17 replies to this topic

[Loomis]

I think the general consensus is that Charlie Higson's "Young James Bond" series is the worst idea since Cherry Coke. Nonetheless, there must be some good points - every cloud, and so on. Hence this thread. But I've only managed to come up with a couple:

- Higson's work will make even the lamest Benson offering look like a copper-bottomed classic.

- Higson's work will, in theory, cause a new generation of readers to discover Fleming (i.e. they'll start on Higson at the age of nine or so and within a few years graduate to the "hard stuff" - well, it's a nice thought, anyway).

- Er....

- That's it. I think. Any others?

[Mister Asterix]

- If Higson ages his young James Bond then we may get to some of the stories that Bond fans really want to read in four or five years.

[Qwerty]

I suppose it might bring an age range of readers to the series not had much before....but the negatives outweigh the positives, so it makes it hard to say anything good about this.

[Loomis]

the negatives outweigh the positives

Indeed.

But I suppose it's possible to make the case that "Bond" is only doing what it's done ever since, at the turn of the 1970s, it stopped leading the field, i.e. taking inspiration from whatever's currently popular. In the 70s, Bond copied (this list is not exhaustive) blaxploitation flicks, SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT and STAR WARS; in the 80s, Indiana Jones and LETHAL WEAPON; in the 90s, DIE HARD and John Woo; and, with DIE ANOTHER DAY, THE MATRIX. What's currently huge? Harry Potter. There you go.

[Qwerty]

A very good point, but while I can stand similarities to other action films, MOSTLY geared for an older audience, (Die Hard, Lethal Weapon etc..), it's not the case for Harry Potter, and they should never try to replicate something so different from the Bond novels & films.

[rafterman]

stories of a teenaged James Bond could be good if they are serious stories and not Harr Potter adventures, I want to read about his normal life growing up with no parents, getting kicked out of Eton, losing his virginity, floating about Europe, I kind of want these stories to be real, literate, Catcher in the Rye type novels of Bond before he grew up, something Fleming would write, not Cody Banks the novel....

[Qwerty]

to be real, literate, Catcher in the Rye type novels of Bond before he grew up, something Fleming would write, not Cody Banks the novel....

Hey, you know, I didn't think about that kind of a story when I first heard this, and I just finished reading "The Catcher in the Rye"! It might be a bit off the beaten track for a Bond novel, but if they wanted to show a kid who hates certain things of the world and wanted to change things, that might be a path to take.

Interesting ideas, that could be!

[marktmurphy]

That would be terrible. Bond isn't a real person; he's a brand name. And you expect certain things from a brand. In this case it's silly overblown plots and violent but cool hero. That's where Young Indy went wrong because they thought Indy was a real person and forgot what the audience expect from Indiana Jones i.e an adventure. Not some dull travelogue.

- Higson's work will make even the lamest Benson offering look like a copper-bottomed classic.

That's a very offensive thing to say. This wasn't Higson's idea and I'm sure he'll do the best job he can, which on previous evidence is a much better writing job than Benson could ever do.
Save the personal insults to Higson until after you've read it and weighed up whether he deserves it or not.

[Loomis]

- Higson's work will make even the lamest Benson offering look like a copper-bottomed classic.

That's a very offensive thing to say. This wasn't Higson's idea and I'm sure he'll do the best job he can, which on previous evidence is a much better writing job than Benson could ever do.
Save the personal insults to Higson until after you've read it and weighed up whether he deserves it or not.

Perhaps I should have written "a copper-bottomed classic of Bondage". Even if Higson is a much better writer than Benson (which he may well be), I'd still always eschew his so-called Bond books in favour of those of Benson. Why? Because Benson at least wrote about the adult 007, you know, the proper James Bond. Not, I grant you, "the real thing", exactly (look to Fleming for that), but certainly a recognisable approximation thereof, and not a child hero designed to surf the Harry Potter wave.

Oh, and I have saved the "personal insults" to Higson. Where are the personal insults in my posts? A personal insult would be something along the lines of "Higson's fat and ugly and smells", no? In fact, I have praised Higson here on CBn as an extremely talented individual whose past work (for instance, "The Fast Show") I've enjoyed enormously. All I've insulted is Young James Bond. Cripes, even Jonathan Ross, interviewing Higson, slammed the idea (although his slamming was, admittedly, rather more tongue-in-cheek than mine).

[scaramanga1]

Let me just say, that although like most I think this is the wrong way for IF Publications to go, I am actually a fan of Charlie Higson. Novels such as Full Whack are tense gritty affairs with very dark humour, whereas his work on the British comedy sketch series -The Fast Show is inspired. He has also written some great stuff for the reasonably recent remade Randall and Hopkirk Deceased series starring British commedians Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer, so all I can say is -lets give him a chance -he does come with some very good baggage -in that he is a very able writer indeed. Also he is a Bond fan, and loves Fleming -so lets see what happens. I for one will buy his book, and will only judge it after I've read it.

Edited by scaramanga1, 18 April 2004 - 07:40 PM.

[marktmurphy]

I never knew he wrote novels, but from what I hear he is at worst a very capable writer, and at best a very good one.
I have apologised to Loomis for mis-understanding his statements above (my point was to say 'Higson's work will make Benson look good' is a very insulting thing to say as it implies Higson's abilities are questionable, rather than Loomis' intended statement of the Young Bond idea is bad) and although I believe his point is right in so far as Young Bond ain't really Bond at all, I will try them out as Higson seems to be a very good writer. From what I hear of him, I would like to see him write a 'proper' Bond novel, something we may even see.

Incidentally, ever read Hugh Laurie's 'Gun Seller' novel? Very good thriller and if he weren't so busy I'd like to see him do a Bond.

[Johnboy007]

If these were set while he was with the Royal Navy during the war, I would be more interested. We could hear about possible commando jobs against the Nazi's...but NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO, we have evil maniac Americans in Scottish castles with questionable experiments (like the whole project)

[Qwerty]

If these were set while he was with the Royal Navy during the war, I would be more interested. We could hear about possible commando jobs against the Nazi's...but NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO, we have evil maniac Americans in Scottish castles with questionable experiments (like the whole project)

The bright side? I know!

The Agent Cody Banks team will have some new reading material for the rest of the films they make.

[Xenobia]

I like the idea of mood driven Catcher in the Rye type novels.

As for the American in the Scottish castle, let's just remember gang that the Nazi's didn't have a braintrust on genetic experiments. Maybe this American was a sick compatriot. You never know. It could make for one very interesting suspence novel, and serve as the first step to Bond knowing how dark and black the world really is.

-- Xenobia

[scaramanga1]

I like the idea of mood driven Catcher in the Rye type novels.

As for the American in the Scottish castle, let's just remember gang that the Nazi's didn't have a braintrust on genetic experiments.  Maybe this American was a sick compatriot.  You never know.  It could make for one very interesting suspence novel, and serve as the first step to Bond knowing how dark and black the world really is.

-- Xenobia

Well said Xen -I really think we should see what Higson produces before we totally condemn the idea - I mean give the guy a break He may be well aware that parents are going to have certain expectations because they are originally Bond fans -plus lets not forget -a lot of us were children when we became Bond fans -I myself was 7 years old -and would've loved to have been able to read such books when I was a kid. Also lets not forget a huge amount of the merchandising for the Bond franchise in the sixties was aimed at children -so really things hare not changing that drastically. I for one will as I have said look forward to the first book -and then decide on this route, as to whether it stands a chance of being an asset to the franchise or not.

Edited by scaramanga1, 19 April 2004 - 09:37 AM.

[daman3755]

I think the general consensus is that Charlie Higson's "Young James Bond" series is the worst idea since Cherry Coke.

Cherry Coke, aww dude, and here I was thinkin' of Pepsi One!

[Qwerty]

I think the general consensus is that Charlie Higson's "Young James Bond" series is the worst idea since Cherry Coke.

Cherry Coke, aww dude, and here I was thinkin' of Pepsi One!

No, no, the worst idea in that sense ever was Pepsi Blue. Gah.

[Triton]

Well, let's hope that the final product will be interesting and entertaining and our worst fears won't be realized.