19 replies to this topic

[RossMan]

I've decided to hold off doing the story I was just talking about in another topic and to try something else.

The story will be a sequel of sorts to Fleming's YOLT and TMWTGG, describing what happened between the two books where Bond went to Vladvivostok and caught up with the KGB and got brainwashed. It'll also have Bond returning to the island Kuro and meeting up with Kizzy Suzuki, who, having gotten pregnent in YOLT, will have Bond's son, without infringing on Benson's story Blast From The Past. One of the main villains will be Colonel Boris, the KGB officer who brainwashed and captured Bond. Tiger Tanaka may show up but I won't just stick him in there for the heck of it.

The title, Sparrows' Tears, comes from the chapter title in YOLT, and at the last sentence in the book.

I have a basic plot idea already that'll piece everything together but I'm still working on all the details.

[RossMan]

As of now, I am just a little less than halfway through. For reasons mentioned above, I probably won't get much more done this and next week.

It's right up to the point where Bond is about to meet up with, er, the man from Vladivostok.

[Jacques Nexus]

RossMan (31 Mar, 2002 07:38 p.m.):
Hmmm....Alternatively, I suppose The Man From Vladivostok would be an appropiate title.

Seriously RossMan...that would make a great title. As you may be aware, Vladivostock means: "Lord of the East". Sounds powerful and intriguing, don't you think ?.

[RossMan]

Jacques Nexus (10 Apr, 2002 02:13 p.m.):

RossMan (31 Mar, 2002 07:38 p.m.):
Hmmm....Alternatively, I suppose The Man From Vladivostok would be an appropiate title.

Seriously RossMan...that would make a great title. As you may be aware, Vladivostock means: "Lord of the East". Sounds powerful and intriguing, don't you think ?.

Right after I posted that I started to repeat it in my head, and thought that really doesn't sound too bad. I suppose it wouldn't be anymore a rip off of Gardner's title then The Man W/ The Red Tattoo and TMWTGG are similiar. Besides, Barbarossa was the WWII operation, not an actual place.

Still, I really like Sparrows' Tears.
What do you think:
Sparrows' Tears or The Man From Vladivostock. (Is there a C at the end, I've seen it spelt with and without it?)

BTW, I've a fair amount done so far, I will hopefully get a lot done over my four day weekend. But then I'll have to take a break, I have a report and speech on Lenin that I have to work on.

[ShockTroop22]

Sound's very promising. I'd be really interested to see how this project turns out. Will you keep us informed on the subject?

Good luck - with the story RossMan

[RossMan]

ShockTroop22 (26 Mar, 2002 10:05 p.m.):
Will you keep us informed on the subject
____________________________________

Yep.
____________________________________
Good luck - with the story RossMan

Thanks.

[RossMan]

Just a little preview of it. Here's the opening:

“But then, of course, he didn’t know that his name was James Bond. And, compared with the blazing significance to him of that single Russian word on the scrap of paper, his life on Kuro, his love for Kissy Suzuki, were, in Tiger’s phrase, of as little account as sparrows’ tears."
-Ian Fleming, You Only Live Twice

____________________________________

Punctually at dawn, the brightness of the morning sun appeared to light up the Ama fishing villages on the little island of Kuro, signaling to the people that it was time for another day of hard work to begin. Kissy Suzuki woke up in her family’s home and got up from the futon. She yawned and stretched her muscles. In the next room she could smell her mother preparing dishes of rice. Kissy walked across the room, to the little bed in the corner. Her one and a half year old baby lay there, still asleep. He had been named after his father, James, whom he never met and, in all likely hood, never would. Thinking of the gaijin, who had spent so much time in their little village, always depressed her, she still sat around hoping for him to come back one day. But deep inside her, she knew he never would return. He had been sent by the gods to kill the monster in his Castle of Death and he had left after his healing had been completed. It was this little infant that lay asleep before Kissy now that allowed her to get through her life each day. For her it was simple, as long as she had the child, then her lover would never truly be gone from her life. She bent over, putting her lips gently to the child’s forehead.

Kissy walked into the next room, greeting her parents with a hug, and sat down. He mother handed her a bowl of rice with chopped vegetables. Kissy stated she that she wasn’t hungry this morning but her mother argued that she would need her strength and that she always said she didn’t feel like eating. Kissy sighed and, knowing better than to argue with her mother, accepted the rice and ate until the bowl was empty.

Kissy said goodbye to her parents and walked outside, going across the village to the beach where the others were already preparing themselves and their boats. As she removed the reeds, protecting the rowing-boat from the sun, and pushed the tiny boat out into the water, she thought back once more to the Englishman and the times they spent diving for shells together. After he had left for that Russian city, she would just have her little bird, David, to dive and to keep her company, but he had died four months ago. When her son became old enough, she would take him diving with her and teach him the ways of searching for the shells. Until then, he stayed at home with his grandmother, leaving Kissy alone by herself each day.

Kissy waved to a friend of her family’s who was already setting out in his own boat. She rowed the small, wooden craft out to a place on the middle of the large lake and inhaled deeply before throwing herself over the side, into the cool water.


It will follow from my previous story, Death To Spies (now under the fanfic section of CMGN) with Bond having two weeks of leave so this won't be an official mission for Queen and Country.

[Jacques Nexus]

You are a good writer RossMan. It'll be interesting to read how you handle 007's "nightmare odyssey" in the USSR, as Amis called it in Colonel Sun.

[Mister Asterix]

Maybe being a sequel to You Only Live Twice it should be called:

Third Time's A Charm

[RossMan]

It's finished and I already talked to Dave about putting it on the main site so it'll probably up there soon.

I'm quite pleased with it.

[RossMan]

It's just about finished and I just may be able to have it done over the weekend. All that's left is the ending and some minor editing (I've been proof reading it as I go along with some success).

[RossMan]

Mr* was kind enough to make this cover.

[Mister Asterix]

Wonderful opening, RossMan. I'm glad someone has decided to tackle the story of Bond's revenge on the USSR for the brainwashing. I thought about writing the story myself, but have so much else to write and create that are ahead on the list. I'm sure your version of tale will surpass anything I could have done.

(By the way I'm about to leave you a private message.)

[RossMan]

Too kind.

When I first read the Fleming books, I always hoped he had done something with that.

Thanks for the warning. I never notice when I have private messages, there are times where they're sitting around for months.

[RossMan]

This is getting tricky now. I received an
e-mail from a friend who hates TMFV as a title becuase Vladivostok is "hard to pronounce" and I suppose anyone who hasn't read YOLT and TMWTGG would feel the same or not understand the significance of Vladivostok.

Personally, I'm really starting to like it, it really sticks in my head.

I can appreciate the problem that the Bond publishers have with coming up with a title now.

[Mister Asterix]

I'm a fan of Sparrow's Tears myself.

[RossMan]

I've asked a few people I know, and they prefer TMFV to Sparrow's Tears, said Sparrow's Tears sounds too much like a romance.

So, with almost certainty, I can say the title'll be The Man From Vladivostok (but I also have been throughing around the unused FYEO title, Death Leaves An Echo in my head). TMFV is also probably more appropiate, and it isn't in reference to the villain, well not technically anyways.

Cuba will also be used as a location.

[RossMan]

Hmmm....Alternatively, I suppose The Man From Vladivostok would be an appropiate title.

[General Koskov]

I see that the Cyrilic reads: Vladivostok, but what is the seal of? The MVD? Nice cover art, though. Personally I don't like 'JAMES BOND' on the covers, but it's superb.

[General Koskov]

It sounds like a very promising story. Short story form, or novel?

As for titles, I like TMFV rather than ST. It sounds a lot better and it's probably better not to re use titles.