6 replies to this topic

[dinovelvet]

Doubleshot is a pretty good romp, and is certainly Benson's most ambitious story; I liked the mystery/film noir aspect which worked pretty well with the Bond formula. Obvious nods to Fleming - FRWL, YOLT and a bit of movie influence perhaps, specifically TB and LTK. (And curiously, he nicks a chapter title from Gardner - 'Death in the afternoon', the opening chapter of Brokenclaw, which is the book I just happened to read prior to this one!)
The idea of a 'Good Bond' and a 'Bad Bond' running around is kind of cheesy and comic-bookish but Benson managed to pull it off pretty well. I definitely got a Brosnan movie vibe from the whole thing.
Anyway, I noticed Benson's familiar theme surfacing again - two cultures clashing over disputed territory. We've had this in ZMT - China vs Britain over Hong Kong, The Facts of Death - Greece vs Turkey over Cyprus, and now Britain vs Spain over Gibraltar. (It sort of shows up in TMWTRT also, with the villain seeking to rid Japan of western influences). I only had NDOD left to read, so far I'd rank the Bensons thusly:

1. TMWTRT
2. HTTK
3. ZMT
4. DS
5. TFOD

Even though I put Doubleshot fourth, I still think its good. A good Benson is still better than a decent Gardner anyday. And speaking of which - just started Death is Forever. Oh boy - was Gardner actually writing these himself by this point, or were his novels just being assembled by computer? Anyway, I'll save that for the Gardner forum.

[zencat]

I recently re-read Doubleshot and really loved it. More so than when it first came out. It's a pure literary Bond adventure. People sometimes knock Benson and the other continuation novelists for making their books too "film-like." First, this is unfair because, back then, IFP told them to include film-like references and action (Q and cars). But Doubleshot has nothing like this. It's is a pure Bond NOVEL and Benson nails it.

[Flash1087]

Out of the two Bensons I read (DS and NDOD) I liked DS better, but that isn't saying much. Bond's Evil Twin was an amusing enough idea for a plot, but I didn't feel enough was done with him. Still, I've read worse books (as I finished Win, Lose, Or Die a week or so prior to tackling DS).

[Double-Oh Agent]

At first I wasn't too wild about Doubleshot and Bond being in less than tip-top shape. But as I went along, I enjoyed it more. And, like I did John Gardner's Scorpius, I found I liked the book better and better the more I thought about it after I had finished it. Doubleshot has a lot of good stuff to it and is a solid 007 adventure.

[manfromjapan]

Dinovelvet - we really do have similar tastes! I too wil lread NDOD last. My order of preference is exactly the same. I finished Doubleshot tonight and I thought it was a fun, engaging, unique thriller. I actually read it in one day, which I have never done before!! (I have been reading practically all his books since August.) How was NDOD. I am going to start it right now!!!

[darthbond]

I always liked Raymond Benson as an author of the Bond Books. My favorite would be Doubleshot. You should get right on to reading NDOD. However, I am a bit bumed about your John Gardner bit. I loved the three that I read. After I finish Thunderball, I will read Never Send Flowers, the title that I took for my fan film.

darthbond

[dinovelvet]

Dinovelvet - we really do have similar tastes! I too wil lread NDOD last. My order of preference is exactly the same. I finished Doubleshot tonight and I thought it was a fun, engaging, unique thriller. I actually read it in one day, which I have never done before!! (I have been reading practically all his books since August.) How was NDOD. I am going to start it right now!!!

NDOD is brilliant! My thoughts on it are still on the first page of this forum (contains spoilers though, so don't read it till you've finished the book). You'll enjoy, it, I'm sure.