181 replies to this topic

[Trident]

I'm pretty sure that Faulks really didn't take the Centenary ligthly. He seems to me rather solemn and focused where his work is concerned. And it's really a fantastic publicity stunt on both sides. Not only will people pick up DMC who never would have been seen with a Gardner or Benson or a thriller at all. Also Bond fans will digg into Faulks' former work who never would have dreamed reading about WWI ('Birdsong') or the Vichy-regime of France during WWII ('Charlotte Gray').

[Simon]

But then, in theory, so was Kingsley Amis and Colonel Sun (most would agree) is on the whole a bit average.

Our own differing personal opinions aside, I have to say Most Agree that Colonel Sun is superb, and by far the best of the continuation series.

Also, as others have cited, correctly, a below par 'writer' is better than an enthusiastic first effort. And there is no reason to suggest suppositions of slumming.

[ACE]

This is dated 6th July 2007

http://www.mi6forums...t=37058&start=0

[Santa]

This is dated 6th July 2007

http://www.mi6forums...t=37058&start=0

Interesting, no?

Now he's been announced he seems such an obvious choice - I keep wondering why we haven't all been bellowing his name for months. I've read his books and he still didn't occur to me even once, yet he's so clearly right for it.

[Loomis]

His spoof Fleming short story (which appeared in "Pistache") is funny as hell, but I thought also revealed a certain amount of affection for Fleming's writing. Worth checking out.

Any links? I gather Fleming takes Bond shopping in this story!

Surfing around, I found (on MI6) Faulks' opinion of THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH:

"When the Bond series began, Connery with his Martinis, his Aston Martin and his louche sexual habits seemed genuinely sophisticated. But 'sophistication' no longer exists as a concept outside the Ferrero Rocher ad; as an idea it now seems childish and bogus; it's not a word you even use without inverted commas.

Culturally, however, nothing has replaced it. Into this void, the Bond filmmakers originally pumped comic self-awareness, but that could only ever be a temporary expedient, especially with Austin Powers just around the corner. The other problem is that the action sequences are confined to real-life plausibility, or something close, whereas Hollywood special effects can now make humans in a sci-fi film like The Matrix do much more.

Even the best Bond chase - and this film opens with a handsome speedboat caper up the Thames - is no longer anywhere near the frontier of film action." - Sebastian Faulks, Mail on Sunday

Not sure TWINE would have been any better with MATRIX-style effects making the characters "do much more" in the action scenes - anyway, they tried that in DIE ANOTHER DAY; however, Faulks' dislike of TWINE is enough for me to welcome him as the new novelist with open arms!

[Scrambled Eggs]

His spoof Fleming short story (which appeared in "Pistache") is funny as hell, but I thought also revealed a certain amount of affection for Fleming's writing. Worth checking out.

Any links? I gather Fleming takes Bond shopping in this story!

I've looked but can't find any. It was also printed in (i think) The Times, which is where I read it.

I would suggest Faulks hs much to lose in terms of credibility if his work is shoddy and therefore is more likely to produce a top-notch effort.

See, I'm not sure about that. You may well be right and obviously Faulks usually asks very high standards of himself. But, if DMC turns out to be unremarkable, I don't think his reputation will be harmed. Lit critics will put it down as a bit of fun he had inbetween "proper" books.

Our own differing personal opinions aside, I have to say Most Agree that Colonel Sun is superb, and by far the best of the continuation series.

Damned with faint praise?

[Royal Dalton]

ITV News report:

[OmarB]

Well I can't claim prior knowledge of Faulks but from what I've dug up and what you guys have said he seems to be a more literary author rather than a writer. That's really great, I can't wait to see what he puts out there. Oh, and I hope it's a huge book, these modern thrillers from the likes of Ludlum, Clancy, Lecarre and such have spoiled me and I need a couple hundred (sometimes even more than a thousand) pages to get settled in.

I also think it's about time we get those reprints. It's the anniversary next year, I think they should start reissuing the non-Fleming books leading up to the new one.

[Loomis]

ITV News report:

Cheers for that. Seems the airbrushing out of history of Amis, Gardner and Benson (and even Higson?) has begun, as the world is told to anticipate "the fifteenth James Bond novel". Oh, well. Looks as though it'll be well worth waiting for. (Can anyone make an intelligent guess as to when DEVIL MAY CARE will be available in paperback in the UK?)

[Fro]

Babs loves it

[quote]

[Killmaster]

Everything I've heard or read, points to the fact that Devil May Care should be a worthy addition to the original literary canon. Faulks will have to do an incredible job to improve on Colonel Sun, though.

We can only hope that DMC will be financially profitable enough for the IFF to continue a new series of Bond adventure novels.

[Jim]

ITV News report:

Cheers for that. Seems the airbrushing out of history of Amis, Gardner and Benson (and even Higson?) has begun, as the world is told to anticipate "the fifteenth James Bond novel". Oh, well. Looks as though it'll be well worth waiting for. (Can anyone make an intelligent guess as to when DEVIL MAY CARE will be available in paperback in the UK?)

Yes, Radio 4 this morning described it as the same (a very Radio 4 author, Faulksie).

However, Radio 5Live did assert that Kingsley Amis, John Gardner and Raymond Benson all attempted Bond novels. Curious word, "attempted".

NB this is rather nice

http://commanderbond.net/category/286

[Trident]

Seems the airbrushing out of history of Amis, Gardner and Benson (and even Higson?) has begun, as the world is told to anticipate "the fifteenth James Bond novel". Oh, well. Looks as though it'll be well worth waiting for.

It's the same in all articles. Amis, Gardner, Benson, Higson, all are omitted in the initial press release and nobody in the media business seems to question such releases any more. A shame that journalism today often means just to rewrite a few sentences instead of investigate the facts.

(Can anyone make an intelligent guess as to when DEVIL MAY CARE will be available in paperback in the UK?)

As a guess I'd say about six to nine months. Surely not longer?

[marktmurphy]

This is dated 6th July 2007

http://www.mi6forums...t=37058&start=0

I guess that might explain why he's been announced now rather than the 'eve of publication'- it was leaking and they wanted a big publicity blowout (which they got).

NB this is rather nice

http://commanderbond.net/category/286

Lovely- although I can't see a Sebastian Sub-forum...

[DamnCoffee]

ITV News report:

Thanks for that Royal Dalton , The reporter dosen't seem to flow though, you can tell he was reading of something.

[Loomis]

Seems the airbrushing out of history of Amis, Gardner and Benson (and even Higson?) has begun, as the world is told to anticipate "the fifteenth James Bond novel". Oh, well. Looks as though it'll be well worth waiting for.

It's the same in all articles. Amis, Gardner, Benson, Higson, all are omitted in the initial press release and nobody in the media business seems to question such releases any more. A shame that journalism today often means just to rewrite a few sentences instead of investigate the facts.

(Can anyone make an intelligent guess as to when DEVIL MAY CARE will be available in paperback in the UK?)

As a guess I'd say about six to nine months. Surely not longer?

Hopefully, the paperback release will coincide with the opening of BOND 22.

I bang on about this because I never buy hardbacks - to read, at least; might pick up DEVIL MAY CARE in hardback and try to get it signed, though. And not to take this thread off-topic, but I may be able to get my DIE ANOTHER DAY novelization (paperback, in good condition) signed by Toby Stephens - any idea how much this might make it worth?

[marktmurphy]

Ooh it's even on the front page of the BBC website- not the news, but www.bbc.co.uk

[Mister Asterix]

NB this is rather nice

http://commanderbond.net/category/286

Lovely- although I can't see a Sebastian Sub-forum...

I can only work so fast.

[DamnCoffee]

Great Work Mister*

[Simon]

NB this is rather nice

http://commanderbond.net/category/286

Lovely- although I can't see a Sebastian Sub-forum...

I can only work so fast.

Good grief sir - that's incredibly fast work.

(And up to your usual high standards)

This is dated 6th July 2007

http://www.mi6forums...t=37058&start=0

Interesting, no?

Now he's been announced he seems such an obvious choice - I keep wondering why we haven't all been bellowing his name for months. I've read his books and he still didn't occur to me even once, yet he's so clearly right for it.

I haven't been around for some months but I seem to remember you were in the middle east before.

You've left the land, the 'strange one'.

What takes you to Valencia?

[HildebrandRarity]

Title is good. Doesn't blow me away...but it's good.

I know that over the three pages in this thread thus far there a fair number of 'fans' of the title, but is there even a slight chance they might do a HELL IS HERE/TOO HOT TO HANDLE~ish about face on it?

Is there no better title than DEVIL MAY CARE?

(...unless, of course, D.E.V.I.L. is a Spectre-like organization Faulks has mustered up?)

Edited by HildebrandRarity, 11 July 2007 - 03:55 PM.

[DamnCoffee]

I think it's time we had a poll on the title

[Jim]

I think it's time we had a poll on the title

Good idea.

[Loomis]

So I popped out to buy one of this fella's books, choosing A FOOL'S ALPHABET. Just flicking through it, and.... wow. Seems IFP have got themselves an astonishingly high quality choice. The Daniel Craig of continuation novelists? Please, that just insults the Faulksmeister. More like the Daniel Craig, Sean Connery and Ian Fleming of continuation novelists, with a huge side order of unprecedented literary brilliance. I think IFP is about to give us its CASINO ROYALE - I mean, its answer to Eon's CASINO ROYALE, that is, if you follow. And that's the very worst case scenario! DEVIL MAY CARE will probably be even better than that. We're in for a real treat.

[Trident]

I think the title is rather spot on in describing Bond's general attitude. As a kind of resum

[zencat]

Here's a scoop on the US release (simultaneous with the UK -- paperback in '09) and the first DMC location; Paris!

First DMC location revealed: Paris

[Santa]

Here's a scoop on the US release (simultaneous with the UK -- paperback in '09) and the first DMC location; Paris!

First DMC location revealed: Paris

Wow, Zen, you're quick but that link is not working for me. Anyone else?

[zencat]

Here's a scoop on the US release (simultaneous with the UK -- paperback in '09) and the first DMC location; Paris!

First DMC location revealed: Paris

Wow, Zen, you're quick but that link is not working for me. Anyone else?

It's not???

Go to my homepage -- www.youngbonddossier.com -- enter the site and click Latest News. It's the top story.

[Santa]

Here's a scoop on the US release (simultaneous with the UK -- paperback in '09) and the first DMC location; Paris!

First DMC location revealed: Paris

Wow, Zen, you're quick but that link is not working for me. Anyone else?

It's not???

Go to my homepage -- www.youngbonddossier.com -- enter the site and click Latest News. It's the top story.

Already did, thanks

[Trident]

Splendid! Great find, Zen!