136 replies to this topic

[Hitch]

Wattenscheid09,

Have you tried Jim's Just Another Kill and The Heart Bleeds Ice? If memory serves, they're set in the '60s - I'm sure Jim will correct me if I'm wrong. I know the setting is later than you would like - but you'll just have to grit your teeth.

And you know what's coming next, don't you? Sorry, folks. To Whom It May Condemn hasn't yet surfaced in Mr Griswold's famous Bondian timeline, but rumour has it that it might be set quite some time before 2006.

I hope this helps you, W09. My apologies to those fanfic authors whose period stories I've neglected to mention.

Edited by Hitch, 26 March 2006 - 11:50 AM.

[TortillaFactory]

You do.

And any of the abovementioned, as well as most everything on this site - and, indeed, on the entire internet - is far superior to TKZ. Yes, even that LiveJournal owned by the fat kid who thinks he's Neo Anderson reincarnated. At least he can write.

And so my passionate hatred for Hatfield rages on...

[Mister Asterix]

Back on topic.

[mra]To be fair that is on topic since it was Hatfield who first claimed Bush used cocaine and was party animal in college. Of course, Hatfield couldn

[stamper]

Well, the novel was published. You got one copy there.

[ACE]

Well, the novel was published. You got one copy there.

Well, it was self-published. A huge difference, the misunderstanding/miscommunication of which leads to lots of people chasing this particularly smelly red herring.

If all the excellent fan fiction on this site and others was printed out and bound with the equally excellent covers designed for them and given to 4 readers, these would all be of the same level of interest as The Killing Zone.

In fact, anyone who does this now, will guarantee that in 20 years' time, Bond scholars will be discussing their work as we now discuss Hatfield's.

It is no doubt interesting and I enjoyed the attempt when I first read it. But it was obvious for what it was. I doubt Puttnam would have allowed such a book to get very far in the US without commencing a breach of copyright action on behalf of Glidrose. But TKZ was no more interesting or valid or "genuine" than the aforementioned other fan fiction.

So, if we say that all fan fiction is worthy of such attention (and if it is as good as Jim's, it is!), then TKZ has merit. But we must be careful to distinguish it from "official" which the term "lost Bond novel" implies.

Ultimately, I guess, it is up to the individual to decide what is worthy of their much sought after attention in the incredible world of 007...

[Mister Asterix]

Well, the novel was published. You got one copy there.

[mra]Did you miss the word

[stamper]

Yes

[wattenscheid09]

Hitch, thanks. I'll check those ones out. I won't surprise you that I am also working on a short story set in the winter after Casino Royale - so far entitled COLD COLD WAR. Bond travels to Vienna to find out what has happened to a missing 00-agent. Keep fingers crossed.

[Jericho_One]

What a ride!
Bizarre story, to say the least...
Guess I'll try to find the text somewhere on the internet.
If it is as bad as it was said, then I guess it's suitable to say
"Curiosity killed the cat".

[Qwerty]

Guess I'll try to find the text somewhere on the internet.

Used to be (and still may be) available on http://www.universalexports.net .

[Jericho_One]

Guess I'll try to find the text somewhere on the internet.

Used to be (and still may be) available on http://www.universalexports.net .

Well, thanks a lot, Qwerty!
The dark torpedo carrying the body of Commander James Bond streaked away against the blackness of the Atlantic, until the coffin shrank and vanished.

I guess I'll have some fun with this.

[Qwerty]

Enjoy (if you can).

[Harry Fawkes]

I would rather read JIM's Just Another Kill than The Killing Zone. I will get around to it though and thanks for the link, guys.

[bpetta1]

I know a guy who owns a small publishing house here in Louisiana. I can't stand to read books on the internet, and was intrigued by The Killing Zone, so I used publishing software and a couple of late nights to transfer the internet version to book form. My friend agreed to put together the manuscript with a Cover and Spine Design I made, so long as I didn't use any copyrighted logos on the covers.

I just received the reward for my toils today, and it looks fantastic. I have the entire text word-for-word, including the "copyright" page, dedication page, author's note page, and Hatfield's phony Acknowledgements page. I think my cover is slightly better than Hatfield's, actually.

Here's the cover and spine designs:

 The_Killing_Zone___Spine.jpg   6.85KB   53 downloads
 The_Killing_Zone___Cover.jpg   27.07KB   54 downloads

...Now there's 3 copies of The Killing Zone in existence!

(I know Zencat's and the other is probably worth at least a grand...my cost about 24 bucks to make, but I'm satisfied)

[zencat]

Clever.

[bpetta1]

Thanks, I thought so. If I offered to make a copy for anyone interested, so long as they cover the materials' and the shipping costs, would that be a copyright infringement issue? Hatfield clearly did not copyright the material, as it was illegal, and IFP seems to not give a rat's about the novel, anyway. I'm not so sure it's illegal, as long as I'm not looking to profit off of it.

Consequently zencat, if you ever feel like selling your real copy, I'd be interested. (It's hard to say that with a straight face, but one can dream).

[Jim]

Thanks, I thought so. If I offered to make a copy for anyone interested, so long as they cover the materials' and the shipping costs, would that be a copyright infringement issue?

Yes.

Hatfield clearly did not copyright the material, as it was illegal, and IFP seems to not give a rat's about the novel, anyway

As you say, it was illegal. Therefore your version would be too.

Sorry.

[bpetta1]

No need to apologize, I was just musing. I mainly did it for my own enjoyment...plus it looks good in my Bond collection.

[Loomis]

(Hatfield) informs us that Bond has a "Scottish face" (what sort of image is that supposed to conjure, other than, presumably, Sean Connery's mug?), while the young Bond is described as a "seagoing sailor". Truly, this is the PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE of Bond novels, the sort of 007 adventure Rocky Balboa might have penned (after learning to read in ROCKY II, natch).

Funnily enough, both of those expressions crop up in John Pearson's JAMES BOND: THE AUTHORISED BIOGRAPHY, which I'm reading at the moment (and enjoying very much, for it is excellent). I'd assumed "seagoing sailor" to be a ridiculous tautology, but I guess it's actually a proper naval term. "My bad", as they say.

THE KILLING ZONE is still abysmal, though.

[spynovelfan]

(Hatfield) informs us that Bond has a "Scottish face" (what sort of image is that supposed to conjure, other than, presumably, Sean Connery's mug?), while the young Bond is described as a "seagoing sailor". Truly, this is the PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE of Bond novels, the sort of 007 adventure Rocky Balboa might have penned (after learning to read in ROCKY II, natch).

Funnily enough, both of those expressions crop up in John Pearson's JAMES BOND: THE AUTHORISED BIOGRAPHY, which I'm reading at the moment (and enjoying very much, for it is excellent). I'd assumed "seagoing sailor" to be a ridiculous tautology, but I guess it's actually a proper naval term. "My bad", as they say.

THE KILLING ZONE is still abysmal, though.

Those expressions crop up because Hatfield plagiarised them from Pearson. He lifts sentences and phrases from Fleming, Gardner and no doubt others. But the Pearson ones are pretty obviously inserted:

'There was an uncomfortable pause, and M. suddenly looked awkwardly towards his feet. "That's why I'm here, James. I'm sorry, but Bill is missing, believed killed, while on official duty in Mexico."

Bond's face suddenly went white and an air of tension surrounded him. He had the look of someone who had suffered and who was wary of the pain's return.'

The last bit is adapted (with very few changes) from Pearson's first meeting with the 'real Bond' in his novel. It makes no sense here, because it's a state of mind, not a sudden reaction.

As I've said before, I don't understand why fans discuss this book at all. It's just very bad fan fiction, and largely plagiarised to boot.

[Loomis]

As I've said before, I don't understand why fans discuss this book at all. It's just very bad fan fiction, and largely plagiarised to boot.

Oh, I agree entirely. On this fansite alone there are people who have written much, much better (and have even written better Bond fiction than some of the stuff that was officially put out by IFP, but that's another discussion).

But at least one good thing should come out of these discussions of the KILLING ZONE, namely the spreading of the word that it's not some kind of lost masterpiece but just plain awful.

[spynovelfan]

Plain awful, illegal, and plagiarises other writers' work. There!

[zencat]

Thanks, I thought so. If I offered to make a copy for anyone interested, so long as they cover the materials' and the shipping costs, would that be a copyright infringement issue?

Yes.

Bigtime.

[zencat]

As I've said before, I don't understand why fans discuss this book at all. It's just very bad fan fiction, and largely plagiarised to boot.

The quality of the content is questionable, no doubt, but I think the book itself is a fascinating collectible, not unlike Taiwan piracies of Fleming (which are hotly collected in some circles). But this goes one better as the content is also fake. And the story of the author is pretty wild stuff (murdered by George W Bush maybe?). And I find the similarity to LTK alarmingly coincidental. There's also the mystery of exactly how many of these Hatfield created to put over his con and where they are today.

Why do fans talk about it? Because TKZ is a weird and wild footnote in the literary history of James Bond.

[zencat]

It's shame the 007Forver link is now dead. It was a great article. I remember I originally asked 007Forever if I could reprint the whole article on CBn, but they would only allow me to link.

[Loomis]

Taiwan piracies of Fleming (which are hotly collected in some circles).

Really? I picked up some Chinese translations of the Gardners and a two-volume Chinese Fleming and Gardner omnibus (yep, that's right, Fleming and Gardner in the same book!) quite by chance last year in a bookshop in London's Chinatown. But they were from the People's Republic, not Taiwan. Wouldn't surprise me at all if they were pirated. Shoddy printing and binding, although that's very standard with books from China. Interestingly, Pierce Brosnan is on the cover of my Chinese FOR SPECIAL SERVICES!

[Qwerty]

Interestingly, Pierce Brosnan is on the cover of my Chinese FOR SPECIAL SERVICES!

Never know what you're going to come across when collecting the Bond books apparently!

Seems to me that only the pirated editions of the Fleming novels make their way onto eBay. I don't think I've personally ever seen such a version of a Gardner novel.

[Quantumofsolace007]

Well i now got TKZ on my computer and would love per fine ounce.



Honestly I haven't read it yet and i might after reading Pearson Gardner and Amis as well as the novelizations wood(if i can find them) Gardner and Benson.

honestly I still feel EON got the idea for LTK from world event and Goldfinger (the novel) perhaps Hatfield got his ideas from Glodfinger as well would make sense steal whole sale from gardner pearson (so you have clamied i haven't read it so i can't say it) and elaborate a plot from fleming and kill off tanner make sense.

except iof that is the case this story should of been called Frakenstien considering all the bits he cut and pasted (a nod to edgar witner group fans).

[Harry Fawkes]

Wouldn't mind reading TKZ one day. Just out of curiosity.

[Greene Planet]

I agree. But not for a while. Don't exactly what to my favourite spy die.