14 replies to this topic

[clinkeroo]

Well, if we now add the Fleming screenplay of Moonraker to our list of most wanted Fleming items, we start to come up with at least a novel-length, apocrypha that if the IFP were up to the task, they could assemble the rights to, and publish. Now that would be something worth reading ! Just off the top of my head, we have:

* The Fleming-penned Moonraker script

* The various Fleming scripts for the proposed television series (I seem to remember there were rumors that there were six or seven of these, in other words, more than the five stories from FYEO)

* The famous Fleming notebook that was bought at auction a few years ago that contained character descriptions and brief blurbs from unfinished Bond stories. In addition, if they truly exist, whatever notes led to the rumors of a post- MWTGG Bond novel that Fleming had planned involving Africa.

* State of Excitement: Impressions of Kuwait

* The non-Bond short stories, aborted novel starts, and poetry he wrote after leaving Sandhurst, while he was training at an Austrian military academy.

As companion pieces, I would envision at least one volume of Fleming's letters (with all of the literary greats that Fleming was friends with, there must be some amazing stuff here; I'm sure the Chandler and Ann letters that have been published are just the tip of the proverbial iceberg), and at least one collection of his more interesting journalistic works (especially the work he did for Reuters on the pre-WWII Russian spy trial.)

Obviously, this is another pipe dream of mine, but it could be fun to see what other "Holy Grails" the Fleming-fanatics here could add to my list.

[zencat]

Throw in Per Fine Ounce and the aborted chapter from Role of Honor and I'm there!

FYI: I don't think there was ever a Moonraker "script." Fleming may have written a "treatment", but not a "script." The two are very different. All I've ever heard Fleming say on this matter is that Moonraker was an "idea" he had for a movie script (so there may be nothing on paper at all). Not sure where this "Fleming script" thing came from, but I feel like another Bond urban legend is starting here.

[Loomis]

I'd like to see "You Only Live Twice" (far and away Fleming's best work, IMO) and "The Man With the Golden Gun" (a good, interesting little read with a fascinating air of mystery surrounding its creation) published in a three-in-one omnibus along with "Colonel Sun" (easily the best of the continuation novels, IMO), since not only are all three books tremendous fun, but they also (if I'm not mistaken) constitute a (very loose) trilogy (Amis refers to the events of YOLT and TMWTGG in CS, and I'm not sure that reference is made to any other Bond outings).

Wow, that's a lot of brackets!

[clinkeroo]

FYI: I don't think there was ever a Moonraker "script." Fleming may have written a "treatment", but not a "script." The two are very different. All I've ever heard Fleming say on this matter is that Moonraker was an "idea" he had for a movie script (so there may be nothing on paper at all). Not sure where this "Fleming script" thing came from, but I feel like another Bond urban legend is starting here.

How about we ammend it to "Whatever written material that may have been the catalyst for the rumored Moonraker script?"

Ummm...

Errrrrr...

Something like that.

[zencat]

Sound good to me.

BTW, the TV series that became FYEO I believe was going to be called "Commander Jamaica."

[clinkeroo]

Sound good to me.

BTW, the TV series that became FYEO I believe was going to be called "Commander Jamaica."

I think they also tossed around "James Bond of the Secret Service" or something lame like that. At least they didn't ressurrect "Jimmy Bond" from the TV version of Casino Royale .

Edited by clinkeroo, 11 March 2004 - 06:07 PM.

[Qwerty]

Aborted chapter from Role of Honor?

I'd love to see Per Fine Ounce and all unreleased information on My Enemy's Enemy.

I'd be in Heaven.

[zencat]

Aborted chapter from Role of Honor?

Gardner wrote a chapter in which Bond plays some sort of computer game against the villain. It was a highlight of the book, Gardner likened it to the golf game in Goldfinger. But Glidrose heard there was a computer game battle in the upcoming NSNA, and asked Gardner to change it. Gardner replaced it with the Battle of Bunker Hill role playing game thingy. He said he felt it really hurt the book, and he was angry when he finally saw NSNA it was nothing like what he had.

I would love to read the chapter, or better yet, I wouldl like to see IFP restore Role of Honor. That would be great.

[Qwerty]

Aborted chapter from Role of Honor?

Gardner wrote a chapter in which Bond plays some sort of computer game against the villain. It was a highlight of the book, Gardner likened it to the golf game in Goldfinger. But Glidrose heard there was a computer game battle in the upcoming NSNA, and asked Gardner to change it. Gardner replaced it with the Battle of Bunker Hill role playing game thingy. He said he felt it really hurt the book, and he was angry when he finally saw NSNA it was nothing like what he had.

I would love to read the chapter, or better yet, I wouldl like to see IFP restore Role of Honor. That would be great.

Geez Zencat, you just whetten my appetitie with these stories! One wonders what it would have been like though, I still laugh when I read 'micros' in that book.

Still, I'd love to see it as well!

[Xenobia]

I have said in a couple of different threads how much I would enjoy a volume of his letters and a collection of his newspaper articles and nonfiction writing.

I wouldn't mind having a look at his journals either.

What do you think is the most probably announcement the IFP will make?

-- X

[Qwerty]

I actually really think and hope it's news of maybe a new Bond author on the horizon, maybe not just this moment, but that they're talking to people, or something to that effect.

I really hope something good turns up though.

[clinkeroo]

What do you think is the most probably announcement the IFP will make?

Not sure, but like everyone else, the anticipation is killing me as surely as a Rosa Klebb kick to the ding ding. I keep praying for the short story collection made up of well-known authors contributing pieces, but it is hard to imagine that something wouldn't have leaked by now with that many name writers involved.

I'd say odds are about 50/50 on the announcement being a new continuation author (they'll have to get them on board soon if they want them to sneak in an original Bond story before the novelization of the next film is due, unless it's Stephen King, in which case he could write three novels, five or six short stories, a few screenplays, and still knock out a Bond novel before the novelization was due.)

If not, I'd lay lesser odds on the short story collection mentioned above, a collection of letters, and/or non-fiction pieces. Whatever it is, it had better be worth the ulcer I'm going to develope waiting. If it's more reprints, or a reissue of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, it will be a sad day in the Clink home .

If they were smart, they'd have someone sneaking into these forums (here, M16, AJB, MKKBB) and floating test balloons on different ideas to see how the core fans might react to different publishing ventures.

[Xenobia]

Who says you aren't the person waiting to let the balloon loose?

I happen to think the news will be something to the effect that they are creating a whole new series of contests for creative writers and scholars to encourage serious critical studies of Fleming.

-- Xenobia

[Lancaster]

I think they will announce the re-release of The Diamond Smugglers and Thrilling Cities.

[Jim]

I think they will announce the re-release of The Diamond Smugglers and Thrilling Cities.

Sounds eminently plausible - some of the non-fiction, as Xenobia proposed.

The m.o. of this company appears to advance Ian Fleming and accordingly I'd be very surprised (although I'd quite like to be surprised) if a new author is on the cards.