14 replies to this topic

[dinovelvet]

This is an idea I stumbled on in another thread (Who was killed with the nail gun?). In CR, both Le Chiffre and Gettler have eye injuries. In Raymond Benson's Never Dream of Dying, The SPECTRE-like organization called The Union uses retinal tattooing on all its members, and Bond is tortured by having his eyes lasered. Were Le Chiffre and Gettler tortured in the same way for something they did? We know that Bond 22 is going to be about 007 going after Mr.White's terrorist organization...could it be The Union? NDOD is the perfect 'going after the leader of the organization' story (and brings back Mathis, too). Any thoughts?

[manfromjapan]

Eon would never use material from the continuation books, sort of an unwritten rule, but there have been 'coincidences' and I think this is one of them.

[Blofeld's Cat]

Yeah, about 5,742 "coincidences".

And I never, ever, ever, ever exaggerate.

[dinovelvet]

Eon would never use material from the continuation books, sort of an unwritten rule, but there have been 'coincidences' and I think this is one of them.

Well it was previously thought that they'd never hire a blonde, unconventional looking actor to play Bond Never say never...

[Blofeld's Cat]

Eon would never use material from the continuation books, sort of an unwritten rule, but there have been 'coincidences' and I think this is one of them.

Well it was previously thought that they'd never hire a blonde, unconventional looking actor to play Bond Never say never...

But never say Niven again.

[Gri007]

It was only yesterday when I actually thought that Benson's Union Trilogy would be perfect for Daniel Craig

[zencat]

VERY interesting connection there, dinovelvet. I never thought of that but, yes, Le Chiffre and Getter both have something wrong with one eye.

I always though Benson's eye tattoo idea was brilliant and the torture was a great payoff. While I don't think Eon would use "The Union", looks like they are doing something very similar to Benson's Union Trilogy and maybe they will use the eye tattoo idea. Good ideas from continuation novels do somehow find their way into Bond movies. Yes, some are coincidence, but things like Colonel Sun / Colonel Moon. That is obviously NOT coincidence.

[bonds_walther]

I think people are reading too much into this. Don't forget that Gettler wore a patch (of sorts) in the original Fleming novel. This is merely a coincidence.

[dinovelvet]

I think people are reading too much into this. Don't forget that Gettler wore a patch (of sorts) in the original Fleming novel. This is merely a coincidence.

As Bond would say, "I don't believe in them". What does wearing a patch have to do with it? Patch, or blacked-out lens, it means there's something wrong with his eye.
Anyway, I just checked my copy of NDOD, it is the right eye that is tattooed to identify members of the Union. Le Chiffre and Gettler both have injuries on their left eye, this makes sense that the left eye would be the 'punishment' eye so the right one can still identify them as Union members
Maybe it could also be like a Yakuza cutting off a finger kind of thing, you give up an eye to pledge allegiance to Le Gerant. And that would be kind of interesting, to have a villain called Le Chiffre followed by a villain called Le Gerant...

[dodge]

Eon would never use material from the continuation books, sort of an unwritten rule, but there have been 'coincidences' and I think this is one of them.

I'm curious about this. Can any of you good people enlighten me? How solid is that unwritten rule? Copyright reasons? Pride of Fleming's estate? Unwillingness to share the spoils?

As for reading,I've read all of Fleming. How important is it, for an informed fan, to read all of the continuations? Suggestions where to start?

[dinovelvet]

I'm curious about this. Can any of you good people enlighten me? How solid is that unwritten rule? Copyright reasons? Pride of Fleming's estate? Unwillingness to share the spoils?

As for reading,I've read all of Fleming. How important is it, for an informed fan, to read all of the continuations? Suggestions where to start?

There's an extensive list of the "coincidences" between the continuation novels and the films here :

http://commanderbond.net/article/520

If you want to read the other novels, then you may as well do it in order, starting with Colonel Sun (which takes place soon after Fleming's TMWTGG), then try some John Gardner books...though don't expect them to be anywhere near Fleming's Bond. For that, you may want to just skip ahead to Raymond Benson, who brings back the Fleming, with colorful villains, exotic locations, classic characters returning, a new SPECTRE-like organization, etc.

[Gri007]

I think people are reading too much into this. Don't forget that Gettler wore a patch (of sorts) in the original Fleming novel. This is merely a coincidence.

Was Gettler in the original novel. I never noticed.

[MrDraco]

Getter was just refered to as a man with an eye patch or something of that nature, never said his name i dont think...

[Cody]

The man with the eyepatch is named Adolph Gettler in the book.

[HildebrandRarity]

VERY interesting connection there, dinovelvet. I never thought of that but, yes, Le Chiffre and Getter both have something wrong with one eye.

While I don't think Eon would use "The Union", looks like they are doing something very similar to Benson's Union Trilogy and maybe they will use the eye tattoo idea. Good ideas from continuation novels do somehow find their way into Bond movies. Yes, some are coincidence, but things like Colonel Sun / Colonel Moon. That is obviously NOT coincidence.

Perhaps dinovelvet's subconscious musings are playing into his own hands and it is making for a very interesting parallel.

RB's NDOD has Fleming's Mathis going bad...Now we have Eon's version of Mathis with a question mark hanging over the character.

Eon have 'borrowed' from John Gardner in the past but isn't there a saying that basically suggests that there really are only about 7 original types of premises/plot lines in the history of humankind and there is really nothing that is truly original?

Here is the title for Bond 22 which encompasses Fleming, Benson and dinovelvet's musings in this thread:

THE MAN WITH THE RETINAL TATTOO