64 replies to this topic

[Qwerty]

I'm not sure, but I am liking Amazon.com.uk's perfect partner deal with the hardcover paired with the new Companion.  You get both for about $35 pre-postage.  Not too shabby.

Quite, Bond fans should definitely get them both. If I recall right, those two together even signify free shipping in the UK.

[ACE]

In the words of Hong Kong Fooey,

"FANRIFFIC!"

Great interview Zencat, great book.

For fans of the Pearson biography of 007, you're gonna eat this up.

Brilliant work, as ever, John.

ACE

[DLibrasnow]

What struck me is that she ties in the reference to SilverFin at one point and then there is mention that Bond is not 007's real last name - which clearly contradicts SilverFin.

[Mister Asterix]

[mra]Fantasic interview. It change this book from a maybe I

[zencat]

Sound in interview, John. However, I think you perhaps clucked out on a couple of obvious whys?

Why bother say Bond was only a name invented by Fleming? It serves no purpose.

Why change dates of events that Fleming describes, ensuring that Fleming wrote about them BEFORE the diaries takes place - principly, the events of CR, Moneypenny joining SIS and M becoming M.

It would have been intriguing to know why Samantha made these fundamental changes.

She did explain that last one here:

[box]Moneypenny, cut off from her home, without children or family apart from Helena, enjoys being needed and is flattered by the attention of a renowned heart-breaker. But, I always feel, she thinks of him as a boy. Although she is younger than him (and that, incidentally, is the reason for making her join the SIS at a later date than Fleming

[DLibrasnow]

Well I added it to my shopping basket on Amazon UK.

Maybe the name is not such a big deal but it was after all Fleming who wanted a "quiet name" and thought he had found it in James Bond.

Perhaps that makes the use of "Bond" as a last name ideal, but would he really use a pseudonym when getting married to Tracy, and if so would that invalidate the marriage?

[zencat]

[quote name='Simon' date='28 October 2005 - 03:25']A cracking interview - how are these things done?

[spynovelfan]

Perhaps that makes the use of "Bond" as a last name ideal, but would he really use a pseudonym when getting married to Tracy, and if so would that invalidate the marriage?

Huh? Fleming knew of a guy called James Something-or-other. He wrote his missions up as the novels, and renamed him Bond to protect him. Everything in the novels is therefore fictionalised, and using the name Bond rather than the guy's real name. That's the conceit.

Where does marrying Tracy come into it? Westbrook is saying that Fleming came up with the name Bond - not Bond himself.

[Genrewriter]

Great interview as always, John.

[David Schofield]

What struck me is that she ties in the reference to SilverFin at one point and then there is mention that Bond is not 007's real last name - which clearly contradicts SilverFin.

Perhaps that makes the use of "Bond" as a last name ideal, but would he really use a pseudonym when getting married to Tracy, and if so would that invalidate the marriage?

Huh? Fleming knew of a guy called James Something-or-other. He wrote his missions up as the novels, and renamed him Bond to protect him. Everything in the novels is therefore fictionalised, and using the name Bond rather than the guy's real name. That's the conceit.

Where does marrying Tracy come into it? Westbrook is saying that Fleming came up with the name Bond - not Bond himself.

And presumably Higson, Gardner and Benson were told to use the fictional name Bond rather than the "real" one.

But hang on: Gardner can't exist because Moneypenny resigned in 1981 (I could be wrong - I wasn't paying that much attention to Samantha's onw "facts"), she certainly died in 1990 and so that totally invalidates Benson.

But Higson... well, Silverfin is name-checked. So Higson's Bond isn't called Bond: the Official Secret's act was brought into play in 2004 when Charlie Higson sat down to write the adventures of a young "Bond"... or whoever Samantha allows him to be.

Sure, Spy, its marketing tool. I mean, why not just call Moneypenny Miss Smith, M C, not try cash in on Bond and sell - ooh - no copies at all.

Will somebody please tell me why Samantha decided Bond wasn't really called Bond. We know him as Bond, James Bond. To me, someone's trying to be too clever for their own good - and unnecessarily so.

Edited by David Schofield, 28 October 2005 - 03:55 PM.

[Hawkeye]

Cracking interview John. Totally piqued my interest to go out and buy this and add it to my 'TO READ' pile. Been waiting for more insight on this book from the author herself.

[David Schofield]

[quote name='David Schofield' date='28 October 2005 - 08:20'][quote name='spynovelfan' date='28 October 2005 - 08:09']Well, David, I noticed she addressed your concern about when she joins the service.

[/quote]

Sure, she joins the secret service later than Fleming implied to make her younger than Bond so she could be more energetic to carry out some of the adventures she does?! I mean, come on, Spy! Why does she have to be younger to be energetic, a couple of years in your 20s doesn't sap that much energy, does it? (I don't recall it ever doing). That's no justification for me to trash Fleming. I think its a research mistake. Could be wrong.

Sorry, Spy, I think its a hastily thought up cop out - and if you're reading this Samantha - and I sort of 65% enjoyed the book BTW - I don't buy it

[/quote]


[quote name='zencat' date='28 October 2005 - 15:23'][quote name='David Schofield' date='28 October 2005 - 00:36']Sound in interview, John. However, I think you perhaps clucked out on a couple of obvious whys?

Why bother say Bond was only a name invented by Fleming? It serves no purpose.

Why change dates of events that Fleming describes, ensuring that Fleming wrote about them BEFORE the diaries takes place - principly, the events of CR, Moneypenny joining SIS and M becoming M.

It would have been intriguing to know why Samantha made these fundamental changes.

[/quote]
She did explain that last one here:

[box]Moneypenny, cut off from her home, without children or family apart from Helena, enjoys being needed and is flattered by the attention of a renowned heart-breaker. But, I always feel, she thinks of him as a boy. Although she is younger than him (and that, incidentally, is the reason for making her join the SIS at a later date than Fleming

[zencat]

Will somebody please tell me why Samantha decided Bond wasn't really called Bond. We know him as Bond, James Bond. To me, someone's trying to be too clever for their own good - and unnecessarily so.

We can't answer your question, David Schofield. Why don't you send an email to IFP. The official site is set up for enquires.

This also might not be as big a deal to me as it seems to be to others because I've actually read the book. It doesn't at all seem odd or out of place. In fact, in context, it seems absolutely logical that Fleming would have needed to conceal 007's real name in his novels. It works.

And I hope people reading this don't think Bond is called something else throughout the book. He's not. In the Moneypenny sections he's always called "James" or "007" and in the "Kate Westbrook" sections she still refers to him as "Bond" because the real name is not known. Really, it's NOT that big a deal.

As for Gardner and Benson, seems clear to me that IFP is now discounting all the continuation novels and trying to keep Bond firmly rooted in a 20th century and Fleming's timeline.

[DLibrasnow]

Huh? Fleming knew of a guy called James Something-or-other. He wrote his missions up as the novels, and renamed him Bond to protect him. Everything in the novels is therefore fictionalised, and using the name Bond rather than the guy's real name. That's the conceit.

Where does marrying Tracy come into it? Westbrook is saying that Fleming came up with the name Bond - not Bond himself.

Thanks spynovelfan, I obviously misread that part of the interview. I get it now

As for the original Fleming timeline, I like the fact. That's why I was so glad to see that Higson was setting his novels in the Fleming timeframe.

I'm very excited by this book. There are a lot of Bond books coming out right now, its becoming an expensive addiction Thanks for the interview zencat.

[David Schofield]

Will somebody please tell me why Samantha decided Bond wasn't really called Bond. We know him as Bond, James Bond. To me, someone's trying to be too clever for their own good - and unnecessarily so.

We can't answer your question, David Schofield. Why don't you send an email to IFP. The official site is set up for enquires.

This also might not be as big a deal to me as it seems to be to others because I've actually read the book. It doesn't at all seem odd or out of place. In fact, in context, it seems absolutely logical that Fleming would have needed to conceal 007's real name in his novels. It works.

John, I'm delighted your "actually" reading of the book differs from my "actually" reading the book. To me it leaps out that as this is sold as a book connected with Bond it should feature Ian Fleming's James Bond, you've read from it that this means due to the Official Secrets Act, Ian Fleming needed to change a name to Bond. Fair enough. My reading of the book prompts me to wonder about the conflicts with Fleming, yours doesn't. Again, fair enough.

I will try get the answers from IFP to the questions I am putting. And of course CBN will be the second (after me) to know...

[zencat]

Your points are valid and I think they would make good questions. Sorry I didn't ask them, but conflicts with Fleming just don't bother (or interest) me. Like I said, this could be because I'm a child of the continuation novels, and a very forgiving child at that.

Maybe in the future we should throw these interviews open to a few questions from our members? I remember doing this with Raymond Benson and we got some great questions I never thought to ask.

[Mister Asterix]

[mra]Or perhaps his name is really Bond and Miss Moneypenny had changed it in her Dairy to keep with the Official Secrets Act and then the editor, Kate Westbrook, changed it back to Bond as the Official Secrets Act no longer applies.

I think I

[David Schofield]

Your points are valid and I think they would make good questions. Sorry I didn't ask them, but conflicts with Fleming just don't bother (or interest) me. Like I said, this could be because I'm a child of the continuation novels, and a very forgiving child at that.

Maybe in the future we should throw these interviews open to a few questions from our members? I remember doing this with Raymond Benson and we got some great questions I never thought to ask.

Zen, I'll email IPF next week and look forward to their answers. They might be surprising.

[zencat]

Your points are valid and I think they would make good questions. Sorry I didn't ask them, but conflicts with Fleming just don't bother (or interest) me. Like I said, this could be because I'm a child of the continuation novels, and a very forgiving child at that.

Maybe in the future we should throw these interviews open to a few questions from our members? I remember doing this with Raymond Benson and we got some great questions I never thought to ask.

Zen, I'll email IPF next week and look forward to their answers. They might be surprising.

And I'll try and find out if the book is going to be published in the U.S. Seems people want to know this.

[Four Aces]

Nice interview. I'll put the book on my list.

4A

[Athena007]

Come on, Athena, you're too nice a lady to get all grumpy like that.

It happens to all of us some times ...good news, I'm feeling more cheery today.

[Mona Lovesit]

Great interview.

It ALMOST wants me to buy the book.

[Qwerty]

So when is the paperback version coming out?

[terminus]

Two weeks till I get my copy - Miss Weinberg if you're reading this, I've not been this excited about a book since ... well, since ... uhm, The Man With The Red Tattoo.

[[dark]]

I picked up a trade paperback edition today. Decent stocks in the two bookshops I was in, as well.

Off to get stuck into it now!

[Simon]

[quote name='zencat' date='28 October 2005 - 16:33'][quote name='Simon' date='28 October 2005 - 03:25']A cracking interview - how are these things done?

[zencat]

[quote name='Simon' date='29 October 2005 - 09:18'][quote name='zencat' date='28 October 2005 - 16:33'][quote name='Simon' date='28 October 2005 - 03:25']A cracking interview - how are these things done?

[British Chap]

Well Im going to have to order this one.

Hope it doesnt take to long to cross the pond.

(Funny thing, Im not British)

[Qwerty]

Well Im going to have to order this one.

Hope it doesnt take to long to cross the pond.

(Funny thing, Im not British)

From my experience in ordering from Amazon UK, it doesn't take that long at all considering the traveling distance.

[K1Bond007]

Well Im going to have to order this one.

Hope it doesnt take to long to cross the pond.

(Funny thing, Im not British)

From my experience in ordering from Amazon UK, it doesn't take that long at all considering the traveling distance.

Curious, how much does shipping typically cost on 'a' book?