33 replies to this topic

[TonicBH]

Yesterday at a thrift store, I picked up four Bond novels by Gardner (Icebreaker, Role of Honor, Nobody Lives Forever) but this one seems odd:

It's "Licence to Kill". I've checked certain Bond novel areas and haven't seen this.

It appears to have been written in 1989 (probably before or after Win Lose or Die made it to bookshelves), and I thought it was a novelisation of the movie, but it keeps to the continuity of the books. As I read the first chapter, there was a part where they mentioned Leiter's prostetic legs. As there were gone in the movie, they were bitten in Fleming's LALD (which I kinda knew already, even though I haven't read the Fleming books fully yet.)

I don't think there is any rarity to this book, maybe there is.

[Genrewriter]

It's fairly rare. You got the novelization of the film. Good find, Tonic. The lack of coverage is pretty common, most novelizations are generally ignored outside of sites such as CBn. Did you get a good bargain for all four books?

[IndyB007]

The book is a good read, but it's not very rare. Both the US and UK paperback editions are rather common, but if you ever see a hardback pick it up, as those are quite rare indeed.

[Tarl_Cabot]

I read it in 1989. Gardner tried to keep the continuity of Flemming so Leighter was attacked *twice* by a shark in his lifetime. Ouch :eek:

[TonicBH]

I only thumbed through the first chapter of the book (before a trip on the bus).

But yeah, it did look like a novelisation as it has "Now a major motion picture!" and a picture of Dalton on the front.

Oh yeah, I got all four for less than a buck. Icebreaker and Role of Honor were a quarter each and the other two were... 28 cents or so (whatever 25% of .50 is, I never was good at percentages )

(And 100th post! woo-hoo!)

[Qwerty]

Originally posted by TonicBH


But yeah, it did look like a novelisation as it has "Now a major motion picture!" and a picture of Dalton on the front.

Yes, you must be talking about the US paperback version. That one took me quite a while to track down, but well worth the effort. Gardner seems to do pretty well when he already has a plotline ready for him.

[Johnboy007]

I found it in my basement from when my dad bought for a trip i guess. I would like to have known we had it a few months ago.

[Qwerty]

Cool, see what other Bond relics you can find. Although I recommend you read Live And Let Die by Ian Fleming first, unless you are accustomed to the storyline involving Felix Leiter.

[Pussfeller]

That novelisation is probably my favorite Bond work by Gardner. I always felt that he was a so-so story-teller, but great with words (I guess this is the general concensus, though).

[zencat]

The LTK novelization has an interesting publishing history. As others have pointed out, it first appeared in mass quantities as a paperback in both the US and UK (and in many foreign languages) in the summer of 1989 (before Win Lose or Die, btw). Then, in 1990, "The Mysterious Press" published 4 different hardcover editions. One was a limited to 26 "lettered" editions signed by Gardner and came in a slipcase. Next was a limited to 100 "numbered" editions also signed and also in slipcase. Then there was another edition unsigned and without slipcase that was identical to the slipcase editions expect that it was blue instead of maroon. Finally there was a "trade" edition hardcover with a dust-jacket using art similar to the UK paperback. This is the rarest and most desirable of the four editions.

There was also a US book club hardcover which used art similar to the US paperback. This edition is also pretty hard to find.

Welcome to CBn, TonicBH.

[Tanger]

Do you have any of them Zencat? Can you post pics, they sound very interesting?

[zencat]

Originally posted by Tanger
Do you have any of them Zencat? Can you post pics, they sound very interesting?

Yep, I have all of them. I'll arrange them into a group pic and post it here later today. Running out to a meeting...

[Tanger]

Ok cool.

[IndyB007]

What the fines for not returning a book to the library? There is a library here that has four to six copies of as the "'trade' edition hardcover with a dust-jacket using art similar to the UK paperback"

[Tanger]

Just ask if you can buy a copy from them. If not just say you lost the book but you'll reimburse the full price of it. That way you get out of paying a fine and you've got the book at a reasonable price, providing it's in decent condition.

[IndyB007]

Good idea. If they say I can't buy one I'll just get a library card and check it out. Then a few days after the due date I can go there and tell them that I must have left it back home when I was there for the Thanksgiving holiday. I think I'll try it this weekend.

[Turn]

Originally posted by zencat

Yep, I have all of them. I'll arrange them into a group pic and post it here later today. Running out to a meeting...

I'm pretty sure about 7 years ago at a store called MediaPlay they had the LTK hardback on a closeout. I never picked it up. Why would such a supposedly rare book be on a closeout table?

[Qwerty]

Hmm, perhaps they had it in storage and just wanted to get rid of it, Turn? That's what sometimes happens. It's how I found my TND Limited Edition Set and a copy of the CBS Fox A View To A Kill VHS tape.

[DLibrasnow]

I read the book in 1989 and my major problem with it is the whole "Lightning strikes twice" bit.

[zencat]

Originally posted by Turn


I'm pretty sure about 7 years ago at a store called MediaPlay they had the LTK hardback on a closeout. I never picked it up. Why would such a supposedly rare book be on a closeout table?

Guess they didn't know it was rare. That happens, and that is the time to buy. But beware condition.

Sorry, I never posted that pic of all my LTKs in this thread -- I did do it in another thread. When I get home today I will post it here as well.

[DLibrasnow]

You can pick up some real bargains on those closeout tables....A lot of those people are not aware that some books are rare. I remember a library back home in the UK was selling some of its old inventory and I came across some very valuable first editions of Leslie Halliwells "Film Review" books from when they first started in the 1940s. Needless to say I snatched them up right away!

[Turn]

Figures. I bought a tie with all the Bond film posters on it from that place when I should have been buying up the rare edition of the LTK hardback novel.

[zencat]

Originally posted by zencat
Sorry, I never posted that pic of all my LTKs in this thread -- I did do it in another thread. When I get home today I will post it here as well.

As promised, chaps.

http://forums.comman...=&postid=195855

[Genrewriter]

Whoa, very nice zencat.

[Blofeld's Cat]

What a set! :eek:

It's people like you zencat that stops me from calling myself a collector.

What's actually in the diamond shapes, if you don't mind me asking?

[Genrewriter]

Looks to me like a portrait of John Gardner, though I could be wrong.

[DLibrasnow]

It also looks like John Gardner to me too.

[zencat]

Yes, it's a portrait of Gardner.

[TonicBH]

VERY nice, zencat.

Yeah, the one I got is the one in the far right of zencat's picture.

[Qwerty]

Very nice collection! Zencat, every time I see your collection, it pushes me to buy more Bond!