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Who should continue the literary series?


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Poll: WHO SHOULD CONTINUE THE LITERARY SERIES?

WHO SHOULD CONTINUE THE LITERARY SERIES?

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#1 Loomis

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Posted 01 February 2004 - 03:46 PM

Martin Amis (who better than a full-on literary genius who also happens to be the son of the chap who wrote "Colonel Sun"?)

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 zencat

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Posted 01 February 2004 - 04:58 PM

Good poll, Loomis. Let me know if you want me to change it (I notice you've listed some new names here) but know we can only do 10.

#3 Qwerty

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Posted 01 February 2004 - 05:03 PM

Great idea Loomis! I'm still unsure, but I've voted for Benson for now.

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 Loomis

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Posted 01 February 2004 - 05:08 PM

I voted for Boyd (or tried to - not sure that my vote has registered), since he's probably my "dream choice" at the moment. Ballard would be number two, followed by "Another "Bond expert," such as John Cork" - there's a couple of people who post regularly on CBn whom I think would make excellent continuation novelists. I like the idea of Theroux, too.

#5 zencat

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Posted 01 February 2004 - 05:12 PM

I'm not sure you vote registered either, Loom. This seems to be happening a lot with our polls. I don't know if it a glitch, or it people are hitting "View Results" by accident (which nulls your vote).

#6 Loomis

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Posted 01 February 2004 - 05:14 PM

people are hitting "View Results" by accident (which nulls your vote).

Yes, I think that's what I did. Never mind (although I have a feeling that it transferred my vote to Benson).

#7 clinkeroo

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Posted 01 February 2004 - 05:26 PM

Maybe the poll's rigged so that everyone votes for Raymond. Hard for me to say, though, I voted for him straight up. Seems like such a shame they cut his legs out from under him just when he was starting to become comfortable.
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 Loomis

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Posted 01 February 2004 - 05:29 PM

We did leave out the option of a rotating author, such as the old Robert Markham theory

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!".

#9 Loomis

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Posted 01 February 2004 - 09:21 PM

Wow, Benson's really running away with it, and I didn't expect him to. I want an inquiry into hanging chads. :)

#10 Mister Asterix

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Posted 01 February 2004 - 09:40 PM

Would Jim or clinkeroo fit in

#11 Loomis

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Posted 01 February 2004 - 10:01 PM

[quote]
Would Jim or clinkeroo fit in

#12 zencat

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Posted 01 February 2004 - 10:11 PM

Wow, Benson's really running away with it, and I didn't expect him to. I want an inquiry into hanging chads. :)

LOL!

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 Loomis

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Posted 01 February 2004 - 10:14 PM

I swear I have nothing to do with it, Loomis.

Yeah, right. :) You're not a member of the Bush family by any chance, are you, zen? :)

Out of interest, what would your second and third choices be?

#14 Johnboy007

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Posted 01 February 2004 - 10:22 PM

I voted Benson, The Man With The Red Tattoo was excellent. Managed to keep my occupied when I had the flu last year.

I think John Cork as my other choice, that comes from never reading any of these other authors.

#15 Loomis

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Posted 01 February 2004 - 10:35 PM

I think John Cork as my other choice

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).

#16 zencat

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Posted 01 February 2004 - 11:41 PM

Out of interest, what would your second and third choices be?

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.

#17 Loomis

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Posted 02 February 2004 - 12:37 AM

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.

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).

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 Atticus17F

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Posted 02 February 2004 - 04:29 AM

Sorry, it was I who voted against the continuance of the literary series, but now I'd like to change my vote, if that's okay. :)

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 Jim

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Posted 02 February 2004 - 08:11 AM

William Boyd I would like, but I doubt anyone with any self respect would take the job on due to apparent artistic limitations. It'll probably be another pliant "Bond expert" (whatever one of those might be; sounds a bit tragic to be an "expert" on this twaddle).

#20 Tanger

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Posted 02 February 2004 - 12:50 PM

I've voted that I don't care who writes it as long as we get a new one. I'd rather that Benson had a break and we had some new blood.

#21 1q2w3e4r

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Posted 03 February 2004 - 05:44 AM

Going with no one. Sounds depressing considering I enjoy Fleming's literary Bond more than the cinematic one.

But the man himself said better to go out with a soft bang than a loud whimper.

#22 Dr. Tynan

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Posted 09 February 2004 - 05:50 PM

I agree with Loomis, I think Jim, should be the next Bond writer. I'm going to write to (Gildrose?) and ask them to make Jim the next writer.

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 Dr. Tynan

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Posted 09 February 2004 - 09:32 PM

What about Loomis too?

#24 Loomis

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Posted 09 February 2004 - 10:02 PM

Wow, cheers for the compliment, Doc. :)

#25 Dr. Tynan

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Posted 09 February 2004 - 10:41 PM

Why not? Would you want to.

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 Xenobia

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Posted 09 February 2004 - 10:45 PM

Why isn't my name up there? :) Just kidding.

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 Dr. Tynan

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Posted 09 February 2004 - 10:54 PM

You'll not believe me but I did think of you. :) It's just that I got carried away with talking to Loomis about the Media. :)

Why don't you ask Glidrose? :)

#28 Xenobia

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Posted 09 February 2004 - 10:56 PM

Because Glidrose would shoot me for writing the fanfic in the first place, alas. :)

-- Xen

#29 Dr. Tynan

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Posted 09 February 2004 - 10:58 PM

It'd be a good way to extra yourself a bit of extra cash. I'd do it, if I had the ability to be a good novelist.

#30 Xenobia

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Posted 09 February 2004 - 11:04 PM

I'd love to do it, but I doubt they would ever have me.

-- Xenobia