13 replies to this topic

[marmaduke]

I am currently re reading all of the Ian Fleming Bond novels in chronological order.I have obtained a copy of Kingsley Amis's Colonel Sun to read after completion of this. My request from fellow fans of Bond literature is advice as to the best John Gardner and Raymond Benson Bond novels respectively.
thanks

[marktmurphy]

My favourites (by no means the best-- only my opinion!): 'Facts of Death' for Benson and 'Nobody Lives Forever' or 'Licence Renewed' for Gardner, although I believe 'For Special Services' and 'Icebreaker' are pretty well regarded.

[Qwerty]

Gardner - For Special Services, Icebreaker, Nobody Lives Forever, Never Send Flowers, SeaFire

Benson - Tomorrow Never Dies, The Facts Of Death, High Time To Kill, Doubleshot

IMO, naturally.

[marmaduke]

thanks Qwerty and Marktmurphy, i will read your suggested titles when i have finishe d with the Fleming and Amis novels.

[Qwerty]

Might want to try out the two Christopher Wood novelizations as well.

[marmaduke]

thanks, will do.

[Harmsway]

Without a doubt in my mind, Nobody Lives Forever is the best of the Gardner's, and for Benson, I'd say High Time to Kill and/or Doubleshot.

[Qwerty]

thanks, will do.

May be of interest, but CBn has been running Look Back stories on the Gardner era on the front page recently. Check them out if you're interested.

[TortillaFactory]

I've just read Never Send Flowers, and it's highly enjoyable, though everything gets a bit confusing at the end. If you can stomach a Bond who drinks tea and likes Disneyworld, then go for it.

[bryonalston]

I think that Benson's best novels (in order) are
1. The Man With The Red Tattoo
2. Never Dream of Dying
3. The Facts of Death
4. DoubleShot
5. High Time To Kill
6. Zero Minus Ten

I haven't finished reading all of the Gardner novels yet, so I can't give you a fair opinion.

[Qwerty]

I've just read Never Send Flowers, and it's highly enjoyable, though everything gets a bit confusing at the end.  If you can stomach a Bond who drinks tea and likes Disneyworld, then go for it. 

One of Gardner's better novels in my opinion, and one that was always difficult for me to track down for some reason. I like the opening half alot.

[zencat]

Favorite Gardner books: Licence Renewed, For Special Services, Icebreaker, Nobody Lives Forever, Brokenclaw, Never Send Flowers.

Favorite Benson: High Time To Kill, Never Dream of Dying, The Man With The Red Tattoo

[DLibrasnow]

Best Gardner = Icebreaker, No Deals Mr. Bond and Never Send Flowers.

I haven't finished reading all the Benson books so I cannot give a fair assumption.

[TortillaFactory]

I like the opening half alot.

I did too...I felt it began to falter as it went on. Though I have to admit I prefer Gardner's style to Benson's...when I read Benson I don't really feel like I'm reading Bond; if I replaced the name of the hero I could just as well be reading something by Clancy or Grisham. That said, there's no need for Gardner to make Bond drink tea. At points in NSF I felt like I was being taken for a ride, like Gardner was nudging me every few seconds and going "Do ya buy that? Huh? Do ya? WELL YOU HAVE TO! I'M OFFICIAL! HAHAHAHAHHAHA!" It was a FUN ride, to be sure, but still a ride.