11 replies to this topic

[IndyJones]

I am now reading Gardner's original Bond novels for the first time. I've read his first eight books. Anyway the contracts for Bond authors and the amount of books they do per contract for both Gardner and Benson have been three novels a contract. So one day I realized Gardner wrote 14 orignal Bond novels. Three does not go into 14 so I am wondering why Gardner never wrote a 15th original Bond novel if the pattern of three books a contract was still being used? To sum it up Seafire and Cold Fall make up the 13th and 14th original Bond novels in the last contract Gardner signed but where is the 15th original novel?

[Righty007]

John Gardner is turning 77 this year, so I don't think he would be up to writing a 15th original James Bond novel.

[clinkeroo]

After his last few, I don't think I'd want him to try. But he does need the money...

[Mister Asterix]

I’ve always thought Gardner stopped at 14 so he wouldn’t have more than Fleming’s 14 Bond books. May not be true, but it’s reason enough for him not to do another one.

[IndyJones]

When I started this thread I meant that maybe the 15th book should have come out in 1997 or 1998 a year or two after Cold Fall. I was just wondering what happened to a possible 15th novel of James Bond and originally was Gardner planning the 15th book to be his last?

[clinkeroo]

No, Mr. * is right. I've read Gardner in interviews where he stated that he didn't want to write more than Fleming. It was pretty obvious in Cold that he was wrapping things up.

[Blofeld's Cat]

That being the case, Gardner's last contract renewal could not have been for three books then.

[James Boldman]

Originally posted by clinkeroo
No, Mr. * is right.  I've read Gardner in interviews where he stated that he didn't want to write more than Fleming.  It was pretty obvious in Cold that he was wrapping things up.

Well perhaps it was that John Gardner was dying in 1996 so Glidrose let him stop writing one novel earlier.
According to John Gardner's site he says that he was dying in 1996 although he is still alive now.

[Icephoenix]

Um, right. I thought it was as Evan said, not wanting to do more than the legend. (To anyone but Aussies, this is gibberish) Like when Mark Taylor equaled Don Bradman's total runs, then quit as he didn't want to score more runs - out of respect.

[Jriv71]

That's pretty interesting. I don't know what the heck you mean, but I imagine it would be like Barry Bonds retiring when he reaches 755 Home Runs, out of respect to Hank Aaron. Or 660, out of repect to his godfather Willie Mays.

[Cesari]

John Gardner COULDN'T write another Bond book after Cold. He was old and practically dying. He had a cancer and everybody thought (himself too) he would die soon.
I have been told that Glidrose didn't want too anymore Bond novels written by Gardner.
So that is the only reason why he stopped after his 14th novel.

[James Boldman]

Originally posted by Cesari
John Gardner COULDN'T write another Bond book after Cold. He was old and practically dying. He had a cancer and everybody thought (himself too) he would die soon.
I have been told that Glidrose didn't want too anymore Bond novels written by Gardner.
So that is the only reason why he stopped after his 14th novel.

Yeah I thought it was something like that.