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Well the next Young Bond would be out 2014 I think, if IFP get this done quickly. Why not just wait the extra year? The announcement of Higson returning would come in 2014 anyway, for the 2015 novel.
Now someone is just going to undo all the good work Higson as done. It's a dodgy concept to begin with, that Higson made work. Now if's just a dodgy concept once more.
I'm gutted, I really am. :((
I noticed that as well. I very much got the sense that Boyd seems genuinely excited about being approached and ultimately offered the job of writing the next Bond novel, which is certainly something that never came across in any of Faulks' comments, although it may have been present, but to a lesser degree, in remarks made by Deaver, or at least the ones I recall coming across during the lead-up to CB.
I still wish that they would maintain some sense of continuity in terms of the timeframe in which the novels take place, but I'm at least encouraged by the prospect that Boyd is being allowed to write his novel rather than having to mimic Ian Fleming or even having to write "as Ian Fleming" like Faulks did.
Exactly. I'm thinking of picking up some of Boyd's books, to get a head start on his writing style.
I'd also like for them to hire someone to write a number of books like Gardner or Benson, rather than one-offs.
That would be rather nice if they could find someone to take on the challenge of writing several.
Perhaps they're waiting for someone to truly deliver an outstanding novel before they anchor themselves to one author for an extended period of time. I think it was always understood that Faulks' DMC was going to be a one-off for the anniversary, but beyond that perhaps they're just waiting for someone to really knock it out of the park with a novel at which point I could see them making an offer to bring that author back for another go at it.
Actually, Boyd's a damn talented guy, not only does he adapt some of his novels for the screen, but he even directed his own work The Trench for cinema - and, if memory serves, it ain't a bad movie either and starred one Daniel Craig. Unusual for a novelist that...
"Well the next Young Bond would be out 2014 I think, if IFP get this done quickly. Why not just wait the extra year? The announcement of Higson returning would come in 2014 anyway, for the 2015 novel."
Oh, good point. If that's the case, then I'm with you on that.
The problem with the literary Bond lies squarely with the Fleming estate.
There are authors that could deliver; Charles Cumming, Daniel Silva or Charlie Higson to name but three but a series is not commissioned because their desire is for a quick shilling and consequently they go for the one off "coup". Faulks is a big literary figure and despite the fact that DMC dissipated into dross after sixty pages it went on to be Penguins biggest seller of the year. The next "coup" from Deaver was so bad it should have been consigned to the read and laugh file but CB went on to sell well albeit, not as well as DMC and they are now working with the law of diminishing returns.
For one of the twentieth centurie's greatest literary creations to be mismanaged in this way defies common logic and as a life long fan, it makes my blood boil.
The thriller genre is highly competitive, much more so than in Fleming's day and the estate should get a Managing Director who understands and loves Bond and who is capable of developing one of the world's biggest brands in a frenetic environment.
The missed opportunities are legion. The failure to sell the film rights for Higson's fabulous 'Young Bond' novels to eon, the hopscotch between time zones, the changing of publishers, the failure to retain Higson, cover art that fails to communicate any class (the last good dust jacket was Cape's first UK edition of "Role Of Honor"), the belated, hap hazard e-book plan. The catalogue of disasters is never ending and point to a complete lack of any coherent strategy.
Bond deserves better than this. He needs more than a fabulous mission from William Boyd. He needs a coherent career plan and the Fleming estate need a new M!
Regards,
Bentley.
Well, tell us what you really think...
These are all reasonable criticisms but I have my misgivings of having an "expertly managed" Bond. This is one of the inane paradigms of our time, and the results are often as deep as an ad campaign. There's a certain charm to the fact that Bond isn't Yet Another Expertly Managed Brand(TM).
One of the problems is that Bond doesn't pay, so it's not easy to find a competitive author willing to put aside their own work to write Bond novels. If they had a huge success, as with other similar cases, the author would probably give less to Bond and more to their own original work. Also, keep in mind that part of the Bond-Camp "strategy" is to not over-saturate the market with product. The movies are the biggest money-makers in their corral, it doesn't make sense for them to train competing horses to run in small-time races.
While there is certainly some confusion about how to promote Bond novels, evidenced by the Carte Blanche cover & ad campaign, the fact is that not many people who aren't serious Bond fans are going to want to buy a Bond novel. (DMC is an exception; if CB had done as well, we wouldn't be having this conversation, but since bestelling Bond novels aren't the rule, and DMC was a "stand-alone", publishers will be wary about making long term plans for the series.) And if that level of audience response was achieved, it would create conflict with the film series. I can understand why they're reluctant to have this happen.
At the end of the day, the series from Col. Sun to Carte Blanche is a hell of a lot better than most other long-running posthumous series; just look in the SF-F section for a tour of horrors. At least the Fleming Estate is willing to try new things.
Having said all that, I would certainly welcome a new, internally consistent, Bond book series. But, the bottom line is, due to the fact that it will do absolutely zero for the author's bank account or literary career, who would be willing to do it? IMO, they lucked out with John Gardner (and again with Higson), but as you point out, the "thriller" genre has moved on, crime fiction has changed enormously, and is a more grisly, action-driven, horror-oriented genre now. Getting Bond up to that "speed" would probably destroy his character. I'd also like to add that I have (way too much) experience with the publishing world, and the reason Higson isn't signed to do the adult books could be as simple as publishers saying, "He's a juvenile author, juvenile authors don't publish adult thrillers." Arbitrary crap like that happens every day in the publishing world.
Just a few stray thoughts...
(As per DMC, I might also add that it came out at the just the right moment, riding the success of shows like "Mad Men" and a general nostalgic feeling toward the pre-Feminist, Playboy-era of American male culture. Casino Royale had been a huge success, and QOS wasn't out yet. It had some serious "steam" for a Bond novel. CB came out at a really bad time for the series, years after the disappointing QOS, during a summer of political unrest that would result in the Occupy Movement etc. There's a lot to be said about timing.)
Mmm, I can picture this happening.
And I'd rather have one more good novel in my lifetime than 20 sort-of-kind-of-okay ones.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0224097474/ref=as_li_ss_til?tag=theyoungbondd-21&camp=2902&creative=19466&linkCode=as4&creativeASIN=0224097474&adid=0BKE2Q8EBHVKSQJAAYPE&;
Great news, I like the title :P
UNTITLED
I agree with much that Bentley has said and can't understand the OBradyetc.. one liner.
Of course he's said what he thinks - he's a man with a view who can articulate it.
Many of us who count ourselves as Fleming literary afficianados have long scratched our abused heads at IFP's antics. Everthing since early Gardner has been a qualitative disaster when it comes to the development of the adult Bond literary franchise yet, both the YB and MP spinoffs, were great.
The responsibility for this has to lie with IFP and particularly after the phenomanol critical and commercial success of Andrew Horowitz's Holmes novel they must surely, by now, be asking themselves were did it all go wrong?
Benson was simply dreadful and Faukes and Deaver were no better. Perhaps IFP felt braver with the spin-offs and went with what they thought were safe hands for the 007 continuations. Whatever the reason, they better get it right this time because I doubt people will be fooled again with another sub standard adult Bond.
The question is, can Boyd pull it off?
My verdict - perhaps.
I say this because on previous form (Restless, Ordinary Thunderstorms and Waiting For Sunrise) he has certainly proved he can write and write well but, he doesn't , IMHO grip like Fleming and he will have to substantially tweak his style to get the average Bond fans' attention.
Although after Deaver's mess I'd be very reluctant to give the job to another ex- pat (after all there are few things more English than Bond) I do think Daniel Silva would be well worth a punt. His superb Gabriel Allon thrillers are very Flemingesque and he writes like a Brit.
I also think Higson is a sure thing albeit, as has been mentioned elsewhere, the logical thing would be for him to take Bond through WW11.
Were I don't agree completely with Bentley is regarding Cumming. There's no doubt that Charley is the best Spy writer around but, for me, he's much more out of the Deighton mold and would probably not give us the sex, violence and snobbery essential to the Bond cocktail.
Anyway, for now we've got William and let's hope he delivers the goods and that Cape wraps it up in a nice, sexy retro Choppingesque cover - fingers are well and truely crossed!
How stimulating & informative!
Damn it all...they must be short in stock on senses of humor in your area...Better order one from Amazon then... :|
I certainly agree with you regarding the early Gardner books. Up to and including "Role Of Honour" , I thought that John did a really good job principely because he provided a great '80s reboot by remixing the Fleming cocktail for the taste of the time.
Subsequent to that 007's literary fate has been nothing short of disastrous and IFP's latest strategy to present us with a new celebrity author every two years is doomed to failure.
As you haven't read CB you can save yourself those valuable hours - it's awfull - and go straight to Boyd's book.
but, bare in mind, if it's good he almost certainly won't do another one. What a mess. The entire IFP board should be rounded up and flayed to within an inch of their lives with an elephants foreskin!
They stick the finger to readers and to gamers: Bloodstone never had a sequel.
looking forward to the only bit of bond this year probably