36 replies to this topic

[Dainshdude118]

Ok, plot, characters, era, locations, authers, titles, throw 'em all in here.

[zencat]

Young Bond goes to India. Young Bond goes to Hollywood. Both would be pretty fascinating locations in the 1930s.

[OmarB]

My take is we need to bring back Robert Markham as a persona, have a new writer come in and do a limited run (of 3-5 books) then change over. Do it in a way that we can get a Bond novel every year. And hire talent, not big names ::caught:: Sebastian ::caught::

As for plot and all that, I say Bond in N Korea.

[Mr. Blofeld]

I'd like to see how Bond accomplished his first two kills in the novels; I believe one of them was trying to shoot a Japanese cipher clerk with a sniper rifle from an opposite skyscraper.

[zencat]

I'd like to see how Bond accomplished his first two kills in the novels; I believe one of them was trying to shoot a Japanese cipher clerk with a sniper rifle from an opposite skyscraper.

James Bond The Authorized Biography dramatizes both these missions. Brilliantly, I might add.

[Mr. Blofeld]

I'd like to see how Bond accomplished his first two kills in the novels; I believe one of them was trying to shoot a Japanese cipher clerk with a sniper rifle from an opposite skyscraper.

James Bond The Authorized Biography dramatizes both these missions. Brilliantly, I might add.

Well, I mean, I'd like to see them outside of a frame story; in the actual context of a novel, if you will...

[zencat]

Yes, that would be cool. A stand alone novel just about these two missions. Of course, it would be called OO7.

[Mr. Blofeld]

Yes, that would be cool. A stand alone novel just about these two missions. Of course, it would be called OO7.

Well, that, and Bond developing his relationship with Sir Miles Messervy.

[DAN LIGHTER]

Yes, that would be cool. A stand alone novel just about these two missions. Of course, it would be called OO7.

Well, that, and Bond developing his relationship with Sir Miles Messervy.

I like the idea of that. I like Bond to be kept in the orginal Fleming time frame. Bring back Robert Markham is also a great idea. Dont tell us who the real writer is until after a couple of years. Let the dust settle.

Bond in Australia or New Zeland would be cool. But then I just remembered he went to Oz in "The Facts of Death". Its quite a hard one. Where has he not been?

[OmarB]

Yes, that would be cool. A stand alone novel just about these two missions. Of course, it would be called OO7.

Well, that, and Bond developing his relationship with Sir Miles Messervy.

I like the idea of that. I like Bond to be kept in the orginal Fleming time frame. Bring back Robert Markham is also a great idea. Dont tell us who the real writer is until after a couple of years. Let the dust settle.
Bond in Australia or New Zeland would be cool. But then I just remembered he went to Oz in "The Facts of Death". Its quite a hard one. Where has he not been?

I keep saying it man. I'm a huge fan of the Mack Bolan/Executioner/Able Team/Stony Man books, as well as Remo Williams/Destroyer or even the many Clancy titles that just bear his name. Fact is, you can hire a guy, he does a run of books set in Fleming's time line then when he's done the next guy steps in and the previous writer is revealed. But then, maybe I'm spoiled by having a new Mack Bolan book every other month, or a new superman and Batman title every week!

[MicroGlobeOne]

My take is we need to bring back Robert Markham as a persona, have a new writer come in and do a limited run (of 3-5 books) then change over. Do it in a way that we can get a Bond novel every year. And hire talent, not big names ::caught:: Sebastian ::caught::

At the risk of being a voice of negativity, I have to say that I simply don't understand the appeal of clinging to a series pseudonym. The idea of resurrecting "Robert Markham" simply rubs me the wrong way, particularly considering that my bookshelf bears several copies of "Robert Markham's" sole contribution to the series, and each reprint also proudly bears the proper name "Kingsley Amis" alongside. (Once it was known that Amis was the author of Colonel Sun, what possible marketing strategy or benefits could be found in the meaningless pseudonym?!?) There's no reason to hide the name of the writer behind the novels, no more reason than there is to add the absurd "Writing as Ian Fleming" byline. Say what you will of Devil May Care, but the novel was a phenomenal success in part because of the way in which the novel was marketed and in part because of Sebastian Faulks. Whoever might write the next 007 adventure, I'd like his or her name on the front cover.

[tdalton]

For the next Bond continuation novel, I'd like to see a direct continuation of Fleming's work, picking up from right after THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN, and have the novel deal with the ramifications of Bond's actions in the beginning of that novel. Surely M and the rest of MI6 can't be fully trusting of Bond after the events of that novel, even though he did receive an offer for a knighthood at the end, and that's something that would be interesting to see dealt with over the course of the next novel.

[zencat]

My take is we need to bring back Robert Markham as a persona, have a new writer come in and do a limited run (of 3-5 books) then change over. Do it in a way that we can get a Bond novel every year. And hire talent, not big names ::caught:: Sebastian ::caught::

At the risk of being a voice of negativity, I have to say that I simply don't understand the appeal of clinging to a series pseudonym. The idea of resurrecting "Robert Markham" simply rubs me the wrong way, particularly considering that my bookshelf bears several copies of "Robert Markham's" sole contribution to the series, and each reprint also proudly bears the proper name "Kingsley Amis" alongside. (Once it was known that Amis was the author of Colonel Sun, what possible marketing strategy or benefits could be found in the meaningless pseudonym?!?) There's no reason to hide the name of the writer behind the novels, no more reason than there is to add the absurd "Writing as Ian Fleming" byline. Say what you will of Devil May Care, but the novel was a phenomenal success in part because of the way in which the novel was marketed and in part because of Sebastian Faulks. Whoever might write the next 007 adventure, I'd like his or her name on the front cover.

I agree. I see no logic or appeal behind reviving the Markham pseudonym, besides maybe nostalgia.

[tdalton]

I agree. I see no logic or appeal behind reviving the Markham pseudonym, besides maybe nostalgia.

I don't see any reason to either. All they need to do is find an author to come on board and finally deliver us a good continuation on Fleming's Bond. Regardless of who that turns out to be, I think that that person should get the credit for the novel rather than "Robert Markham".

[DAN LIGHTER]

I wonder how Devil May Care would have gone down if it was by Robert Markham?

[OmarB]

Ok, a couple of you don't like Markham comming back. I still think they need to start pumping them out though. There are many young, gifted writers who would love a chance to do a 3-5 or however many arc then respectfully step aside.

[Dainshdude118]

Am I the only person who actually liked the whole “Writing as Ian Fleming” thing? I thought that it was a good way to pay tribute to Ian, keeping his name on the cover of a book celebrating his centenary. Anyway, I like this whole “007” idea, with the first two kills and developing relationships with Sir Miles, Moneypenny, Ponsomby, Tanner etc.

[OmarB]

Nope, didn't like it. He was trying to be Fleming and failed miserably.

[DouglasJ]

Am I the only person who actually liked the whole “Writing as Ian Fleming” thing? I thought that it was a good way to pay tribute to Ian, keeping his name on the cover of a book celebrating his centenary. Anyway, I like this whole “007” idea, with the first two kills and developing relationships with Sir Miles, Moneypenny, Ponsomby, Tanner etc.

A better way to keep Fleming's name on the cover would be to do what the films do...

Ian Fleming's James Bond 007 in
DEVIL MAY CARE
by Sebastian Faulks

The 'writing as Ian Fleming' thing just comes off as a bit... pointless.

I'm unsure about how I feel about them continuing with the books, if they were to do it I wouldn't want a 'name' writer for the sake of literary credibility - just pick the best man for the job, even if he's never been published before. Keep it in Fleming canon, don't bring it up to date.

Edited by DouglasJ, 13 June 2009 - 04:12 PM.

[TheREAL008]

What about a couple of stories after Bond earns his 00 status and leads into Casino Royale? Perhaps three stories total?

And then something that picks up right after TMWTGG?


Another idea I have, and this WILL label me a heretic, what if the Fleming novels were updated for this century? It might make a somewhat good idea. Take existing characters and plots and retool them...

Edited by TheREAL008, 13 June 2009 - 04:23 PM.

[zencat]

The 'writing as Ian Fleming' thing just comes off as a bit... pointless.

See, I don't think this was pointless because it prepares the reader for what this book is (and is not). It is NOT a Sebastian Faulks novel. It is Faulks doing an imitation (or sorts) of Ian Fleming. He is writing AS Ian Fleming.

I knew as soon as I saw this billing what to expect from this book and from Faulks (and more importantly what not to expect) and this could be why I wasn't disappointed. Far from being pointless, I think this billing is critical. Had this not been on the cover, I would have started reading and thought, "what the hell is this?"

Now, the question of whether Faulks should have done it this way is another matter. But having done it, certainly it was necessary to somehow explain it to the reader up front.

[JimmyBond]

I'd actually like to see the same thing that Gardner and Benson did. Give us novels udated for the present. The movies do it and it works just fine, why can't the novels do it?

[DAN LIGHTER]

I quite liked the Ian Fleming name thing. I thought it was also there to add the the 100th year celebration?

[DouglasJ]

Another idea I have, and this WILL label me a heretic, what if the Fleming novels were updated for this century? It might make a somewhat good idea. Take existing characters and plots and retool them...

I was actually thinking last night, that it might be a good idea to 'reboot' the Literary Bond as they did the cinematic Bond.

Let's face it, there's not much chance of anything new living up to Fleming, so why not start afresh?

[Jim]

Another idea I have, and this WILL label me a heretic, what if the Fleming novels were updated for this century? It might make a somewhat good idea. Take existing characters and plots and retool them...

I was actually thinking last night, that it might be a good idea to 'reboot' the Literary Bond as they did the cinematic Bond.

Let's face it, there's not much chance of anything new living up to Fleming, so why not start afresh?

Interesting idea. There might be problems; see below.

http://commanderbond.net/article/4747

[DouglasJ]

I greatly enjoyed that, thank you.

In all seriousness though, I think a reboot is the way to go. It would allow for the author to break away from certain things Fleming established, thus meaning that there would be greater freedoms in the writing process.

While Fleming is the master, I don't think future writers should be a slave to him. Why? Because as I've said, it's not going to be Fleming - so why try?

[OmarB]

I have to disagree with the restarting of the literary franchise. If you want to freeze his age and update it to the present (like Mack Bolan - The Executioner) then that's fine but breaking away from Fleming seems counterproductive to me. We have all come to love the established conventions of the series and a good writer should be able to work within that framework. It would be like restarting Sherlock Holmes or Conan but changing stuff just cuz.

Batman's been 32 since the start of his war on crime yet the books have stayed modern, I don't see why Bond can't. Or go the other way and freeze him in age and time during the cold war, which I would also love.

[DouglasJ]

Batman's been 32 since the start of his war on crime yet the books have stayed modern, I don't see why Bond can't. Or go the other way and freeze him in age and time during the cold war, which I would also love.

Batman himself, in the comics, has been rebooted numerous times. Normally after one of the 'crisis' events. So if you were to read the very first Batman comic, right through to the most recent, it's not one continuous story - rather it's filled with reboots, restarts and retcons.

Edited by DouglasJ, 15 June 2009 - 04:37 PM.

[OmarB]

There were no reboots where Batman is concerned. Crisis Of Infinite Earths killed Supergirl and The Flash as well as cleaned up continuity, Identity Crisis killed Jason Todd's father (the closest death to him in the story), Infinite Crisis killed Conner Kent (again, closest death to Bruce). Fact is, he has been one continuous narrative, Superman's been restarted several times (John Byrne, Mark Millar), not Batman, his story's just been retold ... there is a difference.

[tdalton]

I don't think that a reboot of the literary Bond is the way to go. There's plenty of interesting stories to tell about Fleming's Bond post-TMWTGG.

If it were up to me, I'd "reboot" the continuation series and start off fresh with the next Bond novel being the follow-up to Fleming's THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN, with Bond having to deal with the consequences of his actions at the beginning of the novel (despite the fact he was allowed to go after Scaramanga instead of being imprisoned, he's still bound to be in a lot of trouble with MI6 and M, and it would be interesting to see how that is all dealt with moving forward).