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The best of John Gardner


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Poll: The Gardners

Your favourite...?

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Your least favourite...?

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#1 Double-Oh Agent

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Posted 01 May 2006 - 10:07 PM

John Gardner's tenure is considered a roller-coaster ride by many people but there is little if any consensus of what are good and what are bad. So I'd start a thread asking people what is your favorite Gardner Bond novel?

My favorite Gardner is Nobody Lives Forever. It is a unique story in which Bond is the hunted instead of the hunter. It's a great twist and Gardner writes the story well. So well in fact, that this is not just my favorite Gardner novel, it's my favorite Bond novel, period.

#2 zencat

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Posted 01 May 2006 - 10:21 PM

Hard call. Probably Icebreaker. Maybe it's not my favorite story, but the book holds a lot of nostalgia for me and tips it over. 1983 was a great year to be a Bond fan.

#3 ACE

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Posted 01 May 2006 - 11:31 PM

I was always excited when the new Gardner came out. I relished getting my fix of literary Bond. It became obvious Gardner's heart was not in it towards the end but his series is studded with great ideas and experiments and concepts. Gardner's greatest coup was credibly updating Bond for our time. He showed literary Bond has relevance today.

My list in order of preference is as follows:

1.) Nobody Lives For Ever 1986
2.) Licence Renewed 1981
3.) Role Of Honour 1984
4.) For Special Services 1982
5.) Scorpius 1988
6.) Death Is Forever 1992
7.) Icebreaker 1983
8.) No Deals Mr Bond 1987
9.) Never Send Flowers 1993
10.) SeaFire 1994
11.) Cold 1996
12.) Win Lose Or Die 1989
13.) The Man From Barbarossa 1991
14.) Brokenclaw 1990

I urge literary Bond fans to at least have read them all once.
Sure, they are not Fleming (nothing can be), but they have their own place in Bond history. Go on, give them a try...

#4 zencat

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Posted 01 May 2006 - 11:53 PM

BTW, speaking of Gardner novels...

007's License Renewed 25 Years Ago Today

#5 dinovelvet

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Posted 01 May 2006 - 11:54 PM

I still have 3 Gardners left to go, but I'd probably choose Licence Renewed as my favorite so far, with Nobody Lives Forever in second. LR is the closest to Fleming and the movie Bond at the same time, and its before Gardner became obsessed with putting double/triple crosses in every novel :tup:

#6 Double-Oh Agent

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Posted 02 May 2006 - 01:40 AM

I was always excited when the new Gardner came out. I relished getting my fix of literary Bond. It became obvious Gardner's heart was not in it towards the end but his series is studded with great ideas and experiments and concepts. Gardner's greatest coup was credibly updating Bond for our time. He showed literary Bond has relevance today.

My list in order of preference is as follows:

1.) Nobody Lives For Ever 1986
2.) Licence Renewed 1981
3.) Role Of Honour 1984
4.) For Special Services 1982
5.) Scorpius 1988
6.) Death Is Forever 1992
7.) Icebreaker 1983
8.) No Deals Mr Bond 1987
9.) Never Send Flowers 1993
10.) SeaFire 1994
11.) Cold 1996
12.) Win Lose Or Die 1989
13.) The Man From Barbarossa 1991
14.) Brokenclaw 1990

I urge literary Bond fans to at least have read them all once.
Sure, they are not Fleming (nothing can be), but they have their own place in Bond history. Go on, give them a try...


ACE my rankings of Gardner's novels are very similar to yours.

I would rank them this way:

1. Nobody Lives Forever
2. License Renewed
3. Role Of Honor
4. For Special Services
5. Icebreaker
6. Death Is Forever
7. No Deals, Mr. Bond
8. Scorpius
9. Win, Lose Or Die
10. Never Send Flowers
11. SeaFire
12. Cold Fall
13. Brokenclaw
14. The Man From Barbarossa

#7 Qwerty

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Posted 02 May 2006 - 01:43 AM

:tup: Licence Renewed
:D For Special Services
[censored] Icebreaker
[censored] Role Of Honour
:D Nobody Lives Forever
[censored] No Deals, Mr. Bond
:( Scorpius
[censored] Licence to Kill
[censored] Win, Lose Or Die
[censored] Brokenclaw
[censored] The Man From Barbarossa
[censored] Death Is Forever
[censored] Never Send Flowers
:D SeaFire
[censored] GoldenEye
[censored] Cold Fall

My favourite: Nobody Lives Forever

#8 Turn

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Posted 02 May 2006 - 01:44 AM

BTW, speaking of Gardner novels...

007's License Renewed 25 Years Ago Today

I don't know whether to celebrate or to be frightened that you and I and only a handful of others here remember it actually happening.

#9 Qwerty

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Posted 02 May 2006 - 01:46 AM

Love that picture at the beginning of the article, Zen. What is it from?

#10 zencat

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Posted 02 May 2006 - 01:52 AM

Love that picture at the beginning of the article, Zen. What is it from?

It was an illustration done for an excerpt of the book in Cosmopolitan magazine. That's only half of it. It extended over two pages but I don't have the second page here to scan.

#11 dinovelvet

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Posted 02 May 2006 - 01:58 AM

Alrighty I'll post my rankings too, minus the final three books that I haven't read yet :

1. Licence Renewed
2. Nobody Lives Forever
3. Brokenclaw :D :D :tup:
4. For Special Services
5. Win Lose or Die
6. Scorpius
7. Icebreaker
8. Role of Honor
9. Death is Forever
10. No Deals, Mr.Bond
11. The Man from Barbarossa

#12 Qwerty

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Posted 02 May 2006 - 03:50 AM


Love that picture at the beginning of the article, Zen. What is it from?

It was an illustration done for an excerpt of the book in Cosmopolitan magazine. That's only half of it. It extended over two pages but I don't have the second page here to scan.


Very nicely done advert, in my opinion. :tup:

#13 K1Bond007

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Posted 02 May 2006 - 03:57 AM

I've only read through Win, Lose or Die, but my fav is Nobody Lives Forever, followed probably by Scorpius.

#14 Flash1087

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Posted 02 May 2006 - 03:59 AM

Licence Renewed is my favorite without a doubt; actually it's only right behind Casino Royale as my all-time favorite Bond novel in general.

Haven't bothered ranking the rest, but I'd probably put Scorpius as #2 and #3 would be either No Deals, Mr. Bond or For Special Services.

#15 Double-Oh Agent

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Posted 02 May 2006 - 05:37 AM

Qwerty, can you add a poll? Thanks. :tup:

#16 Jim

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Posted 02 May 2006 - 05:59 AM

As demanded.

#17 Genrewriter

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Posted 02 May 2006 - 07:32 AM

Best: For Special Services

Worst: The Man From Barbarossa

Ratings:

1. License Renewed [censored]
2. For Special Services :tup:
3. Icebreaker [censored]
4. Role of Honor [censored]
5. Nobody Lives Forever [censored]
6. No Deals, Mr. Bond [censored]
7. Scorpius :D
8. Win, Lose or Die :D
9. Brokenclaw [censored]
10. The Man From Barbarossa [censored]
11. Death is Forever :D
12. Never Send Flowers :(
13. Seafire [censored]
14. Cold Fall [censored]

#18 OVERLORD

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Posted 02 May 2006 - 09:08 AM

I've noticed that many view Nobody Lives For Ever as one of Gardner's better novels, I thought it was very predictable and everything that happened you could see coming from a mile away. For me this was one of his worst.
His best was For Special Services then Icebreaker

#19 MarcAngeDraco

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Posted 02 May 2006 - 10:27 AM

It's hard to pick a best, as none stand head and shoulders above the rest for me. If pressed, I'd say Role of Honour based on the strength of a couple of particular scenes that I really love.

At the bottom is Man from Barbarossa.

#20 Turn

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Posted 03 May 2006 - 12:15 AM

I've noticed that many view Nobody Lives For Ever as one of Gardner's better novels, I thought it was very predictable and everything that happened you could see coming from a mile away. For me this was one of his worst.
His best was For Special Services then Icebreaker

Nobody Lives Forever is my favorite Gardner, but I happened to feel the way you about it oward Icebreaker. I could see those twists coming and coming. Particularly in the anti-climactic climax. I still think Raymond Benson's review in The James Bond Bedside Companion summed that book up the best.

#21 Qwerty

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Posted 08 December 2006 - 03:36 PM

Bumping this up as the is currently reading For Special Services.

#22 Mr Twilight

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Posted 17 September 2007 - 11:40 AM

Top 5 -
1.) Icebreaker
2.) Never Send Flowers
3.) Death Is Forever
4.) For Special Services
5.) Nobody Lives For Ever

Icebreaker was the first Gardner I read in 1986. Re-read it a few months ago and it was as good as ever.

#23 sharpshooter

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Posted 21 February 2008 - 04:13 AM

I like Icebreaker. It is probably the most fun of the Gardner books. I like cold climates and ice as well, so that gives it a good help.

#24 Kangch

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Posted 01 August 2009 - 10:09 AM

I'm always surprised when I see all the bad rating for "The Man From Barbarossa". It was my first Gardner, I enjoyed it. There is some lacks, there is no final battle against the bad guy, but for the rest, it's good for me.

My ranking :
1-Icebreaker
2-Licence Renewed
3-Role of Honour
4-The Man From Barbarossa
5-For Special Services
6-SeaFire
7-COLD

And for the novelization, I think that Licence to kill is probably the best Bond of Gardner, and Goldeneye the worst. B)

#25 quantumofsolace

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Posted 02 August 2009 - 10:16 AM

I'll go for Barbarossa as being the best as it dared to be different and mostly succeeded. Most of the earlier books,which are enthusiastic if a little obvious, I also like but it was with Barbarossa that it seemed like Gardner was writing what he truly wanted to and was not shackled by expectation. The last 4 books ,although enjoyable, read like they were written because he had to write them because of contract.

Edited by quantumofsolace, 02 August 2009 - 10:24 AM.


#26 OmarB

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Posted 02 August 2009 - 04:27 PM

I'm not picking, I love them all. Yeah, you heard me! He did things with the character Fleming would ever have done, like The Man From Barabrossa or the one where he's flying the harrier Jet. Cool stuff.

#27 chrisno1

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Posted 27 August 2009 - 12:44 AM

I haven't read them all (missing 4 from the collection) however of the ones I have I can only rank a top three, the rest are just too predictable.

1. Icebreaker
2. Licence Renewed
3. For Special Services

Having said that, they all read better the first time round. If you read them one after the other, they drag really badly by No Deals Mr Bond....

#28 Harry Fawkes

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Posted 11 January 2010 - 10:06 PM

I'm not picking, I love them all. Yeah, you heard me! He did things with the character Fleming would ever have done, like The Man From Barabrossa or the one where he's flying the harrier Jet. Cool stuff.


Hi I know I am late in the game here but I couldn't agree with you more OmarB. I love them all too!

#29 Jack Rapace

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Posted 08 February 2010 - 10:00 PM

Just finished Licence renewed. Very good. "The man from Barbarossa" is still my favorite.

#30 volante

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Posted 11 February 2010 - 08:44 PM

Just finished Licence renewed. Very good. "The man from Barbarossa" is still my favorite.


Just about to start Licence Renewed for the first time