14 replies to this topic

[colonel_13]

Just when is the new Benson novel coming out? Is there any info on it? It's been about a year since TMWTRT came out. Its about time for a new one.

[mccartney007]

There isn't a new Bond novel coming out anytime soon...

[level007]

ouch.... i know someone who is going to be disapointed.....

Anyone tell Colonel_13 what happened to the Benson bond novels ?

[zencat]

Unfortunately, there is no new Benson novel. In fact, there's no new novel planned for the foreseeable future. Here's what Ian Fleming Publications put up on their website early in the year.

18/02/03 - Raymond Benson
After eight years of chronicling the adventures of 007, Raymond Benson is now working on other projects. Miss Moneypenny would like to take this opportunity to wish Mr Benson the very best for these new projects. Intelligence about Ian Fleming Publications Ltd

[Loomis]

It looks like there will never be another James Bond novel by Raymond Benson. It's been made all but crystal clear that he's "stepped down" from the literary series for good.

I find this a pity, since I think he got better and better as he went on. I thought his final book, "The Man With the Red Tattoo", was great fun (I thoroughly enjoyed its predecessor, "Never Dream of Dying", too), and I'd looked forward to seeing what he'd follow it with.

As for whether TMWTRT will turn out to have been the last ever James Bond novel (no successor to Benson has been announced).... your guess is as good as mine. Given the performance of the last few books in "the marketplace", it would surely come as no surprise to learn that Ian Fleming Publications had decided to put the literary series on indefinite hold.

BTW, zencat, when Gardner stopped writing the novels, did IFP (Glidrose) issue a similar statement?

[zencat]

Originally posted by Loomis
BTW, zencat, when Gardner stopped writing the novels, did IFP (Glidrose) issue a similar statement?

From what I remember, Gardner's retirement was announced in tandem with the announcement of Benson as his successor.

[Loomis]

Originally posted by zencat

Gardner's retirement was announced in tandem with the announcement of Benson as his successor.  

Good and bad news at the same time, then. Just bad news this time round, though.

[Hawkeye]

For my money there will be another Bond continuation novel, likely next year. My reasoning for this thinking is the IFP site. They have a bond news section for the literary bond, so unless there are going to be new books, what exactly are they going to fill this section with? The new US reprints are all but done, the UK ones all came out at once, i've been informed by them that the Gardner omnibus should be out (fingers crossed) Very early in 2004, and after that the only literary news could be more Gardner reprints and the Amis book. You'd need another ten years or more before there were reprints to holler about again, and it took far longer than that for the Flemings to be redone in the US. I know they cover the silver dagger but that's just a once yearly thing, hardly worthy if be the sole contribution to a literary bond news section.

That's my 2 cents.

Hawkeye.

[Simon]

Originally posted by Hawkeye
My reasoning for this thinking is the IFP site. They have a bond news section for the literary bond, so unless there are going to be new books, what exactly are they going to fill this section with?  

I'm sure that'll be to the forefront of their minds when deciding if there must be another book.

[Hawkeye]

I thought it was kind of plausible. Why make a song and dance about an IFP website and lit bond news page if you've got nothing of real relevance to talk about?

Hawkeye.

PS. sarcasm duely noted.

[Simon]

Originally posted by Hawkeye
PS. sarcasm duely noted.

Sorry fella. It runs away with me sometimes.

[Qwerty]

Ian Fleming Publications better start learning something about selling, and get a new Bond novel in the works. And this time, MARKET IT!!! (A problem that happened with the Benson series!)

[Triton]

Originally posted by Qwerty
Ian Fleming Publications better start learning something about selling, and get a new Bond novel in the works. And this time, MARKET IT!!! (A problem that happened with the Benson series!)

Unfortunately, Ian Fleming Publications is not a publishing company and it does not print or distribute the James Bond novels. Perhaps they could make promotional demands of Pengiun, Jonathan Cape, and GP Putnam & Sons.

I have often thought that Jonathan Cape and GP Putnam & Sons should have had some marketing alliance with Eon and MGM/UA and feature the 007 logo and Pierce Brosnan's image on the cover of the Raymond Benson books. But then there is another part of me that goes that such an image would mislead consumers who were expecting the James Bond cinema character and not the literary one. The novels are not really like the EA Games which are licensed from MGM/UA and Eon.

[Qwerty]

Triton, I agree, they should make a demand to Penguin and GP Putnam & Sons to market the novels, however they probably won't. As for your comment, I'm with the part of you that does not have any film Bond on the novle covers, I've always imagined the literary Bond as someone like the film Bonds, but not a specific one or another.

[JackChase007]

While I didn't totally love the Benson novels (although, I did quite like HIGH TIME TO KILL and DOUBLESHOT), I did always enjoy reading them - it was always something to look forward to each year - each one was a nice, fun, day or two read.