181 replies to this topic

[RazorBlade]

Just so you know, a giant squid was found on a beach in Australia.

I don't know about the title. I'm worried about the romantic romp stuff. I hope the author is being sarcastic.

Hey Quentin Tarantino, EON doesn't own the rights to this one yet!

[Santa]

Can't find a parrallel for giant squid, though.

I believe there was one washed up on the beach in Australia yesterday.
Light-hearted and rompy doesn't sound good to me at first but some of Faulks's writing can be a bit heavy and emotionally wrenching, so I'm hoping the two ends will cancel each other out and we'll end up with something more in the middle, serious but also adventurous.

[marktmurphy]

Crikey- 'New Faulks novel set in France' shocker!

[ACE]

Apparently, the author's surname is pronounced "folks" (as in "Any of you folks seen....?"), which I didn't know - assumed it was pronounced like "Do you eat Chinese food with chopsticks or forks?".

"Faux" would have been more appropriate.

Another cracker, RD

I think Seb Folks is going to take Bond to the Shakespeare stakes. I only hope that Devil May Care ressurects an adult Bond series.

Hey Quentin Tarantino, EON doesn't own the rights to this one yet!

No, but Danjaq has first refusal on the rights.
Go whistle, Quentin!

[Mister Asterix]

Hey Quentin Tarantino, EON doesn't own the rights to this one yet!

No, but Danjaq has first refusal on the rights.
Go whistle, Quentin!

[mra]Perhaps Quennie should go on David Letterman and call dibs. That

[dodge]

A light-hearted, fun celebration...on an anniversary...loaded with wonderful quips and puns and gadgets...and possibly with references to all previous Bond films/books...

Too soon to tell, but I'm thinking of DAD while I hope for the mother of post-Fleming Bonds.

[ACE]

[quote name='Mister Asterix' post='754788' date='12 July 2007 - 15:10'][quote name='ACE' post='754776' date='12 July 2007 - 08:11'][quote name='RazorBlade' post='754735' date='12 July 2007 - 09:37']Hey Quentin Tarantino, EON doesn't own the rights to this one yet![/quote]
No, but Danjaq has first refusal on the rights.
Go whistle, Quentin!
[/quote]

[mra]Perhaps Quennie should go on David Letterman and call dibs. That

[[dark]]

Excellent news, and I'm glad to see it receiving the coverage that it is - including front page coverage in The Guardian yesterday, landing a massive picture of Daniel Craig on Page 1.

Between Devil May Care, Final Fling, the graphic novel of SilverFin - and hopefully - the final Young Bond novel, 2008 looks like an amazing year for the literary Bond.

[zencat]

Between Devil May Care, Final Fling, the graphic novel of SilverFin - and hopefully - the final Young Bond novel, 2008 looks like an amazing year for the literary Bond.

We'll also have the US edition of DoD, UK paperback of Hurricane Gold, a few more Titan Books collections, and who knows what else will be coming from this new Penguin 007 label.

[Qwerty]

Between Devil May Care, Final Fling, the graphic novel of SilverFin - and hopefully - the final Young Bond novel, 2008 looks like an amazing year for the literary Bond.

We'll also have the US edition of DoD, UK paperback of Hurricane Gold, a few more Titan Books collections, and who knows what else will be coming from this new Penguin 007 label.

It seems like the literary 007 has been on a non-stop roll since 2005.

[Loomis]

At the risk of showing myself up.... what's FINAL FLING?

ETA: Ah, it's MONEYPENNY DIARIES 3. The wonders of Google, eh? In any case, and no disrespect to Ms Weinberg, the folks at Eon or anyone else, but DEVIL MAY CARE strikes me as the Bond happening of next year. I'm even more excited it about it than I am about BOND 22.

[Qwerty]

At the risk of showing myself up.... what's FINAL FLING?

ETA: Ah, it's MONEYPENNY DIARIES 3. The wonders of Google, eh? In any case, and no disrespect to Ms Weinberg, the folks at Eon or anyone else, but DEVIL MAY CARE strikes me as the Bond happening of next year. I'm even more excited it about it than I am about BOND 22.

Oh, nevermind.

Seems like google beat me to it.

Edited by Qwerty, 12 July 2007 - 11:35 PM.

[zencat]

Google?

You guys need to read my website.

[tdalton]

At the risk of showing myself up.... what's FINAL FLING?

ETA: Ah, it's MONEYPENNY DIARIES 3. The wonders of Google, eh? In any case, and no disrespect to Ms Weinberg, the folks at Eon or anyone else, but DEVIL MAY CARE strikes me as the Bond happening of next year. I'm even more excited it about it than I am about BOND 22.

Thanks for clearing that up, because I was reading through the thread and had no idea what FINAL FLING was either.

I'm also looking more forward to Devil May Care than I am to Bond 22. It seems to have everything that I want from a Bond story (back to the Cold War, written in the style of Fleming, etc.) as well as being written by an author who appears to have a great deal of respect based on all of the positive comments I've been reading thus far (I don't have any knowledge of Mr. Faulks' writing, so I can't comment on his suitability for the job, but it sounds as though he'll be good).

[ACE]

I suggest the book people read is On Green Dolphin Street. This is the book that made IFP consider Seb. It's a great book too.

[MarcAngeDraco]

Between Devil May Care, Final Fling, the graphic novel of SilverFin - and hopefully - the final Young Bond novel, 2008 looks like an amazing year for the literary Bond.

We'll also have the US edition of DoD, UK paperback of Hurricane Gold, a few more Titan Books collections, and who knows what else will be coming from this new Penguin 007 label.

Agreed. 2008 should be another great year for Bond fans.

[Double-Oh Agent]

I'd never heard of Sebastian Faulks or any of his works before so his hiring means next to nothing for me. I'm glad he's considered a great and respected author, but I'll reserve my judgement for May/June when I get to read Devil May Care.

Like others have mentioned, the madcap, romantic quote gives me pause, but not overly so. I'm more worried about this being an older Bond going out for one last gunfighting-type mission. I don't want a "final" Bond adventure especially one found in the '60s with all the later continuation novels.

As for Devil May Care, I find the title acceptable but not that thrilling. Contrary to those who find it nailing James Bond's attitude towards life, I see it more as nailing Ian Fleming's outlook and the way the way he lived his life.

If the press release timeline for Devil May Care is 1967, then it immediately follows Colonel Sun--which takes place in September 1965--and not The Man With The Golden Gun.

And lastly, I find it very interesting in a trivial sort of way that Faulks was born in April 1953--the same month and year of the original release of the very first 007 novel Casino Royale. And according to www.bondian.com, Faulks was born exactly one week after the book's April 13 release.

[David Schofield]

If the press release timeline for Devil May Care is 1967, then it immediately follows Colonel Sun--which takes place in September 1965--and not The Man With The Golden Gun.

Spot on, sir.

[Loomis]

I'm more worried about this being an older Bond going out for one last gunfighting-type mission. I don't want a "final" Bond adventure especially one found in the '60s with all the later continuation novels.

Well, it's not as though Higson's Young Bond chimes well with, say, Benson's 007, either. Still, yes, it's interesting that the "point" of Faulks' book seems to be "a final chapter for Ian Fleming's James Bond", rather than "a new novel featuring Ian Fleming's James Bond that might lead to other continuation novels".

As for Devil May Care, I find the title acceptable but not that thrilling.

Ditto.

Contrary to those who find it nailing James Bond's attitude towards life, I see it more as nailing Ian Fleming's outlook and the way the way he lived his life.

Same here. Which is fine, I guess, but I wonder why anyone would consider it to be a title that might actually have been used for a Fleming novel. The Fleming novel titles tend to be bizarre and dramatic names (MOONRAKER, DR NO, GOLDFINGER, THUNDERBALL, OCTOPUSSY), or twists on famous expressions (LIVE AND LET DIE, ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE, YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE). By comparison to which, DEVIL MAY CARE just sounds like any old generic thriller/romantic potboiler title from about 1930 - 1960. It might as well be a Hammond Innes title, or Dennis Wheatley, or any one of a million other writers, but there's nothing especially Flemingian about it.

[marktmurphy]

Is 'The Living Daylights' a very Fleming title, then?

[Loomis]

Funnily enough, I knew someone would bring up THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS; that's why I wrote: " The Fleming novel titles tend to be....".

[hcmv007]

I'll wait and see. I am kinda miffed the book is taking place in the 60's. I thought Fleming wanted his Bond to take place 2 seconds from now? You know I will still buy it, the Young Bond has been a let down for me.

[Loomis]

Okay, hope I don't get in trouble for posting this, but here is a sneak preview (courtesy of a friend of a friend whose uncle's accountant's nephew knows someone who knows someone at IFP) of the opening of DEVIL MAY CARE:

JAMES BOND WAS the only passenger to leave the plane when it stopped at Colombo on its way from Hong Kong to the Middle East. Hong Kong to Colombo is a strange trip to make. A few Chinese businessmen might reluctantly leave the Crown colony and inspect some business project in up-country Sri Lanka to see if it is worth the investment of a few million dollars. Or some unusually adventurous Sinhalese businessman might be returning after an attempt to raise capital in Hong Kong for a scheme in his native island. But these things are rare, and when Bond came down the steps of the Boeing 747, there was only him to feel the heavy night air that blew in from the palm trees round the airport.

It was a luxurious sensation. He was the only man to offer a passport to the smiling immigration clerk, the only man to see his suitcases carried in by the equally smiling porter. There was none of the usual feeling of displacement. There was hardly anyone there at all.

Bond wondered how the thin porter could carry his heavy cases outside to the taxi and tipped him an inordinate amount which in Hong Kong might have passed for normal but which in Colombo seemed to render the porter speechless. Soon the taxi driver was telling him how the Sri Lankan cricket team was as good as any in the world. He drove a Morris Oxford in high gear in the middle of the road, turning round frequently to emphasise his claims for the skill of Gehan Mendis or Ravi Ratnayake. He used the horn to move the night-time bicyclists and bullock carts, but never touched the brakes. His style of driving, one-geared, one-paced, was like that of a New York cab driver on Fifth Avenue when he gets a good run of lights late at night, though his conversation, not being a paranoid creole from behind bulletproof glass, was more enjoyable.

The night was exotically warm. The air was soft, though occasionally there would come a blast like that from an air extractor in the kitchen of an Indian restaurant. Bond lay back against the seat, unable to help out further on the problem of the island's shortage of quick bowlers. He watched the palm trees and wooden roadside shacks trail out behind them.

--------
I'm only about halfway through the manuscript, but already there's an AMAZING twist. I'm posting it because I want CBn to break this and not any other source, and it's absolutely guaranteed to be leaked long before DEVIL MAY CARE hits bookshops, so here it is. You'll be completely stunned by this. But I'm putting it in spoiler tags for those who want the surprise preserved for when they read the book. Here goes:

Spoiler

Okay, as I'm sure you've guessed, those four paragraphs are not from DEVIL MAY CARE. They're from A FOOL'S ALPHABET, a 1992 novel by Faulks, which I'm currently reading (and a very good read it is too). Changing nothing but the name of the main character to James Bond, I reproduce them here because they strike me as proof that Faulks is more than up to the task of Fleming-flavoured prose drenched in atmosphere, high living, intrigue, snobbery and that good old-fashioned travelogue feel. Vivid, man-of-the-world and occasionally borderline.... well, non-PC, shall we say? Note in particular the last sentence of the third paragraph. Very Fleming. Very Fleming indeed. In all sorts of ways, right down to a description of someone's driving style. Reading A FOOL'S ALPHABET, I think Faulks is an almost ridiculously perfect choice for the literary Bond.

[Santa]

Loomis, you are a cad and a bounder.

[Jim]

Looby-Loo, you big naughty.

[Loomis]

Heh heh heh.

Seriously, though, I didn't just copy a random wodge of Faulks and change the name of a character to "James Bond" purely fer a larf and to get "Bond fandom" going - I genuinely think that's a very Flemingian slice of writing, and presumably it wasn't intended as such. Just imagine the Faulksmeister when he's actively trying to write in Fleming's voice! We won't know what's hit us!

On the other hand, Faulks' own style (although from what I've read of his work it's clear that his "style" is actually a blend of styles - nowt wrong with that, of course) seems sufficiently unique and compelling that it would in some ways be a pity if DEVIL MAY CARE were nothing but a Fleming impersonation, STARS IN THEIR EYES-like.

And, sorry, but I just have to plug this book again, for A FOOL'S ALPHABET is one of the most original and interesting novels I've picked up in years. Midway through, I've no real idea where precisely it's supposed to be going (it's one of those "cleverly-structured" things), but I do find it haunting, oddly moving, brilliantly written (although that's more or less "a given"), and quite unputdownable. The good people at IFP have really done us proud. Viva Faulks! Ian who?

[Trident]

Stunning! Absolutely stunning! I'd have bought it not only as a piece of 'Devil May Care' but even as a page from Fleming's notebooks. Very good.
More and more I'm getting the impression Faulks really is a top choice.

[ACE]

Viva Faulks! Ian who?

STEADY, Loomis. Steady

That will bring the Bond Police round so quickly, even your diminutive friend in the Salitun district won't be able to help you. Months of administration of the genital clamp will only be salved by the fact that you won't be "cured" by piranha pool therapy.

IAN FLEMING

[zencat]

A tiny doggy scrap of info on the U.S. edition. Page count.

[00Twelve]

Whoa! Good to hear. If it reads like Fleming, and is a little more well-paced than Goldfinger, then I think we're in for a great 100 year celebration. Thanks, zencat!