73 replies to this topic

[zencat]

I tend to agree with Mr. Schofield on this one. I believe it was a requirement of Faulks, not the Fleming estate.

That said, I don't think it is necessarily due to a lack of confidence or support from Faulks. I think writing it as Fleming was a literary device that Faulks deliberately chose and doesn't want to confuse his other body of work with something that was done within a strict style guideline.

Yeah, this sounds like the most reasonable explanation.

[Nicolas Suszczyk]

I prefer the UK cover.

[spynovelfan]

I quite like the image of Bond. I'm not keen on the text, which reminds me of comedy books I got in my stocking at Christmas when I was a teenager, usually with '1001' in the title. It's also a bit reminiscent of Michael Moore's Stupid White Men - like that, the font reminds me of 50s American superhero covers, specifically Superman. In the case of Moore's book, I suppose that was deliberate. Here, it seems completely inappropriate, and just makes the whole 'Writing as Ian Fleming' business even more jarring.

Just my take.

[Double-Oh-Zero]

...it's also a bit reminiscent of Michael Moore's Stupid White Men - like that, the font reminds me of 50s American superhero covers, specifically Superman. In the case of Moore's book, I suppose that was deliberate. Here, it seems completely inappropriate, and just makes the whole 'Writing as Ian Fleming' business even more jarring.

Just my take.

That's what it reminded me of. Couldn't quite put my finger on it, but I knew I had seen something like it somewhere else. It doesn't tarnish the design and overall effectiveness of the cover for me, but that text is indeed a little odd-looking for a (supposedly) gritty spy thriller.

Still, I like it, and I'm with zencat and macca in the hopes that it will be the beginning of a trend in the continuation novels.

[quantumofsolace]

I like the US cover . The UK is okay but the US is fantastic

[Scaramanga'74]

Cool! Complements the traditional Bond image. I wish they'd do another cover art in the Richard Chopping mode. Now, that would be a genuine tribute to the living memory of the late Ian L. Fleming.

[Little Nelly]

I think the US cover is 1,000,000% better than the UK version, which looks too cliched and film-inspired. I just hope it'll be easily available in the UK straight away cause I intend to buy that rather than the UK edition.

[marktmurphy]

I quite like the image of Bond. I'm not keen on the text, which reminds me of comedy books I got in my stocking at Christmas when I was a teenager, usually with '1001' in the title. It's also a bit reminiscent of Michael Moore's Stupid White Men - like that, the font reminds me of 50s American superhero covers, specifically Superman. In the case of Moore's book, I suppose that was deliberate. Here, it seems completely inappropriate, and just makes the whole 'Writing as Ian Fleming' business even more jarring.

Just my take.

You're very right- it does look a little too spoofy for my tastes. I knew it reminded me of something and you're spot on- it feels halfway between stuff like American Splendor and 40's film noir, which is a bit too tongue-in-cheek and in the wrong period to do BookBond justice for me. The background texture is good, though.

I like the concept- I think it's very strong, I just think that the execution is slightly in the wrong tone for Fleming.

[David Schofield]

Well, certainly "Bond" looks a bit too young and healthy from this angle considering Faulks as described him as "an ageing gunfighter", a little worn around the edges, etc.

Perhaps the designer wasn't given the full brief, though

[spynovelfan]

I quite like the image of Bond. I'm not keen on the text, which reminds me of comedy books I got in my stocking at Christmas when I was a teenager, usually with '1001' in the title. It's also a bit reminiscent of Michael Moore's Stupid White Men - like that, the font reminds me of 50s American superhero covers, specifically Superman. In the case of Moore's book, I suppose that was deliberate. Here, it seems completely inappropriate, and just makes the whole 'Writing as Ian Fleming' business even more jarring.

Just my take.

You're very right- it does look a little too spoofy for my tastes. I knew it reminded me of something and you're spot on- it feels halfway between stuff like American Splendor and 40's film noir, which is a bit too tongue-in-cheek and in the wrong period to do BookBond justice for me. The background texture is good, though.

I like the concept- I think it's very strong, I just think that the execution is slightly in the wrong tone for Fleming.

Yes, American Splendor - fantastic thing - is also in the same vein. Thinking about it, isn't it shorthand for spoofing 50s American sci-fi flicks: THE ATTACK OF THE BRITISH SECRET AGENTS! That's the part of my cortex it touches, as well as all the modern stuff that taps into it: Michael Moore, American Splendor, but also books by the likes of The Onion, trivia lists, record books, kids' books listing the 1001 greatest cars ever made, and so on. It looks very American to me, and, well, just isn't my cup of Bolly.

David, you really are a stickler! I don't think there have been many very faithful visual representations of Bond, have there? How many have had the scar, for instance?

[David Schofield]

[David, you really are a stickler! I don't think there have been many very faithful visual representations of Bond, have there? How many have had the scar, for instance?

Could be one or two disappointed more casual readers, Spy, when they open this expecting a young, virile Lazenby-esque Bond, and get a tired, world weary man in his mid 40s. Or, if you get the UK version, you'd be disappointed to discover you hadn't bought the latest novelisation of a Brosnan-Bond movie!

Clearly, both are intended simply to re-inforce the cliche about judging books contents and their covers.

[marktmurphy]

It looks very American to me, and, well, just isn't my cup of Bolly.

Yes; that's why I never warmed to those Fahey covers, either- seemed to be approaching them from the wrong side of the Atlantic. I suppose there is something to say that Fleming and Bond were big fans of the US and the books had that style to an extent, but they still don't work for me.

But then again, they're not aimed at me- they're for an American crowd, and as such they make sense.

[Fixer]

I tend to agree with Mr. Schofield on this one. I believe it was a requirement of Faulks, not the Fleming estate.

That said, I don't think it is necessarily due to a lack of confidence or support from Faulks. I think writing it as Fleming was a literary device that Faulks deliberately chose and doesn't want to confuse his other body of work with something that was done within a strict style guideline.

Yeah, this sounds like the most reasonable explanation.

Perhaps Faulks used an Ouija Board and truly was writing as Fleming?

Nifty cover, I think it'll get noticed in the store.

[quantumofsolace]

How many copies does this need to sell to start another lot of books?