Friday, September 02, 2005
Books: James Bond: "New Lease of Life"
"Fifty-five years since Ian Fleming's best-known creation put on evening dress and strode into the casino at Royale-les-Eaux, the Secret Agent is to be reborn. " - from "New lease of life for 007's license to kill" by William Lyons found on Scotsman.com.
To celebrate the 100 year anniversary of Ian Fleming, the owner of the James Bond character, the Estate of Ian Fleming, plan to release a new adult James Bond book that will return to the darker elements of the original Fleming series.
1953 - Casino Royale by Ian Fleming.
The first 007 James Bond book was released by a former spy and journalist. Who knew at the time that this first book would lead to roughly 14 more by Fleming ("roughly" because the count includes short story collections, and some books released after Fleming's death), 1 by Kingsley Amis (as Robert Markham), 2 by Christopher Wood (movie novelizations), 16 by John Gardner (original and movie novelizations), and 9 by Raymond Benson (original and movie novelizations); not counting knock-offs like a book supposedly referred to here). There are "other" books, like a young James Bond series by Charlie Higson (which I've never seen nor heard of before today), biographies (on Fleming and/or Bond), comic books, and novels with Fleming as the main character (Quinn Fawcett's trilogy)? Or that this 1953 book (Casino Royale) would lead to roughly 26 movies (1954 "Casino Royale" TV movie (Bond's a CIA agent), 1967 "Casino Royale" movie, and the 1983 "Never Say Never Again" Connery film are considered non-canon/"unofficial" Bond films, and the 1989 "Goldeneye," and the 1990 "Spymaker" biographical films about Fleming; plus the 20 "official" completed films, and the 21st "official" film in the works, another "Casino Royale" based movie; and not counting the numerous spoofs and knock-offs)?
Fleming's books were released between 1953-1966 (some after his death in 1964). Most of his Bond books were made into films, or at least the title of a Bond book was used for the title of Bond movies. Kingsley Amis wrote the first post Fleming Bond book (around 1968), under contract with the estate. "The idea was that other writers would continue the Bond canon, all writing under the same pseudonym [Robert Markham], but this was not to happen" (from here). I did not particularly care for Colonel Sun. Almost 10 years would go by before the next Bond book. After Amis came two film novelizations by Christopher Wood in 1977 and 1979 (The Spy Who Loved Me & Moonraker, not to be confused with the two Fleming books of the same name). Immediately after Wood came noted spy writer John Gardner's contribution to the Bond world. Most of Gardner's Bond books were original works, though Gardner did write, or allow his name to be attached to two film novelizations. The first Gardner Bond book came out in 1981 under the title License Renewed. At least one Bond book a year was released starting in 1981 up to 2002 (except for 1985). 1989 saw both the original Gardner Bond book Win, Lose or Die and the film novelization License to Kill. 1995 saw only a film novelization (Goldeneye). The last Gardner Bond book, of 16, came out in 1996 (Cold Fall) and was immediately followed by Raymond Benson's first two Bond books in 1997, a film novelization of Tomorrow Never Dies, and Zero Minus Ten. Benson wrote nine Bond books from 1997 to 2002, which includes three movie novelizations.
I look forward to the continuation of the Bond series in book and film, though I hope neither is bound too tightly to formula.
To celebrate the 100 year anniversary of Ian Fleming, the owner of the James Bond character, the Estate of Ian Fleming, plan to release a new adult James Bond book that will return to the darker elements of the original Fleming series.
1953 - Casino Royale by Ian Fleming.
The first 007 James Bond book was released by a former spy and journalist. Who knew at the time that this first book would lead to roughly 14 more by Fleming ("roughly" because the count includes short story collections, and some books released after Fleming's death), 1 by Kingsley Amis (as Robert Markham), 2 by Christopher Wood (movie novelizations), 16 by John Gardner (original and movie novelizations), and 9 by Raymond Benson (original and movie novelizations); not counting knock-offs like a book supposedly referred to here). There are "other" books, like a young James Bond series by Charlie Higson (which I've never seen nor heard of before today), biographies (on Fleming and/or Bond), comic books, and novels with Fleming as the main character (Quinn Fawcett's trilogy)? Or that this 1953 book (Casino Royale) would lead to roughly 26 movies (1954 "Casino Royale" TV movie (Bond's a CIA agent), 1967 "Casino Royale" movie, and the 1983 "Never Say Never Again" Connery film are considered non-canon/"unofficial" Bond films, and the 1989 "Goldeneye," and the 1990 "Spymaker" biographical films about Fleming; plus the 20 "official" completed films, and the 21st "official" film in the works, another "Casino Royale" based movie; and not counting the numerous spoofs and knock-offs)?
Fleming's books were released between 1953-1966 (some after his death in 1964). Most of his Bond books were made into films, or at least the title of a Bond book was used for the title of Bond movies. Kingsley Amis wrote the first post Fleming Bond book (around 1968), under contract with the estate. "The idea was that other writers would continue the Bond canon, all writing under the same pseudonym [Robert Markham], but this was not to happen" (from here). I did not particularly care for Colonel Sun. Almost 10 years would go by before the next Bond book. After Amis came two film novelizations by Christopher Wood in 1977 and 1979 (The Spy Who Loved Me & Moonraker, not to be confused with the two Fleming books of the same name). Immediately after Wood came noted spy writer John Gardner's contribution to the Bond world. Most of Gardner's Bond books were original works, though Gardner did write, or allow his name to be attached to two film novelizations. The first Gardner Bond book came out in 1981 under the title License Renewed. At least one Bond book a year was released starting in 1981 up to 2002 (except for 1985). 1989 saw both the original Gardner Bond book Win, Lose or Die and the film novelization License to Kill. 1995 saw only a film novelization (Goldeneye). The last Gardner Bond book, of 16, came out in 1996 (Cold Fall) and was immediately followed by Raymond Benson's first two Bond books in 1997, a film novelization of Tomorrow Never Dies, and Zero Minus Ten. Benson wrote nine Bond books from 1997 to 2002, which includes three movie novelizations.
I look forward to the continuation of the Bond series in book and film, though I hope neither is bound too tightly to formula.
