55 replies to this topic

[Mr Twilight]

QUOTE(Mr Twilight @ 29 April 2007 - 15:25)
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.

Well even if I would die ro read THOE I don't think they ever publish it. They did all agree it wasn't good enough, but just imagine a collection of James Bond short storys by, let's say Ken Follet, Fredrick Forsyth, Charlie Higson, Jack Higgins for example - personally I would wet my pants. The odds for it to be a reality is very small but it would be a great compliment to a novel in 2008.

[TheREAL008]

Who do I think might write the novel? STPEHEN KING.

Why? He writes very well and he continues to sell not only in America but worldwide. He has a knack for description that could drop you right into a scene as you read it. Ok, so he writes horror novels but think about it he has branched out into hardboiled pulp crime stories. All in all he's a fantastic writer and if he wasn't assigned to write the novel then it;s almost a sure bet he was contacted to write it.

Who I don't want to write it: Anne Rice. The only thing she cares about now are writing a series of Young Jesus novels now, leaving her beloved vampires and witches behind for bibles and salvation.

[Trident]

QUOTE(Mr Twilight @ 29 April 2007 - 15:25)
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.

Well even if I would die ro read THOE I don't think they ever publish it. They did all agree it wasn't good enough, but just imagine a collection of James Bond short storys by, let's say Ken Follet, Fredrick Forsyth, Charlie Higson, Jack Higgins for example - personally I would wet my pants. The odds for it to be a reality is very small but it would be a great compliment to a novel in 2008.

Some years ago (ca. 1988) there has been a similar project, "Raymond Chandler's Philip Marlow: A Centennial Celebration" with several (23, I think) short stories by practically all famous PI and crime writers of that time (John Lutz, Stuart Kaminski, Eric van Lustbader, Max Allan Collins to name but a few). It was a mixed bag somehow but still a pretty good idea nonetheless.

[Trident]

I think his name has been mentioned before, but can't find the actual thread(s):

Greg Rucka
creator of the stunningly thrilling Queen & Country series of graphic novels and (up to now that is) two books dealing with the same characters.

Up to now I've only read the graphic novels but these were fantastically well plotted thrillers right from the headlines of todays newspapers IMHO. Now I'm going into his novels 'A Gentlemen's Game' and 'Private Wars' that seem to take the characters of the Q&C-universe (that really is ours) a step further. And I stumbled about some of Rucka's thoughts about Bond and his own heroine Tara Chace that he voiced in an interview that you can find here:

http://www.newsarama...PrivateWars.htm


NRAMA: Going back to what you said about the woman you saw in the picture striking you as a near Bond villain

[K1Bond007]

You can scratch Lee Child from the huge list.

http://www.k1bond007...6/06/not-child/

Interestingly he states IFP asked him twice in the past 5 years to write a Bond novel though.

[Qwerty]

-----UPDATE-----

Why Lee Child Turned Down The Centenary Novel

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

Nice find, K1.

[zencat]

Yes, nice one K1. It is very interesting he was offered it twice. Also, as I said on your site, interesting that he says he was asked to do a series and not just one book.

[TheSaint]

Maybe they should up the paycheck. That might help.

[K1Bond007]

Yes, nice one K1. It is very interesting he was offered it twice. Also, as I said on your site, interesting that he says he was asked to do a series and not just one book.

I saw. I replied to it. Essentially it just looks like IFP went to him as a possible replacement to Benson. I believe they did the same with Forsyth in 2001, though that was easier considering his agent is Peter Janson-Smith's son. I'd wager the second time was them asking about the Centenary, which he, Child, apparently turned down due to other obligations. I wonder if they asked Forsyth again. The reason the 2008 novel is being touted as a one-off IMHO is because whomever they've asked seems to only be interested in doing one. Otherwise, why not try and get them to write more than the one? Forsyth may not wish to follow in Fleming's footsteps, but he may be up for writing one book if only in homage to Fleming. Maybe not. There are certainly other well-respect and well-known authors who fit the same bill (don't want to do a series, but may be up for writing one book).

[Methos]

I just read this quoted bit by Lee Childs...and while I've never heard of this person...and I must admit that I'm a wee bit inebriated from the consumption of two massive dirty martinis...I can only conclude that this Childs person is an unimaginative dullard. I'm bound to have a great deal more to say about all this when I'm rightly sober and capable of reading this thread in its entirety. Yet, from what I've read, my judgement on this Lee Childs will not change.

[K1Bond007]

[Qwerty]

Lee Child is asked the question once again in this Time interview:

You were asked a couple of times to write a James Bond novel, and you declined. Why?

You would want to update it obviously, write a James Bond for the 21st century. Which would be very difficult, because James Bond is one of the reasons that the world changed, in a funny way. You'd be writing about the agent of change, and I think that would be very hard to pull off in a way that was intellectually coherent.

[Solex Agitator]

Please forgive me if this has question has been answered before but is Len Deighton in the running?

[Qwerty]

Please forgive me if this has question has been answered before but is Len Deighton in the running?

Don't believe there has been much news regarding him and the Centenary novel.

[K1Bond007]

Please forgive me if this has question has been answered before but is Len Deighton in the running?

The real question is, "who isn't in the running?" So yes. Unless of course he's stated somewhere or to someone that he i) hates James Bond ii) hates Ian Fleming Publications or iii) is not writing the book. If he doesn't fall into one of those then sure.. he's up for it.

[OmarB]

I love this thread, it's like a list of great thriller writers that we can all check out even if they don't get the gig.

Oh, and Follet gets my vote.

[Royal Dalton]

It looks like Follett's out of the running. My money's on Frederick Forsyth.

[Mr Twilight]

I'll put my money on Fredrick Forsyth, but I'm a bad gambler...

[Sbott]

From the initial list here are my two preferred authors.

Stephen Fry - because he's very good at using other peoples style in a contemporary way. and he would probably try and remain faithful to the Fleming genre.
Charlie Higson - he's created, through skillful writing, a Bond culture of his own, he knows and treasures the history of the character and would treat the job with respect.

[Mr Twilight]

Read a few books by Craig Thomas in the past and i liked them -especially Firefox and Firefox 2. Doesn't seems to produce any titles anymore (1999 is the last title I'm aware of). It's a pity - he could maybe have done it. And he is brittish.

Edited by Mr Twilight, 04 July 2007 - 12:56 PM.

[Solex Agitator]

While I have no idea if anyone has even considered him, how about Alan Furst? He is a terrific writer! He does period, espionage, and the realities of precarious relationships with great style. Any thoughts?

http://www.alanfurst.net/

Edited by Solex Agitator, 07 July 2007 - 04:01 AM.

[OmarB]

Charles Cumming anyone?

[Scrambled Eggs]

Charles Cumming anyone?

I like him, but I'm not sure he's the man. Admittedly, I've only read his first novel (which I liked) but he seems to draw on his own experiences a lot. I dunno how he'd handle a period piece set in the 50's or 60's.

Edited by Scrambled Eggs, 08 July 2007 - 12:12 AM.

[ACE]

I have the oddest feeling we'll all be pleasantly surprised by the new author and some of us will have read his/her novels.

I reckon the title will be classic Fleming but not pastiche.

I'm VERY hopeful and think IFP will not have let us down.

[Santa]

I have the oddest feeling we'll all be pleasantly surprised by the new author and some of us will have read his/her novels.

I reckon the title will be classic Fleming but not pastiche.

I'm VERY hopeful and think IFP will not have let us down.

That sounds excellent, ACE, but rather specific - do you have inside information or are you just having a feeling?

[ACE]

Alas, no inside information.
Just a feeling.
Just think, I thought it would be Ken Follett initially.
How do they go from sounding out Lee Child to Sebastian Faulks?
Interesting thread now.