29 replies to this topic

[Gothamite]

I'm a hardened, seasoned expert when it comes to the Bond movies and all of their wondrous glory. Not that it's anything new to these boards, but I pride myself on (usually) being the most knowledgeable person in a room of casual fans on the movies.

And yet, when it comes to Fleming, I'm only just discovering the world of 007. I read Casino Royale in the run up to that film and I remember enjoying certain aspects of it (particularly the 'taciturn mask' description and Bond's initial, misogynistic attitude to Vesper) but not understanding Baccarat obviously meant that sections of it were quite dull.

During the run-up to Casino Royale, I read Goldfinger, which I found to be utterly engrossing and very much rivaling the movie where excitement was concerned (I was very surprised to see it rated so poorly around here). Following Casino Royale's cinematic release, I read Live and Let Die (which was fairly intriguing and peppered with some great suspense and action), Thunderball (again, very good, if memory serves). I didn't enjoy OHMSS as much as a book, mainly because Bond's attitude to marrying Tracy didn't seem as romantic as it was in the movie (if memory serves, he had a more 'Why not?' attitude to marrying her in the book and he had no intention of leaving the service). It was still very enjoyable and the ending was one of my favourite literary passages, ever. I tried to read You Only Live Twice, but I found it to be immensely boring and couldn't plough on past the first couple of chapters.

It is worth noting that I was very much enthralled by the Daniel Craig/Timothy Dalton styles of Bond at the time, so it suited that particular mood.

Now, however, I am in a Moore-Than-Ever-Before mood and I'm not looking for a literary masterpiece. I want a Bond book that's more like the movies with Bond making quips and using the silliest most science fictiony gadgets Q could ever think up in his wildest dreams. Naturally, I bought the Die Another Day novelisation on Amazon (for the lump sum of £0.01) as soon as I heard that there was even the remote possibility of quality to it.

Any other continuation novels worth a read? Who would be the best non-Fleming author? Licence Renewed has piqued my interest as well as some of the Gardner stuff?

[dennisbolt]

I personally grew up with Gardner's mid 1980s novels so have a higher opinion of them than most Fleming fans.

If you want Roger Moore movie like scripts than Gardner is your man......His first three novels are his best, Licence Renewed, For Special Services and IceBreaker. Nobody Lives Forever is good and I liked Brokenclaw. His later ones are so-so, bordering on not good (if a Bond book can be bad?) I disliked Barbarossa and Coldfall the most.

Raymond Benson is good in all of his, with High Time to Kill my favorite. His work reminds me of Brosnan films.

Kingsley Amis did fine in Colonel Sun.

Faulks 2008 effort was okay, but nothing better than the other adult novels.

Young Bond is great, and I thought they would be just for teens. Silverfin is great.

[MkB]

Now, however, I am in a Moore-Than-Ever-Before mood and I'm not looking for a literary masterpiece. I want a Bond book that's more like the movies with Bond making quips and using the silliest most science fictiony gadgets Q could ever think up in his wildest dreams.

Now Gothamite, I'm not really at ease to give you an advice, since I'm not the biggest fan of Moore, and most of all "science-fictiony gadgets" were my biggest problem with DAD. Anyway:

- about Fleming, I understand you haven't read Dr. No? I would highly recommend it!
- about the continuation novels, I haven't read them all, but I'd tend to agree with dennisbolt: some Gardner novels may match your tastes.
In a completely different style, I think The Moneypenny diaries series is really great, and IMO the most original and best written of all the "continuations" (I do consider them as continuation novels, even though they're officially a spin-off series). As period-pieces, they complement the Fleming novels quite well. You should really give a try at least to the first one!

[dogmanstar]

Gothamite,

If you want the whizz bang action of the movies, I would heartily recommend (along with Dennisbolt) the first three Gardners--Licence Renewed, For Special Services, and Icebreaker. But my favorite continuation novel would have to be Person's the Biography of 007.

[zencat]

Now, however, I am in a Moore-Than-Ever-Before mood and I'm not looking for a literary masterpiece. I want a Bond book that's more like the movies with Bond making quips and using the silliest most science fictiony gadgets Q could ever think up in his wildest dreams.

None of books have crazy scifi gadgets, so you're not going to really find that. From what you've described, you might like the Benson books. All of them are good. The Facts of Death and The Man With The Red Tattoo are the most overtly movie-like. High Time To Kill is also a terrific Bond adventure. It's James Bond meets Cliffhanger. It's the perfect fusion of novel Bond and movie Bond, IMO. Some Gardner could also work.

I'd say read High Time To Kill (Benson) and/or For Special Services (Gardner). Other strong contenders would be the aforementioned Man With The Red Tattoo and The Facts of Death. License Renewed (Gardner) also a very good choice.

Heck, you may also like Devil May Care. It's very movie-like in its scope and structure. It does the job, and is not nearly as bad as some fans make it out to be.

If you're willing to take a chance on Young Bond -- hit Blood Fever, possibly the best continuation novel of them all. Very close to a Fleming novel.

[[dark]]

In a completely different style, I think The Moneypenny diaries series is really great, and IMO the most original and best written of all the "continuations" (I do consider them as continuation novels, even though they're officially a spin-off series). As period-pieces, they complement the Fleming novels quite well. You should really give a try at least to the first one!

If you're willing to take a chance on Young Bond -- hit Blood Fever, possibly the best continuation novel of them all. Very close to a Fleming novel.

What they said.

If you're after a strict adult James Bond adventure, given your preference for MovieBond over BookBond, the Bensons and and Devil May Care are good bets (even though Devil May Care ain't that great, it is the Bond book of the moment... and the easiest to get your hands on).

[golrush007]

I haven't read any of Benson's, except for Zero Minus Ten and his novelisations which I think you would enjoy. Even Die Another Day is worth reading.

Colonel Sun is a more gritty down to earth style book than the Moore style that you were speaking of, so I'm not sure if it is what you are looking for right now. I would say, however, that it is the best of the continuation novels.

Getting on to Gardner - I think that Licence Renewed would be up your alley, and probably For Special Services (although I have just read it and didn't enjoy it much). Scorpius might be worth a read as well - it's quite film like and Bond has a fair array of gadgets.

Hope this helps.

[K1Bond007]

It sounds like you'd enjoy Benson the most. He was something of a bridge between the cinematic world and the literary world.

I'd consider starting with Zero Minus Ten. I can't recommend The Facts of Death for a new reader. I didn't really care for that one myself. Maybe get yourself a copy of Benson's newly published Union Trilogy omnibus. That's 3 books in one, plus a short story. Can't go wrong there. Easily available and only about 10 bucks or so.

[sharpshooter]

If you're willing to take a chance on Young Bond -- hit Blood Fever, possibly the best continuation novel of them all. Very close to a Fleming novel.

Agreed. I recommended the entire series, but I believe Blood Fever to be the height. Some may cry over-rated, but I also recommend Colonel Sun. In my opinion, it’s the best adult Bond continuation novel of them all.

[Double-Oh Agent]

I like all the continuation novels (some more than others, of course) so I think they're all worth reading. But as to your question, I agree with dennisbolt in that John Gardner's novels are the equivalent of the Roger Moore adventures and Raymond Benson's books are like Pierce Brosnan's films.

Regarding Gardner, most consider the first half of his run the best so License Renewed, For Special Services, or Icebreaker would be good to start with. My favorite novel of his is Nobody Lives Forever, but that shouldn't be read until after Role Of Honor (and probably For Special Services).

As for Benson, either Zero Minus Ten or High Time To Kill is a good place to start. High Time To Kill is my personal favorite of his. Great read.

Kingsley Amis' Colonel Sun is also good, but is not as "cinematic" as Gardner or Benson is.

John Pearson's James Bond: The Authorized Biography Of 007 is good but is certainly not cinematic.

Christopher Wood's two novelizations of The Spy Who Loved Me and Moonraker are good. I think the Moonraker one is better than the film.

You can't go wrong with Charlie Higson's Young Bond series with Blood Fever being the best of the three I've read.

Samantha Weinberg's The Moneypenny Diaries series was a pleasant surprise with my favorite being Guardian Angel (because it deals the most with Bond).

Sebastien Faulks' Devil May Care was considered underwhelming by most Bond novel fans around here, but it is cinematic.

There's my two cents, for what it's worth. By the way, the best Ian Fleming novel you haven't read yet is From Russia, With Love. Excellent book. More cinematic, however, is Doctor No, which is also very good--even better than the film, I think.

[Gothamite]

Thanks for all the advice!

Just to clarify, I very much appreciate the hardened, cold, killer-Bond from Fleming's books. My interest in the character was very much revitalized by Daniel Craig and the Fleming books I read.

Right now however, I just want to read something fun.

EDIT: Just logged onto Amazon and there's an omnibus with the first three Gardner novels available...once again, for the small fortune of £0.01.

Edited by Gothamite, 09 January 2009 - 04:07 PM.

[plankattack]

Colonel Sun. It's of its era so to speak (unlike Gardner and Benson which are set "now"). It is a good read and unlike some of Gardners it is distinctive in that it was a one-off. I wonder how Martin Amis would do with the Bond. I can't decide to salivate or shudder!!

Of the Gardners, I know it's not many's favourite, but I really enjoyed Win, Lose, or Die.

[Safari Suit]

Now, however, I am in a Moore-Than-Ever-Before mood and I'm not looking for a literary masterpiece. I want a Bond book that's more like the movies with Bond making quips and using the silliest most science fictiony gadgets Q could ever think up in his wildest dreams.

None of books have crazy scifi gadgets, so you're not going to really find that.

Unless you count the Wood adaptation of Moonraker (I'm guessing, I haven't read it) which some consider superior to the movie.

[Mister Asterix]

Seems you are getting some great advice from everyone here, G, and I’d agree with most, if not all, of it.

The one extra piece of advice I’ll give you is make sure you go back and read You Only Live Twice after finishing everything else you want to read in the catalog. To me You Only Live Twice is Fleming’s best novel, but I didn’t feel that way until I read it with a near complete understanding of the Literary Bond character.

[[dark]]

Of the Gardners, I know it's not many's favourite, but I really enjoyed Win, Lose, or Die.

Glad to hear it - Win, Lose Or Die is the next Gardner book I planned to tackle.

[Professor Pi]

I really enjoyed John Garder's Icebreaker when I sailed through it 25 years ago and recommended it to friends and family who enjoyed it too. It could have been the title for DAD.

Benson's novelisation for The World Is Not Enough includes an extra chapter on what happened during the Elektra/Renard kidnapping and also clarifies other plot elements lost in the movie. Doubleshot was the most intriguing Benson novel to me, even if not the best.

If you can find it, Christopher Wood's The Spy Who Love Me novelisation is surprisingly good.

I also liked Gardner's Death Is Forever and Never Send Flowers.

Haven't read Devil May Care or Young Bond yet.

[MkB]

Benson's novelisation for The World Is Not Enough includes an extra chapter on what happened during the Elektra/Renard kidnapping and also clarifies other plot elements lost in the movie.

I have to say that it's the only Benson I've tried, and I found it painfully bad Athough, I've never ever really appreciated a novelisation in my life, so maybe it's not really Benson's fault.

[zencat]

Now, however, I am in a Moore-Than-Ever-Before mood and I'm not looking for a literary masterpiece. I want a Bond book that's more like the movies with Bond making quips and using the silliest most science fictiony gadgets Q could ever think up in his wildest dreams.

None of books have crazy scifi gadgets, so you're not going to really find that.

Unless you count the Wood adaptation of Moonraker (I'm guessing, I haven't read it) which some consider superior to the movie.

I don't really consider novelizations continuation novels, even though some authors try to fit them into the chronology. I think Gothamite can do better than read a novelization.

[Safari Suit]

I agree to be honest. I loved novelisations when I was a kid but now I find them kind of pointless. (I have similar views about "tribute bands") I just mentioned it because I assume it does have "crazy sci-fi gadgets".

[golrush007]

I think novelisations are good for a little light, entertaining reading. They are a bit pointless though if they add nothing to what is seen on screen - which is why I like Christopher Wood's so much, especially JB,TSWLM.

[Gothamite]

Off the subject of Bond for a moment, I should mention that I disagree that novelisations are all bad. Denny O'Neil's novelisations of Batman Begins and the first half of his novelisation of The Dark Knight are among two of the best books I have ever read and the level of expansion and characterisation explored in those books makes the films they are based on look like the shallowest pieces of fluff, instead of the grand movies they are.

Back to Bond.

I was worried this would happen. I've exhausted all of my Moore films (except for FYEO -which I may watch- LALD -which I'm not too pushed about watching- and TMWTGG -which I refuse to watch-) and I popped in the Living Daylights DVD and watched the 'Dalton on Acting' and 'Dalton/D'abo: Interviews' features. Then, I watched the film itself...

...Now all I want to do is read the grittiest, most hard-edged Fleming I can find. I suppose I might take the advice given above and read From Russia with Love and Dr. No, respectively. Also, Mister Asterix's very interesting point about YOLT has inspired me to try and give that a go once again. So, thanks.

Edited by Gothamite, 10 January 2009 - 11:45 PM.

[Safari Suit]

I did not say novelisations were bad, it's just I personally would take an original story or a non-fiction book over a script adaptation.

On the other hand I do have a rather negative and possibly slightly unpleasent opinion of tribute bands, but that's for another time, another thread and another section.

[Gothamite]

I'm about 3/4 of the way through Licence Renewed and I'm enjoying it quite a bit, in spite of its flaws which I will get to, later.

Mostly, I enjoy how it does make some effort to emulate the literary Bond, while still taking a lot of nods from the cinematic superhero Bond of the time. This is a far better effort at merging the two versions of the character into one story than Benson's novelisation of Die Another Day, which I read recently, hoping for just that.

All of Bond's gadgets (and there are many, in spite of what someone said earlier) are plausible and realistic and don't neccessarily do what they LOOK like they do (e.g. the Dunhill lighter only works as a paralysing-gas-shooter and actually doesn't function as a lighter); which is something that always bugged me about some of the gadgets in the movies. I absolutely love the Silver Beast (even though it's not actually called that, yet). It's great to see Bond driving an everyday, affordable, albeit tough car.

I'll post again when I've finished the novel. Altogether, I'm having great fun with it and while it doesn't have the dark and sinister bite of Fleming, it has the action-packed tension, suspense and humour of the movies.

As a side-note, the next time I read a Bond novel, I think I'll read a Fleming one, rather than a continuation novel. I recently bought Dr. No. Would I be better off reading FRWL first, as a I believe DN is a semi-sequel?

The new Bond books I have bought:

- Die Another Day novelisation (Benson)
- Licence Renewed/For Special Services/Icebreaker Omnibus (Gardner)
- James Bond, The Spy Who Loved Me (Christopher Wood)
- James Bond and Moonraker (Christopher Wood)
- Dr. No (Ian Fleming)

Everyone speaks of how hard all of these books are to find and yet I found them all on Amazon for amazingly low prices.

Edited by Gothamite, 29 January 2009 - 12:11 PM.

[Mister Asterix]

It’s the later Gardners that are really hard to find. I’ve two to four copies of all of the early to mid Gardners, but the later novels I’ve only the one I bought when they came out.

[Zorin Industries]

Can I be so bold as to suggest none of them (?)

And since when did a film tie-in written by Raymond Benson classify as a "continuation"...?! A continuation of him getting lucky maybe, but the words "novel" and "Bond film tie-in" hardly match in my book.

[Gothamite]

Can I be so bold as to suggest none of them (?)

And since when did a film tie-in written by Raymond Benson classify as a "continuation"...?! A continuation of him getting lucky maybe, but the words "novel" and "Bond film tie-in" hardly match in my book.

A lot of people consider Christopher Wood to be the only worthy 007 author other than Fleming himself and he's only written movie tie-ins.

As for calling them 'continuation novels', I use that term broadly in the sense that a 'continuation novel' is any 007 story written in prose for people aged 16+ that aren't written by Ian Fleming. Happy?

[Zorin Industries]

Can I be so bold as to suggest none of them (?)

And since when did a film tie-in written by Raymond Benson classify as a "continuation"...?! A continuation of him getting lucky maybe, but the words "novel" and "Bond film tie-in" hardly match in my book.

A lot of people consider Christopher Wood to be the only worthy 007 author other than Fleming himself.

Yes, including Christopher Wood himself.

[Gothamite]

Yes, including Christopher Wood himself.

Could you elaborate?

[Greene Planet]

He wrote the script and novelisation of The Spy Who Loved Me.

[Attempting Re-entry]

Fascinating thread. A couple of years old, I know, but I'm just about to dip into some of these after reading all the Flemings.