39 replies to this topic

[zencat]

Charlie Higson in discussions over Young Bond’s future

Author reveals via Twitter that discussions are afoot to determine the future of Young Bond, The Enemy and more

Charlie Higson posted this on his Twitter today:

Various meetings today to discuss the future of Young Bond, the Enemy, Monstroso & 1 with an academic to discuss the past -Randall & Hopkirk

[Matt_13]

Here's to hoping

[DamnCoffee]

Imagine if it was a film series. Obviously with a different studio.

[K1Bond007]

The fact that they're at least talking about it is pretty promising. This far out they wouldn't have that discussion if there wasn't interest at least to some degree.

[zencat]

I put a story up on YBD. It's really a cool bit of news. Both small and huge.

[sharpshooter]

The fact that they're at least talking about it is pretty promising.

Agreed. It shows they still value the brand to some degree. New novels written by Charlie would be the holy grail, but then again, my SilverFin graphic novel is looking lonely by itself.

[Matt_13]

More YB's interspersed between the novels of Project X would be gold. Imagine getting a new YB novel ever other year, following up on the heals of a new Adult Bond work.

[K1Bond007]

Yeah, I'm a little upset by the lack of further graphic novels, but I can understand (what I assume is) the reasoning for that.

[Melancholy Productions]

Yeah, I'm a little upset by the lack of further graphic novels, but I can understand (what I assume is) the reasoning for that.

K1Bond007, what is the reasoning for it?

[TheREAL008]

Keeping my fingers crossed, thinking positive, and hoping for the best for Charlie.

[marktmurphy]

Ah; I couldn't work out what he was saying there until I went to his page: thought for a moment he was making more Randall & Hopkirk!

[zencat]

Ah; I couldn't work out what he was saying there until I went to his page: thought for a moment he was making more Randall & Hopkirk!

Did you see this today:

2 clarify. I'm not doing any more randall & hopkirk. meeting was with an academic who is writing a piece on remakes.

[marktmurphy]

Yes indeed; that's what cleared it up for me. There's a US version in the pipeline apparently!

He's a good one to talk about remakes with what with that and Bond!

[K1Bond007]

Yeah, I'm a little upset by the lack of further graphic novels, but I can understand (what I assume is) the reasoning for that.

K1Bond007, what is the reasoning for it?

Again it's just an assumption on my part, but I get the feeling it didn't sell so well. Takes a long time to make a graphic novel no doubt, but it's been almost 2 years now and we haven't heard a peep. What else could it be?

[zencat]

So I wonder how the meeting went? If what we all want happened -- everyone agreed on a Series 2 -- when do you think they'd announce it? Maybe around the release of Charlie's next book, The Dead (Sept 16)? Or might they hold off for a while. Guess it depends on when the first book would be released.

But I suppose this meeting could have also just been about new editions, or graphic novels, or games, etc. Hard to know, but fun to speculate!

[K1Bond007]

Clearly it's the Young Bond movie starring Charlie Higson as Max Bond.

[Righty007]

Clearly it's the Young Bond movie starring Charlie Higson as Max Bond.

I personally would cast T-Dalt as Max Bond.

[terminus]

I wouldn't mind a BBC tv-show with original stories, perhaps serialised over eight forty-five minute episodes. Aimed at the same audience they aim Merlin, Robin Hood and Doctor Who at - going out Saturday or Sunday night at about seven-ish in the evening.

[Jack Spang]

"In May, Charlie Higson raised the possibility of a new trilogy of books set during James Bond’s Fettes years."

Please, let it be so! It will be nice having a contemporary adult Bond and a youngish Bond grounded in his original timeline. One book from each, every year would be nice.

Edited by Jack Spang, 10 July 2010 - 11:17 PM.

[zencat]

Absolutely.

[marktmurphy]

I wouldn't mind a BBC tv-show with original stories, perhaps serialised over eight forty-five minute episodes. Aimed at the same audience they aim Merlin, Robin Hood and Doctor Who at - going out Saturday or Sunday night at about seven-ish in the evening.

I don't know how they could afford that, sadly.

"In May, Charlie Higson raised the possibility of a new trilogy of books set during James Bond’s Fettes years."

Please, let it be so! It will be nice having a contemporary adult Bond and a youngish Bond grounded in his original timeline. One book from each, every year would be nice.

More would be good, but I don't wonder if I'm done with Bond at school. A little further on in his career appeals more to me. Maybe even just do it Hornblower-style: move on through his life a bit more each book rather than having them set one year after the other.

[TheREAL008]

Book I - Major episode at Fettes that could make it's impact felt for the next two books.

Book II - Bond in the Royal navy in WWII, possibly enlisting in naval intelligence and succeeding in a certain major mission.

Book III - Post WWII. Bond now has his commander RNVR rank and is a novice agent of MI6. He faces a tough assignment and during the course of it he earns his Double O status. (tying the two events together in a certain story, or would that be going against cannon?)

[Jack Spang]

Book I - Major episode at Fettes that could make it's impact felt for the next two books.

Book II - Bond in the Royal navy in WWII, possibly enlisting in naval intelligence and succeeding in a certain major mission.

Book III - Post WWII. Bond now has his commander RNVR rank and is a novice agent of MI6. He faces a tough assignment and during the course of it he earns his Double O status. (tying the two events together in a certain story, or would that be going against cannon?)

I was actually going to suggest something similar. I think this would be the best way to approach it. I don't think you could have 3 or 5 books that involve adventures Bond finds himself in while attending Fettes as it's already been done with Eton.

[OmarB]

I disagree. Considering it's the Young Bond series I think they'll drag it out and keep it pre-Navy for as long as possible.

[zencat]

Book I - Major episode at Fettes that could make it's impact felt for the next two books.

Book II - Bond in the Royal navy in WWII, possibly enlisting in naval intelligence and succeeding in a certain major mission.

Book III - Post WWII. Bond now has his commander RNVR rank and is a novice agent of MI6. He faces a tough assignment and during the course of it he earns his Double O status. (tying the two events together in a certain story, or would that be going against cannon?)

I was actually going to suggest something similar. I think this would be the best way to approach it. I don't think you could have 3 or 5 books that involve adventures Bond finds himself in while attending Fettes as it's already been done with Eton.

I get the idea, but I don't we're taking into consideration the core readership (kids 9-14) and what these books are to them. They are, after all, what have made the series such a success. These are the schoolboy adventures of a young James Bond. The series is not the biography of James Bond 007 that we need to move along. For this to be "Young Bond"™, I think he needs to be within the age range of the readership and the books need to remain similar in structure. Maybe with time Charlie can move him up to joining the RN, but certainly not this quickly, and I kind of think his joining the military is the end of Young Bond™ and the start of something entirely new. So for a series 2, I'd like the books to remain pretty much the same style as the first. Bond at school and off on adventures. After all, it's the adventures and the villains and the locations and the action that matter, not really the timeline.

[OmarB]

Exactly.

[K1Bond007]

Book I - Major episode at Fettes that could make it's impact felt for the next two books.

Book II - Bond in the Royal navy in WWII, possibly enlisting in naval intelligence and succeeding in a certain major mission.

Book III - Post WWII. Bond now has his commander RNVR rank and is a novice agent of MI6. He faces a tough assignment and during the course of it he earns his Double O status. (tying the two events together in a certain story, or would that be going against cannon?)

I was actually going to suggest something similar. I think this would be the best way to approach it. I don't think you could have 3 or 5 books that involve adventures Bond finds himself in while attending Fettes as it's already been done with Eton.

I get the idea, but I don't we're taking into consideration the core readership (kids 9-14) and what these books are to them. They are, after all, what have made the series such a success.

On the flip side of that coin if they became a fan with SilverFin then by the time we get this new series they'll be anywhere from 15-20 years old and probably looking for something a little more adult in between sessions of the latest Grand Theft Auto and Gears of War.

Okay, to be honest, I think Charlie Higson is a wonderful writer, but I'm not so sure he'd be the best fit for a World War II Bond. Incidentally, you know who would be good for that? John Gardner. Seriously: Royal Navy, Royal Marines and 42 Commando.

[OmarB]

Or you can think of it in terms of The Hardy Boys or Nancy Drew or any number of series we all grew up with and our parents grew up with and our own children will grow uo with. They do age but it is sloqed down to the point that the Hary's are in their late teens over 100 books in.

YB is a kids series and it should be kept that way?

[K1Bond007]

YB is a kids series and it should be kept that way?

I'm not debating that. Personally, I don't see a whole lot of difference between Higson and Fleming on the target age - it's not like Higson is sheltering or really targeting a younger crowd, I think that the character's age (and canon) is really the only thing keeping it young adult. Kids books don't usually have characters mauled by sea urchins - similar to Fleming's characters killed by crabs. There's about as much death or more death in a Higson novel than a Fleming one. The only difference is sex, which as I alluded to is not something that Higson has to stay away from because of the book's target audience.

[marktmurphy]

I get the idea, but I don't we're taking into consideration the core readership (kids 9-14) and what these books are to them. They are, after all, what have made the series such a success. These are the schoolboy adventures of a young James Bond. The series is not the biography of James Bond 007 that we need to move along. For this to be "Young Bond"™, I think he needs to be within the age range of the readership and the books need to remain similar in structure. Maybe with time Charlie can move him up to joining the RN, but certainly not this quickly, and I kind of think his joining the military is the end of Young Bond™ and the start of something entirely new. So for a series 2, I'd like the books to remain pretty much the same style as the first. Bond at school and off on adventures. After all, it's the adventures and the villains and the locations and the action that matter, not really the timeline.

I dunno; when I was a kid I was never all that bothered about reading about kids my age- I preferred reading about adults because they could do cooler stuff and drive cars and stuff. Bond's age isn't really all that important (it's not as if any but a few readers have any experience of the very different school of Eton, especially not in the 1930's, so it's not as it's because they particularly associate themselves with him); it's just important what cool stuff Bond can do.