-Fleming book!) but Bond himself feels absent to me in a way that he doesn't in the Horowitzes or Higson etc.
I think you're likely right but fingers crossed. You'd hope they've always got a plan for a new Bond in progress as they don't really have many other things to print! :)
That would certainly be the best case scenario and would ensure all parts of the literary Bond fandom are catered for.
I enjoyed Carte Blanche. I’m biased because it was the first Bond novel I read. I can see why some fans don’t like it. As for the announcement as long as it’s a new book (including promotion for A Spy Like Me), I’ll be happy. One spinoff I want is a modern day villain spinoff.