Who should continue the literary series?
#1
Posted 01 February 2004 - 03:46 PM
J.G. Ballard (perfect for dark, adult and erotic Bond outings to send shivers down the spine and make the reader ponder big, horrifying issues)
Raymond Benson (his era ended prematurely and he still has several terrific Bond novels in him)
William Boyd (one of the most respected and versatile British writers, standing on his head he could do "period Bond" you'd swear was written by Fleming
#2
Posted 01 February 2004 - 04:58 PM
#3
Posted 01 February 2004 - 05:03 PM
Although, I really wouldn't mind if someone new, which will almost certainly be the case, takes over now. I just want to read some more!
#4
Posted 01 February 2004 - 05:08 PM
#5
Posted 01 February 2004 - 05:12 PM
#6
Posted 01 February 2004 - 05:14 PM
Yes, I think that's what I did. Never mind (although I have a feeling that it transferred my vote to Benson).people are hitting "View Results" by accident (which nulls your vote).
#7
Posted 01 February 2004 - 05:26 PM
We did leave out the option of a rotating author, such as the old Robert Markham theory; I always liked the idea that they could shop around and let the public try different authors until an annointed one arose that everyone could agree upon. I like to think of it as the sword in the stone approach.
#8
Posted 01 February 2004 - 05:29 PM
I thought of putting it in (something like "they should revive the Robert Markham pseudonym, perhaps writing the books by committee"), but I guess it's covered by "An unknown author" or "I don't care, I just want another Bond novel dammit!".We did leave out the option of a rotating author, such as the old Robert Markham theory
#9
Posted 01 February 2004 - 09:21 PM
#10
Posted 01 February 2004 - 09:40 PM
#11
Posted 01 February 2004 - 10:01 PM
Would Jim or clinkeroo fit in
#12
Posted 01 February 2004 - 10:11 PM
LOL!Wow, Benson's really running away with it, and I didn't expect him to. I want an inquiry into hanging chads.
I swear I have nothing to do with it, Loomis. In fact, with this new layout, we can't manually manipulate votes like we could before (or I would have added your vote for Boyd).
#13
Posted 01 February 2004 - 10:14 PM
Yeah, right. You're not a member of the Bush family by any chance, are you, zen?I swear I have nothing to do with it, Loomis.
Out of interest, what would your second and third choices be?
#14
Posted 01 February 2004 - 10:22 PM
I think John Cork as my other choice, that comes from never reading any of these other authors.
#15
Posted 01 February 2004 - 10:35 PM
Cork was apparently hired to co-write the script for one of the Brosnan Bonds (http://debrief.comma...=0). He seems like someone Ian Fleming Publications might consider as Benson's successor (assuming they'll ever consider reviving the literary series).I think John Cork as my other choice
#16
Posted 01 February 2004 - 11:41 PM
I've always liked the idea of a different author per book. I think with some effort on IFP's part they could do this. I'm sure even many A-list authors have "one great idea" for a Bond book and would be willing to do it for fun.Out of interest, what would your second and third choices be?
#17
Posted 02 February 2004 - 12:37 AM
Certainly, giants of "literary fiction" like Amis, Ballard and Boyd would be highly unlikely to agree to do more than one Bond novel. In fact, I reckon they'd probably consider the gig only if IFP promised that no one else would be asked to write a Bond adventure in the foreseeable future. And they'd certainly want plenty of money and the guarantee of heavy promotion for the book (as well as total and utter creative freedom, natch, which is obviously something Gardner and Benson never had).I've always liked the idea of a different author per book. ... I'm sure even many A-list authors have "one great idea" for a Bond book and would be willing to do it for fun.
However, and assuming that the series won't be up and running again before then, I don't think it's entirely out of the question that such a big name will be approached to pen a one-off book (a "final throw" for IFP) for publication in 2008, the centenary of Fleming's birth.
Perhaps I ought to have entitled this thread "Who should write the next Bond novel?" rather than "Who should continue the literary series?" (which seems to imply writing more than one book).
#18
Posted 02 February 2004 - 04:29 AM
I gave up on the continuation novels some time ago, because they were disappointment after disappointment. I think the only exception was Kingsley Amis and his superb Colonel Sun.
Still, they're obviously popular and I'll keep buying them because I'm a completist and, you never know, a decent one might turn up one day... so I reckon they should let some of the unknowns have a go (as long as they lay off the silly in-jokes and at least try to come up with a Flemingesque title).
#19
Posted 02 February 2004 - 08:11 AM
#20
Posted 02 February 2004 - 12:50 PM
#21
Posted 03 February 2004 - 05:44 AM
But the man himself said better to go out with a soft bang than a loud whimper.
#22
Posted 09 February 2004 - 05:50 PM
A novel editor would make a savage writer. I'm gonna tell them they'd be dim not to get Jim to write the books
#23
Posted 09 February 2004 - 09:32 PM
#24
Posted 09 February 2004 - 10:02 PM
#25
Posted 09 February 2004 - 10:41 PM
By the way Loomis, can I ask who you write for? Don't say if you don't want too.
I hope this doesn't look like I'm being obnoxious. I know a bit (just a bit) about about the media game. My dad was a sports reporter for about 30 odd years. Sport was his passion and he wanted to do something sports-related for his career. He started of Free-lancing when he was about 20, then slowly moved his way up to writing for the nationals. He wrote for the Daily Mail, then the Daily Mirror (and others, I think )
His stuff SOMETIMES appeared in the Nationals.
Robert Maxwell shut down lots of DM offices throughout the UK. So my dad was forced to become freelance again. He told me once that Maxwell was known as the "Bouncing Czech."
#26
Posted 09 February 2004 - 10:45 PM
I suggested an unknown author because he or she would be most likely to work with the restrictions that IFP would put on any creativity.
-- Xenobia
#27
Posted 09 February 2004 - 10:54 PM
Why don't you ask Glidrose?
#28
Posted 09 February 2004 - 10:56 PM
-- Xen
#29
Posted 09 February 2004 - 10:58 PM
#30
Posted 09 February 2004 - 11:04 PM
-- Xenobia