39 replies to this topic

[Blue Eyes]

Great thoughts Nexus. He's definetley going to be a nationalist. Let's just work out how big a one! He seems pretty intent on taking down the US and Great Britain. I doubt he'll go for PH though, it may just seem to corny in the story line.

[zencat]

I don't think there will be as many references to YOLT as you think. I think Raymond is a better writer than that. Too many references and it becomes fan fiction. There may be things a fan will recognize, but I don't think he'll draw that much attention to it. I think RB knows instinctually the balance between a book for fans and a book for the public.

[Blue Eyes]

How did you come across the villain info? Does NDOD hint at it?

[zencat]

At the moment, I'm actually looking forward to the next Benson book more than I am to Bond 20. Don't get me wrong, I'm very excited about Bond 20, but there just seems to be something going on in the literary world of Bond that's giving me my fan fix in a way the movies are not. I've thought about what it could be and I think it all comes down to the outside-the-box imaginative thinking that embodies the recent Benson books. I mean, why not have a Bond adventure set almost entirely on a mountain in the Himalayas (High Time To Kill)? Why not have Bond battle his own double (Doubleshot)? Why not have Bond involved in the world of show business (Never Dream of Dying)? While these ideas may seem risky and outside the "formula", Benson has shown us they work perfectly within the formula and has produced three of the most exciting post Fleming Bond adventures ever! Eon has said they will never reuse old characters because Bond must always "look forward." What!? Benson has certainly shown that returning characters from Fleming only deepens the narrative and gives Bond a third dimension within his world.

Benson is experimenting and the experiment is paying off. Eon should take notice and adapt these books. I mean, stolen nukes and tricked out cars is getting a little old.

[Jacques Nexus]

You are right zencat, EON and Benson should keep trying to push the envelope. New angles should be attempted each time. As long as it is married up with the traditional formula then it should always work. For the next one, perhaps 007 should get brainwashed (which happened at the beginning of TMWTGG novel) ?...and say if Moneypenny is also brainwashed ?...then perhaps anything goes between the two characters.At the end, both can be de-programmed and they can go back to the way they were before.

[zencat]

Well, tomorrow I'm off the Bond Collectors Weekend in Chicago where, hopefully, Benson will spill some juicy details about the new book and maybe the working title? Let's hope.

[Blue Eyes]

I'm agreeing wiht you on this one Zencat. One of the best things that Benson is including is a new imagination, and it's something the films have sadly lost. Well not all together though.

Gone are the days of massive lairs and fantastic sets. Everything is far too realistic these days. I'm not sure what EON are trying to prove with it. Is it because they think everything should be realistic like True Lies or MI? If so they're wrong. I think the audiences do want hollowed out volcanoes. Look at End Of Days with Arnie, he's fighting the devil for crying out loud. Or T2, time tavel... hello!

Which moves me on to my next thing, EON reusing old characters. Obviously EON don't believe we want to see old characters because when you make a film you make it for the audience. But they themselves proved that we do, they brought back Zukovsky! That's proof that we want to see it. Perhaps they think no part of the younger generation has seen a Connery film? They're wrong!

All I can say is EON bring back older characters as the films contents will great improve for the fan base!

[zencat]

zencat (19 Jul, 2001 01:03 a.m.):
Well, tomorrow I'm off the Bond Collectors Weekend in Chicago where, hopefully, Benson will spill some juicy details about the new book and maybe the working title? Let's hope.

Benson did indeed give a few details about the new book during the BCW in Chicago. Not much, but what he said was pretty cool.

1. Raymond confirmed (again) that Japan was the location and Goro Yoshida is the villain.

2. The book has no title yet, nor even a working title. RB kept calling it "The Japan Book."

3. Tiger Tanaka will return! (You called it, Blue Eyes)

4. During his research trip to Japan RB visited the Seikan tunnel (Japan's own "chunnel") so possibly we'll see some action set there?

5. The book will be a more "traditional" Bond adventure in the vein of Never Dream of Dying.

6. Of all his books this one veered the most from his original outline when he found "better ways of doing things."

And that's about it!

[Digitarius]

Benson should be good at Oriental places, considering he did a stern job in the description of Hong Kong in Zero Minus Ten.

[Blue Eyes]

That is fantastic info Zencat. I feel all warm and fuzzy about Tanaka now

I wonder where the character will fall. More of Fleming's character or more of the movie character. It will be an interesting definition.

Do you mind if I turn this into a post for the main page Zencat or if you want to write it up you can ?