12 replies to this topic

[Qwerty]

http://cgi.ebay.com/...6960944043&rd=1

If you can track down the somewhat more difficult to find large size magazine copy, go for that one.

But...

$5.99 for this harder to find short story “Live At Five” isn't bad.

[TortillaFactory]

Not bad...I've seen it turn up on eBay quite often, though. Despite what people say, I've found "Blast From the Past" much harder to come by.

[doublenoughtspy]

TV Guide Circulation: 9 million.

Playboy Circulation: 3 million.

Even with the fact that people are a lot more likely to hold on to a Playboy than a TV Guide - the fact still exists that there were 3 times as many "Live at 5" TV Guides printed than "Blast From the Past"

[Qwerty]

Agreed. It's the only official Bond story / novelization / short story I've never read.

[TortillaFactory]

Finally got a hold of both "Live at Five" and "Midsummer Night's Doom" (the latter despite a small electronic scuffle with eBay's legal department, which culminated with me screaming at my computer "I'M EIGHTEEN, DAMN YOU!"), though Midsummer's has yet to arrive in the mail. Each worked out to be about $4 to $5, which is perfectly reasonable, IMHO. In terms of literary merit "Live a Five" was hardly worth the price, but the TV Guide itself is a great collector's item for the Bond aficianado.

[Qwerty]

Did you manage to find the oversize TV Guide edition? Pretty cool looking.

[Flash1087]

Finally got a hold of both "Live at Five" and "Midsummer Night's Doom" (the latter despite a small electronic scuffle with eBay's legal department, which culminated with me screaming at my computer "I'M EIGHTEEN, DAMN YOU!"), though Midsummer's has yet to arrive in the mail.  Each worked out to be about $4 to $5, which is perfectly reasonable, IMHO.  In terms of literary merit "Live a Five" was hardly worth the price, but the TV Guide itself is a great collector's item for the Bond aficianado.

We've all had our share of problems with eBay, although I'll admit I never wound up yelling at my computer. Not over eBay, at least.

"Live at Five" was no good? Why not?

[TortillaFactory]

"Live at Five" was no good? Why not?

Very short, and the "surprise" ending was ho-hum. Short stories are extremely hard - no room for char development, etc. I understand that. But still...the basic concept was somewhat interesting, but the execution made me yawn a little.

[Qwerty]

For how short that short story was (and it gives a new meaning to the word "short")...(and now I've probably used the word "short" too much), I found the ending to be a fun wrap-up.

[clinkeroo]

"Live at Five" was no good? Why not?

James Bond + figure skating = Bad Story.

It was the literary equivalent of Roger Moore wearing the clown suit in Octopussy .

And this is from a guy who is generally a Benson supporter.

[TortillaFactory]

James Bond + figure skating = Bad Story.

As somebody who's done a bit of skating, I did find that a bit odd. Or, to quote Mystery Science Theater, "hey, Joel...isn't this a little bit...fruity?"

[Flash1087]

James Bond + figure skating = Bad Story.

As somebody who's done a bit of skating, I did find that a bit odd. Or, to quote Mystery Science Theater, "hey, Joel...isn't this a little bit...fruity?"

I was just thinking that. Weird.

[TortillaFactory]

Just got ahold of Midsummer Night's Doom, as well. I finally figured out what it is about Benson that bothers me...he's got that super-obvious fifth-grader style. There's a phrase in there to the effect of "she began bumping and grinding against him, and the fact that everyone was wearing sleepwear made it very exciting." In Live a Five there's a similar thing that reads like this: "Bond's mind was filled with memories of soft kisses and warm skin."

Really, if I have to explain what's wrong with those, GET THE HECK OUT OF HERE!

No, really. Generic. Geneeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeerrrrric. He must have missed Writing 101 the day they said "show, don't tell!" People misunderstand that; all it means is this: describe characters' reactions in detail, what they look like, how they're feeling, instead of giving a bulletpoint list of what's going on. It has always bothered me about Benson - it's a very touchy thing, and he could make those sentences work if he tweaked a word here and added a comma there. Point is, he doesn't.

Also: soft kisses? Warm skin? Could be any girl. Surely he remembers something about her specifically...or, you know, not.

However, I did enjoy the Hef-as-Q segment, and the whole implication of Bond subscribing to Playboy (but not for the articles!). Hee. Slightly more enjoyable than Live at Five, I think.