21 replies to this topic

[IndyJones]

Hi all 007 novel fans. My question is what is everyone's favorite 007 novel? My favorite so far is Doubleshot by Raymond Benson. I am reading The Man With The Red Tattoo by Raymond Benson and I have read none of Gardner's Bond's but I have hada few ordered for me and will soon start reading them. Doubleshot is my favorite so far because I think it is the most original 007 novel and it intreged me. Tell me what you all think.

[MicroGlobe One]

Speak not in this regard until you have familiarized yourself with a number of John Gardner's novels and all of Ian Fleming's originals. While Raymond Benson's books provide momentary amusement both his narrative style and the content of his tales are lacking. At the moment I'm entirely unwilling to pin down a favorite (call it a mood), but Ian Fleming is in no danger of being matched. Find the patience to read each of the Ian Fleming novels. They are the best.

[Hardyboy]

What MicroGlobeOne said. . .only quadruple it.

[General Koskov]

Sextuple Hardyboy's quadruple! Fleming is the best. As somebody once said of some unknown person: Noboy Does it Better. Put down that 'Red Tattoo', and go for a 'Golden Gun'!

[RossMan]

Favorites: Doctor No, You Only Live Twice, Colonel Su, Icebreaker, Brokenclaw, Never Send Flowers, and The Man With The Red Tattoo.

[Kronsteen]

I have not read all Flemings yet, but these have I read:
Casino Royale
Moonraker
Thunderball
On Her Majestys Secret Service
The Man With The Golden Gun
Octopussy & The Living Daylights
Colonel Sun
Licence Renewed
For Special Services
High Time to Kill

Now I

[zencat]

Fav. Fleming: CASINO ROYALE or YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE

Fav. Gardner: LICENCE RENEWED or ICEBREAKER

Fav. Benson: HIGH TIME TO KILL or NEVER DREAM OF DYING

IndyJones: Don't be ashamed that your favorite Bond book is a Benson title. His book are terrific. It will be interesting to see how you feel about Fleming and Gardner after you've read the Benson books. Keep us posted.

[IndyJones]

Well I am keeping you all posted on wht Bond I am reading. I have finished The Man With The Red Tattoo by Raymond Benson on July 4, 2002. I would give The Man With The Red Tattoo 3 1/2 stars out of four which is the same grade I gave to Benson's five other Bond novels. Doubleshot by Raymond Benson is still my favorite Bond novel.I have four original Bond novels ordered myelf or had a friend order it for me. I ordered Licence Renewed, For Special Services,Icebreaker, and Nobody Lives Forever all by John Gardner and I got them off e-bay. I had my account for e-bay only to order Nobody Lives Forever by John Gardner and so far I have only gotten Nobody Lives Forever yesterday July 5, 2002. I began it on the fifth and today is the sixth and I have just begun it and so far it is interesting with two cars chasing Bond after he helped a girl from a mugging at a gs station. I will keep you all posted on what I think of Nobody Lives Forever.

[PaulZ108]

I cannot totally sure about this as I've not read all of Fleming's or any of Gardners, but my favorite of what I've read is Casino Royale.

[IndyJones]

Well yesterday I have finished reading Nobody Lives Forever by John Gardner. I thought the book was good. It is the seventh original James Bond novel I have read. The other six original Bond novels were all six of Raymond Benson's original Bond novel's. Out of four stars I gave it three stars. Out of those seven books I have read it is my least favorite. I think Benson is better but right now I am reading For Special Services by John Gardner and I am on chapter three and it is so far better than Nobody lives Forever.

[German Bond 007]

Hi!
My favourites are:
CASINO ROYALE
moonraker
on her majesty

[Kronsteen]

I have almost read all Flemings novels (not LALD, DAF, GF, FYEO) and just a few by Gardner and Benson.
Some days ago my favourite book was still Thunderball, but after have read another one I found a new favourite. Never Send Flowers. It was better than all Fleming novels. I think I liked it so much because my favourite books, usually are detective books. And Never Send Flowers was like a mix of James Bond and detective stories.
It was a great book!

[Mister Asterix]

Kronsteen, it's good to hear someone else who likes Never Send Flowers, I really enjoyed that book. I should move it up on my re-read list since I haven't read it since it first came out.

[Tim007]

Fleming: Moonraker and You Only Live Twice
Gardner: Icebreaker and Nobody Lives Forever
Benson: Doubleshot

[Tim007]

[quote]Originally posted by German Bond 007
Hi!
My favourites are:
CASINO ROYALE
moonraker
on her majesty

[MrDraco]

my favrites would be....Doubleshot,never dream of dying, facts of death (because it was my first) worrest benson is High time to kill i'm not big on mountain climbing but it was fast paced...

Havent read to many gardners even thought i ordered all of them off ebay but the best so far is License Renewed and the Goldeneye Novelazation seems to be moving by fast...

Fleming....oh to many good ones... Casino Royale!, From Russia With Love, my most disliked was you only live twice... hardly any action but the other SPECTRE novels are good..

Colonel Sun (i'm still reading) seems good so far..but i keep comparing Colonel Moon with Sun and elements of the book with Die Another Day to see if they are alike and surprisingly they kinda have few things in common but the storys are totally diffrent!!

[shaunster_007]

Fleming: Man with the Golden Gun

Gardner: For Special Services or Seafire

Benson: DoubleSot

[Bondpurist]

From Russia, with love. It's got the best baddies, girl, plot, characters...... and a surprise ending to boot. The non fleming books are OK but no one can re create the master's touch. Oh, and Live and let die's pretty good too.

[1q2w3e4r]

ALL and anything by Ian Fleming, I didn't find DAF slow or lacking in characterisation, Tiffany moves it along nicely, CR great introduction to the character. Fleming's basically a master, and Colonel Sun, while slow in parts is much better than anything by the others.

[WillieGarvin]

The very best James Bond books are those by Ian Fleming.Everyone who's followed Fleming as a Bond author has done well with the character but no has topped him.No one will.In fact,to best appreciate what the other writers are doing with Bond it's best to have some familiarity with Fleming's books.Kingsley Amis' Colonel Sun and Christopher Wood's James Bond and The Spy Who Loved Me along with James Bond and Moonraker, are the best Fleming pastiches,and excellent novels in their own rights.Raymond Benson certainly tries to capture Ian Fleming's uniquely ideosyncratic style and occasionally succeeds.But nobody can really surpass 007's creator.

[Dortmunder]

I have only read Fleming books, so I don' know how the Benson and Gerdner books compare, but I know that they can't beat good ol' Ian. My favourite one would have to be FRWL. It has an absolutely great story, characters, and locales. At present I am reading OHMSS and it is very good as well. It soon may take over the top spot.

Fleming is the undoubted best author that ever lived, but as for poems, it goes to Thomas Hardy.

[Double oh Ten]

I have to say that although Ian Fleming is the original and therefore the best Bond writer in my opinion, both Benson and Gardner are worthy successors.

Kingsley Amis never really got a chance to shine with his one book.

I have to say that my favourite bond books are-
Fleming- Casino Royale
Gardner- For Special Services or Never Send Flowers
Benson- The Facts of Death

Anyone here think that Robert Ludlum, John Le Carre (If he is still alive) or John Grisham could take over after Benson?