8 replies to this topic

[Mister Asterix]

Hey zencat, I understand from reading previous topics that you actually own a copy of the bootleg Bond book, 'The Killing Zone'. Is there any way we could start some project to get the text from it online? Maybe scans run through an OCR or copies sent out to various CB.N members for typing or what not. I'm sure all the fans of the Literary 007 would love to have access to this lost treasure.

Give it some thought.

[Mister Asterix]

I certainly can understand your position, zencat. I would hope at this point that Glidrose would see the book's presence on the web the same as FanFic, but I guess I wouldn't count on it. Though I wouldn't think that they would sell one less Benson book because of it.
Maybe someday someone with the the photocopies of the book will transcribe it and post it on the web. It definitely would be welcomed by all of us fans of the literary Bond.

[level007]

hi all

can you tell more about "the killing zone" i never heard about it. Is it a book from fleming or gardner ?(benson maybe ?).

what s the story about it ?

[zencat]

level007 (13 Oct, 2001 07:14 p.m.):
can you tell more about "the killing zone" i never heard about it. Is it a book from fleming or gardner ?(benson maybe ?).what s the story about it ?

In short, THE KILLING ZONE is a "bootleg" Bond novel written in 1985 as part of some sort of scheme by a notorious character named Jim Hatfield (who also wrote a controversial unauthorized bio of George W. Bush). Hatfield spent time in jail for a role in a murder, and killed himself this year. Why he wrote and self-published THE KILLING ZONE isn't really clear, but he used all the correct copyright markings, thanked Glidrose in his introduction, and really went out of his way to create a convincing fake. The rub is it's a pretty darn good Bond book!

What's really mysterious is the plot is VERY similar to LICENCE TO KILL, yet THE KILLING ZONE was "published" four years before LTK.

The book came to light only a few years back when a collector found a copy in Texas. To date only two copies are known to exist. Believe it or not, I found mine on eBay.

Here's the text from the back of the book:

JAMES BOND 007 IS BACK!
In this new high voltage spy thriller, Secret Agent 007 must "liquidate" ruthless billionaire kingpin Klaus Doberman. But James Bond has his hands full as he battles a luscious lady assassin who offers lethal love Russian style and a slit-eyed Oriental sadist who is a elusive and deadly Ninja. Aided by his sex-galore confederate Lotta Head and his old CIA buddy Felix Leiter, 007 is pitted against Klaus Doberman in his heavily armed fortress high in the Mexican Sierra Madres

[zencat]

zencat (13 Oct, 2001 08:58 p.m.):
What's really mysterious is the plot is VERY similar to LICENCE TO KILL, yet THE KILLING ZONE was "published" four years before LTK.

THE KILLING ZONE (1985):
The plot of this "unlicensed" Bond novel has 007 going after South American drug lord Klaus Doberman after he murders Bond's good friend Bill Tanner. With the help of CIA agent Lotta Head, Bond follows Doberman's trail to Mexico where he discovers the drug lord is attempting to globalize his cocaine empire by making an alliance with Russia.

LICENCE TO KILL (1989):
The plot of this Bond film has an "unlicensed" 007 going after South American drug lord Franz Sanchez after he mutilates Bond's good friend Felix Leiter. With the help of CIA agent Pam Bouvier, Bond follows Sanchez's trail to "Isthmus" (film location: Mexico) where he discovers the drug lord is attempting to globalize his cocaine empire by making an alliance with China.

Coincidence?

[Blue Eyes]

A bloody big one! Zencat's full report on the book should be online sometime next week. I can't put it up today cause I'm flat out with work, and probably will be tomorrow as well. But by Tuesday I'm hoping I could get it on the main site. It's an excellent read!

[Blofeld's Cat]

zencat (13 Oct, 2001 09:25 p.m.):

zencat (13 Oct, 2001 08:58 p.m.):
What's really mysterious is the plot is VERY similar to LICENCE TO KILL, yet THE KILLING ZONE was "published" four years before LTK.

THE KILLING ZONE (1985):
The plot of this "unlicensed" Bond novel has 007 going after South American drug lord Klaus Doberman after he murders Bond's good friend Bill Tanner. With the help of CIA agent Lotta Head, Bond follows Doberman's trail to Mexico where he discovers the drug lord is attempting to globalize his cocaine empire by making an alliance with Russia.

LICENCE TO KILL (1989):
The plot of this Bond film has an "unlicensed" 007 going after South American drug lord Franz Sanchez after he mutilates Bond's good friend Felix Leiter. With the help of CIA agent Pam Bouvier, Bond follows Sanchez's trail to "Isthmus" (film location: Mexico) where he discovers the drug lord is attempting to globalize his cocaine empire by making an alliance with China.

Coincidence?

Very interesting, zencat.

Either EON are sneaky, or coincidentally innocent of all charges.

Maybe they decided to use the plot quickly and get it out of the way, before any McKlory-like litigation arises should The Killing Zone become legit in some way later.
And that was not likely to happen based on the author's character.

I assume that's the case, otherwise I sure it would have happened well before now.

[zencat]

Well, I don't know about this. From what I've heard Glidrose is none to thrilled with the existence of this book and I really don't want to be the guy who "publishes" it on the Internet.

There is a xerox of the book (not my copy) that is quietly traded among fans so it's not impossible to get your hands on The Killing Zone for reading purposes. But I'm not a source for this. Sorry.

[Blue Eyes]

We can sympathise with Zencat on that one, it's a fairly precarious position. If someone does manage to get there hands on it, my advice is trade it discreetly.