55 replies to this topic

[spynovelfan]

Now on the CBn main page...

Ken Follett Off The Cards For Centenary Novel?

Author nevertheless expresses interest in writing a 007 book

-----UPDATE-----

Why Lee Child Turned Down The Centenary Novel

'Twice over the period of five years they've asked me...'

In no particular order:

Frederick Forsyth
Stephen Fry
Charlie Higson
Henry Chancellor
Martin Amis
Ken Follett
Gerald Seymour
William Boyd
Mark Gatiss
Hugh Laurie
William Gibson
Bret Easton Ellis
Dan Brown

Any others?

[ACE]

Nice thread, snf.

OK, my problem is that I do not read contemporary thriller writers that much. My list below is a range of people who definitely NOT be doing it but who would be either interesting, too obvious or too fannish choices.


Interesting

Robert Harris - I like his worked out, detailed, historical thrillers. If the Centenary Bond is set in the 1960's he could do a marvellous job. Get him off this Ancient Rome trip he's currently on.

Iain Banks - the Banksie of Canal Dreams and Complicity and some of his Sci-Fi work (his setpieces are astounding). He wrote precocious Alistair MacLean-esque thrillers as a wee lad. He doesn't really like Bond though and wouldn't do it.

Thomas Harris - not read any of his books but too many litBond fans I know and respect say he could be a good fit.

Too Obvious
Lee Child
Anthony Horowitz
Jack Higgins
Andy MacNab

Too Fannish
John Pearson - The Authorised Biography of 007 was excellent.
Christopher Wood - his novelizations were wonderful.
Raymond Benson - (ducks head) Well, I liked his work.
Andrew Lycett - well, if Pearson could do it, so could Lycett. His style for his superb Fleming biography seems an exact fit. He won't though, as he's finishing(ed) his biography on Conan Doyle (and, of course, he probably hasn't been asked).
Charlie Higson - (mentioned in snf's post). He would be perfect. His Young Bond work is, IMHO, an absolute must for the Fleming purist.

[Royal Dalton]

In no particular order:

Frederick Forsyth
Stephen Fry
Charlie Higson
Henry Chancellor
Martin Amis
Ken Follett
Gerald Seymour
William Boyd
Mark Gatiss
Hugh Laurie
William Gibson
Bret Easton Ellis
Dan Brown

Any others?

I could see it being Ken Follett, Gerald Seymour, or, at a push, Freddie Forsyth. Not too sure about the others. I suppose Len Deighton's a remote possibility, as well.

[Blofeld's Cat]

Barry Eisler - his "Rain" novels are excellent (and my choice for the job).

Martin Cruz Smith - his "Renko" novels are superb.

[Jim]

Christopher Brookmyre, if he reins the political/religious posturing in a tadge.
P.D. James, for novelty and because she writes beautifully.
Robert Harris, because he sells shedloads and has some sound ideas.
Stephen Fry, because he could do it and he has done pastiche before; also full of ideas.
Salman Rushdie, because he needs a friend.

If they went the route of five short stories/novellas (novellae?) instead of one novel, those would be my five bods.

Otherwise, and I know this is going to look appalling, but somebody British, or familiar with the British idiom. And ideally someone who couldn't care less about the films.

[K1Bond007]

Dan Brown, Anthony Horowitz? ugh.. GUN.

Never read any of his works, but I always thought David Wolstencroft was a likely candidate.

Honestly I have no favorite for the job as I haven't been reading a lot of contemporary spy fiction works. I know who I don't want though All I ask for is a serious Ian Fleming style continuation novel and not something that was inspired by the movies -- unless said movie is maybe Casino Royale or any of the other more Fleming faithful. As Jim said, someone British would probably be best.

[spynovelfan]

Oh yes, Wolstonecroft - surely he must be somewhere in the running?

I *very* much doubt that Horowitz will be the writer, but didn't he once reveal in an interview that he had been asked to do Young Bond? That might give a clue that it may just be an obvious candidate.

I wonder if we should have some sort of poll? Is there a favourite at this stage? Anyone who has made cryptic remarks about being busy 'for some time' that have been analysed at length?

[marktmurphy]

A believable list. I'm inclined to think it'll be someone not known for just being a writer in the Charlie Higson mould as it's worked out so well with Young Bond.
They're in the business of selling books, and whereas pretty much all of us Bond fans will buy the thing no matter who's written it, yer average punter is more likely to be attracted by the idea of (and large publicity that would arise from) someone like Stephen Fry doing a Bond novel than they would be someone like Ken Follett or David Wolstencroft.
If you can get your writer on Jonathan Ross and push the book whilst being a good interviewee, you're going to sell a truckload more books. That's not to say it's an entirely cynical affair, but Higson worked out so well, pleasing everyone, that I'd be inclined to go down the same route if I were them. And they've already announced that it'll be a big name, haven't they? So they're already pursuing the star factor.


Might be wrong, though.

[zencat]

Can't vouch yet for the soruce, but Ken Follett may now be off the list.

Centenary watch: Cross Follett off the list?

[spynovelfan]

Whoa whoa whoa, Zencat. That's pretty big news there.

'I haven't been asked to write a James Bond book, but I'd probably say Yes. I think I would set it in the fifties.'
- Ken Follett (in email)

Perhaps this strikes him off the list for the 2008 gig, but this is massive: Follett is openly saying he'd write a Bond novel, and he's one of the biggest-selling and most respected thriller writers on the planet. My first thought would be that this should be a small item for the front page - Follett seems to be ruled out of 2008 job, but expresses interest nevertheless. Hopefully, papers might pick it up and IFP might get wind of it. Follett is probably a bigger catch than whoever they do have. Seriously - a Follett Bond would be guaranteed to sell in the millions (he's sold 90 million books worldwide to date). And he's written several period thrillers, so the idea of his tackling Bond in the 50s... I don't know - it's got me excited!

[Scrambled Eggs]

Louise Welsh. Good with suspense and has the slightly sadistic leanings that a good Bond story needs.

Alex Garland. Simple, direct writing and an unusual imagination. Seems to have a taste for unusual projects.

Randy Wayne White. Manly, tough as nails writer with a love of exotic destinations. Has described his "Doc Ford" character as "James Bond, retired and become a marine biologist".

[Qwerty]

From [dark] on the CBn main page...

Ken Follett Off The Cards For Centenary Novel?

Author nevertheless expresses interest in writing a 007 book

[zencat]

Whoa whoa whoa, Zencat. That's pretty big news there.

'I haven't been asked to write a James Bond book, but I'd probably say Yes. I think I would set it in the fifties.'
- Ken Follett (in email)

Perhaps this strikes him off the list for the 2008 gig, but this is massive: Follett is openly saying he'd write a Bond novel, and he's one of the biggest-selling and most respected thriller writers on the planet. My first thought would be that this should be a small item for the front page - Follett seems to be ruled out of 2008 job, but expresses interest nevertheless. Hopefully, papers might pick it up and IFP might get wind of it. Follett is probably a bigger catch than whoever they do have. Seriously - a Follett Bond would be guaranteed to sell in the millions (he's sold 90 million books worldwide to date). And he's written several period thrillers, so the idea of his tackling Bond in the 50s... I don't know - it's got me excited!

IF he really said that. Remember, this comes from someone on the Google group (which is a haven for trolls). Like I said in the article, I sent an email to him via his official site asking if he really said this. So we'll see.

[Trident]

If it's true that Follett would be interested if asked, that would be a spectacular perspective for both sides IFP and Follet himself. Obviously a Follett 007 novel set in 50's/60's period would be a topseller from the start. And it would attract public interest in the literary character that Bond is. Both Follett and IFP could only win with that combination.

That said, I strongly fear Follett's fee effectivly prevented such a move up to now (as the statement seems to suggest) and will probably continue to do so in the forseeable future.

Another name that just comes to my mind would be Joseph R. Garber. He wrote "Vertical Run", the only book I've read from him up to now. His style in "Vertical Run" is very visual with emphasis on action. Cons against him would be:

- he's an American writer, not British (although I'm not sure if that really is a concern; to me it's not and he's probably better known in the US of A which would be an advantage when one considers sales figures)
- he doesn't seem to be much into character build-up; his protagonist is drawn by his actions in the story (could be a more serious matter)
- he has only limited experience with period stories (in an interview he mentioned an adventure set in 1920's China, but either that novel is still not finished or wasn't published up to now)

Pros for Garber would be:
- he seems to go for plots that Hitchcock or Ambler would have been interested in
- his last book "Whirlwind" features a retired ex-CIA operative and seems to do a decent job in entertaining his readers
- he's not a very big name, so his fee ought to be considerably smaller than Follett's

Another point (don't know if pro or con yet):
Garber seems to be an extremely slow writer with only three books since 1989. But that also could explain why IFP announced the Centenary Novel so much in advance. Don't know if it's really a hint. I don't even know if I'd want him to be chosen. He just seems to fit the mould of being known as a successful writer and still not sporting too much of a public profile as to be unnecessarily expensive for IFP.


Just my two cents...

Edited by Trident, 13 April 2007 - 11:33 AM.

[Loomis]

Who will it be? Fry seems to me overwhelmingly the likeliest candidate, in fact by indulging in a bit of "Owenology" I've pretty much convinced myself that he's signed, sealed and delivered. Otherwise, Follett and (for some reason, can't quite explain why) Mo Hayder (author of the recent paperback YOLT intro) seem very possible.

Who do I want it to be? My first choice would be Paul Theroux, my second William Boyd. The latter seems far more realistic than the former, and I'm hoping he's in with a chance. Scratch that, I'm hoping he's been chosen! Doubt it, for various reasons, but he does seem within the realms of possibility.

Who do I not want it to be? Higson. I mention this because it appears that many Bond fans would like him to do the 2008 novel, indeed that he'd be their top choice. No disrespect to the man, but my own view is that new blood is needed.

[spynovelfan]

IF he really said that. Remember, this comes from someone on the Google group (which is a haven for trolls).

Good point, but this particular poster, Mac, is very reliable in my opinion. He's been on alt.fan.james-bond since 1998 and I think he is a real-life friend of Paul Baack and Tom Zielinski. You should, of course, check it out for yourself, but I think this is legit.

Would Follett really ask for so much money, I wonder? If he actually *wants* to write a Bond novel (and he is an avowed Fleming fan), I'm not so sure: he would be guaranteed massive sales anyway.

Sorry, Loomis, but I'm 99 percent sure that William Boyd won't do it. He's just come off writing a spy thriller and he's the sort of writer who likes to move around from one thing to another and not stay too long in one place. And while he is fascinated by Fleming and read Bond as a boy, he's not really a fan anymore.

[ACE]

Who do I not want it to be? Higson.

Have you read any of the Young Bond novels, Loomis?

[zencat]

IF he really said that. Remember, this comes from someone on the Google group (which is a haven for trolls).

Good point, but this particular poster, Mac, is very reliable in my opinion. He's been on alt.fan.james-bond since 1998 and I think he is a real-life friend of Paul Baack and Tom Zielinski. You should, of course, check it out for yourself, but I think this is legit.

Oh, excellent. Yeah, he seemed legit to me. I haven't heard back from Follett (and wonder if I will), but I will take Mac's word for it.

[Loomis]

Who do I not want it to be? Higson.

Have you read any of the Young Bond novels, Loomis?

Just SILVERFIN. Wasn't wild about it, and didn't loathe it, either. Quite enjoyed it for what it was, and will get round to reading BLOODFEVER and DOUBLE OR DIE at some point. I'm glad the Young Bond series exists. It's all part of the world of James Bond's rich pageant.

However, even if I were a major Higson fan, I suspect I'd still be calling for new blood.

Sorry, Loomis, but I'm 99 percent sure that William Boyd won't do it. He's just come off writing a spy thriller and he's the sort of writer who likes to move around from one thing to another and not stay too long in one place. And while he is fascinated by Fleming and read Bond as a boy, he's not really a fan anymore.

I think you're right. Oh, well - at least us Bond/Boyd fans have ANY HUMAN HEART.

Have you read RESTLESS? Any good?

[Trident]

Would Follett really ask for so much money, I wonder? If he actually *wants* to write a Bond novel (and he is an avowed Fleming fan), I'm not so sure: he would be guaranteed massive sales anyway.

That's a very good point.
Yes, indeed Follett is already in that fantastic and envied league of writers who could afford to write a book for one single dollar (or pound that is) and the sheer fun of doing it. His name is similar in selling power Stephen King's or Joanne K. Rowling's is. And if Follett is a fan that kind of thing IFP aims for, a one-off, might just be the the chance of his dreams. I just hope if his not being approached by IFP really is true, that he'd be a future contender for another one-off. The attention his choice would draw could hardly be overestimated IMHO. Other writers of equally high potential would be drawn to Bond and I'd love to see that happen.

PS: Please don't get me wrong on that! That's not to say that a novel by a topselling writer is necessarily or even likely any better or more satisfying than by a writer who didn't sell a zillion copies already. My point is this: a bigger name is likely to sell more copies and the more copies are sold, the higher the chance of IFP to continue its present course and give it another go. And another. And another, if we're lucky. And the higher the chances for some pretty good or even outstandingly fantastic novels.

Edited by Trident, 13 April 2007 - 04:41 PM.

[Mac]

Hello Zencat. This is Mac, from the Google group (haven for trolls?!! Shame on you!). There are actually a number of posters on this forum who also post to the Google newsgroup, and have for many years. (I have been a poster there myself for over 10 years and consider folks such as Doug Redenius of the IFF and former Bond author Raymond Benson as personal friends) Needless to say the mail from Ken Follett was genuine and I am sure his eventual response to you will bare this out. He was my first guess for the job (one search of Google groups will confirm this), so I decided to ask him!

Best,

Mac (no quotations, no other identities)

It does take Follett (a busy man) some time to reply to his emails, but he will reply. And, yes, Paul Baack and Tom Z are very dear friends.

I feel like such a traitor to afjb for joining another forum!

[Mac]

Has anyone thought to send Stephen Fry an email and ask him to confirm or deny reports he is to write the adult Bond novel?

We all know Lee Child was asked, and turned them down. If he was the sort of writer they were looking for, think of similar authors.

I suggested Ian Rankin on the alt.fan.james-bond [a lovely place that's not a haven for trolls and has some great folks there! If CBN forums think I'm touting for the opposition, they're right! ] group. Rankin wrote a spy novel called "The Watchman" many years ago. I also very much enjoyed Charles Cumming's "A Spy By Nature" although it maybe more Le Carre than Fleming.

[zencat]

Hello Zencat. This is Mac, from the Google group (haven for trolls?!! Shame on you!). There are actually a number of posters on this forum who also post to the Google newsgroup, and have for many years. (I have been a poster there myself for over 10 years and consider folks such as Doug Redenius of the IFF and former Bond author Raymond Benson as personal friends) Needless to say the mail from Ken Follett was genuine and I am sure his eventual response to you will bare this out. He was my first guess for the job (one search of Google groups will confirm this), so I decided to ask him!

Sorry about that Mac. I meant no offense. I enjoy the Google Groups, and I contribute as "youngbond". But my experience there was badly colored by the recent onslaught of all those horrible abusive posts by…what’s his name. You certainly know what I'm talking about. Also the fact that Google will not remove any abusive posts or moderate the group in any way (I sent them many notifications) makes it, well, a haven for trolls. But I realize that was only a single troll (with many names) and maybe an isolated incident. Again, my apologies. And thank you for this news.

Welcome to CBn.

[Mac]

IF he really said that. Remember, this comes from someone on the Google group (which is a haven for trolls).

Good point, but this particular poster, Mac, is very reliable in my opinion. He's been on alt.fan.james-bond since 1998 and I think he is a real-life friend of Paul Baack and Tom Zielinski. You should, of course, check it out for yourself, but I think this is legit.

Thanks for the kind words Spynovelfan (do I know you?)

Mac

[Mac]

[quote name='zencat' post='726469' date='13 April 2007 - 19:14'][quote name='Mac' post='726450' date='13 April 2007 - 10:07']Hello Zencat. This is Mac, from the Google group (haven for trolls?!! Shame on you!). There are actually a number of posters on this forum who also post to the Google newsgroup, and have for many years. (I have been a poster there myself for over 10 years and consider folks such as Doug Redenius of the IFF and former Bond author Raymond Benson as personal friends) Needless to say the mail from Ken Follett was genuine and I am sure his eventual response to you will bare this out. He was my first guess for the job (one search of Google groups will confirm this), so I decided to ask him![/quote]

Sorry about that Mac. I meant no offense. I enjoy the Google Groups, and I contribute as "youngbond". But my experience there was badly colored by the recent onslaught of all those horrible abusive posts by

[zencat]

Needless to say the mail from Ken Follett was genuine and I am sure his eventual response to you will bare this out.

It does take Follett (a busy man) some time to reply to his emails, but he will reply.

Thanks again. Had I known your reputation, I wouldn't have even sent him an email asking for confirmation. Your word is good enough for me (I've removed the question mark from my story).

Has anyone thought to send Stephen Fry an email and ask him to confirm or deny reports he is to write the adult Bond novel?

I'm trying to avoid doing this myself. I don't want to start a process of elimination. I like the mystery and the speculation. But that doesn't mean I won't report discoveries if they

[Trident]

Has anyone thought to send Stephen Fry an email and ask him to confirm or deny reports he is to write the adult Bond novel?

Following the recommendations here I just started on Fry's "The Stars' Tennis Balls". And with just I mean this afternoon. Now I'm already halfway through (p. 214) and it's quite some time since that last happened to me. If he's the lucky one I'd be delighted. I just fear he won't be allowed to confirm anything if made the deal.

At any rate there's a thing I have to thank IFP and many members of CBn for: since the announcement of the Centenary Novel I've been recommended a whole bunch of new writers and discoverd several treasures, some of which I'll still be busily salvaging in one or two decades.

[zencat]

Needless to say the mail from Ken Follett was genuine and I am sure his eventual response to you will bare this out.

It does take Follett (a busy man) some time to reply to his emails, but he will reply.

Thanks again. Had I known your reputation, I wouldn't have even sent him an email asking for confirmation. Your word is good enough for me (I've removed the question mark from my story).

Heard from Follett today. He confirmed his quote just as Mac said. It ain't him.

[Mr Twilight]

Even if i don't believe they (IFP) do, but imaging they desided to make a short story collection by several writers. Could have been an alternative. What you say about it? I think it could have been interesting.

[K1Bond007]

Even if i don't believe they (IFP) do, but imaging they desided to make a short story collection by several writers. Could have been an alternative. What you say about it? I think it could have been interesting.

That'd be awesome. I wouldn't expect this, but it'd still be cool to get a bunch of big name authors to do a short story for a collection. Also a good opportunity for them to release Benson's The Heart of Erzulie.