40 replies to this topic

[Qwerty]

Now on the CBn main page...

'All Options Are Open' For Literary James Bond

IFP agent states no new author has been signed; Sebastian Faulks confirms he won't write another

[Byron]

Now on the CBn main page...

'All Options Are Open' For Literary James Bond

IFP agent states no new author has been signed; Sebastian Faulks confirms he won't write another

After the disaster that was DMC, i am very glad Faulks won't be back.

As for IFP, i may be wrong, but they seem to have no long term forward planning, they are just making things up as they go along. Even if no writer has been signed why can't they tell the public what is in the pipeline?

[00Twelve]

You think they might be trying to decide when they want the next novel(s) to take place? I'm sure there's more on their plates than that, but it's a valid question. DMC had potential to be fantastic with the Fleming voice and time period and all; it was the retreading and need for completing checklists that ultimately tore it down.

I, for one, would like to see Bond continue in that time frame rather than the improbable modern times of the Benson books, where Bond basically is Pierce Brosnan. :smirk:

[Double-Oh Agent]

This news disappoints me. I'm fine with not having Sebastian Faulks return as I found Devil May Care ultimately lacking, but IFP not having made a decision on which way to take the literary Bond is not a good thing in my book (not to mention them not having a new author lined up). It's been over a year since DMC came out. It will be at least another year before we get another adult Bond adventure. With one 007-centered story in the last seven years or so, it's way past time to get on with the next chapter of James Bond's thrilling life.

[clinkeroo]

Some food for thought; they said they hadn't contracted the next new author or book yet, but the new IFP website states that they do have litereary plans for the near future.

Yes, it's a pipe dream, but wouldn't publishing some Holy Grail such as Per Fine Ounce fit both bills? That is, if it still exists.

[zencat]

Trewin stated that no new author had been signed to write a new novel and that there were ‘no firm plans at the moment’.

Wow. This is disappointing. I've really been hoping something was in the works and we'd hear about it this year. Bummer.

[Double-Oh Agent]

Some food for thought; they said they hadn't contracted the next new author or book yet, but the new IFP website states that they do have litereary plans for the near future.

Yes, it's a pipe dream, but wouldn't publishing some Holy Grail such as Per Fine Ounce fit both bills? That is, if it still exists.

Yes, you're right about that fitting both bills, and I would absolutely love it if it were true (heck, if we ever got Per Fine Ounce at all at some point in the future would be terrific). However, I doubt that scenario will happen. I would imagine if IFP were going to release Per Fine Ounce that doing it last year during Ian Fleming's Centenary would have been the perfect timing to do so. After all, Geoffrey Jenkins was a good friend of Fleming's and outlined some of the story/plot with Fleming input/approval. That would have really been a great way to celebrate the centenary with IFP announcing their publishing of a "recently found" manuscript with ties to Ian Fleming. But they didn't do that and now here we are. Still one can hope. As we all know, never say never.

* This marks my 3,000th post. And although I'm a long ways off from Qwerty's tally, I feel like celebrating. Maybe I'll order a medium-dry vodka martini--shaken, not stirred, of course.

[Trident]

Some food for thought; they said they hadn't contracted the next new author or book yet, but the new IFP website states that they do have litereary plans for the near future.

Yes, it's a pipe dream, but wouldn't publishing some Holy Grail such as Per Fine Ounce fit both bills? That is, if it still exists.

I think what this rather shows is how IFP works in general. They of course know all their options as well as anybody around here (Young Bond II, War Bond, Post War Bond, Post TMWTGG/DMC Bond, Intermediate Bond, Contemporary Modern Bond, Graphic Novel Bond in descending order of probability).

Now this statement is also kind of a thrown stone. They will carefully observe which ripples it causes; certainly not just with fans but with the industry and the market in general. That will narrow down their options to one or two. Finally, it's perhaps a question if they want to give their respective candidates an option at all, or if they make the decision themselves, thus giving the next contractor clear orders on what they want from him.

It might also mean that they give one or several candidates one or more options, ask them for a general exposé and decide only when they have the ideas on the desk.

[Loomis]

I'm sorry (but hardly surprised) that Faulks won't be doing another one. I'd like to see him develop his Bond.

[Peaceful]

It's been mentioned in past discussions that Faulks didn't "put his all" into writing DMC and that he treated it as a fun project (it was fun to read)
Did Faulks even say it himself??
I'm hoping that whoever they choose next, will be more dedicated - for want of a better word - to the assignment, as CH has been to the YB series.
Ken Follett perhaps?
Great news that they are still going to go ahead with a new adult series.

P.F.O.D.

[Loomis]

Does anyone have any idea as to how much money Faulks may have made from DEVIL MAY CARE? Taking into account the book's remarkable sales, might he have taken more than a mil? Also, how much would it have cost to hire him in the first place? Not expecting exact figures, obviously, but perhaps Jim or someone else who knows the publishing game might like to hazard some guesses.

[007Bond007]

i am anxiously awaiting a new bond novel. quite frankly they need to find an author who can take up the mantle, and write a decent novel.

Edited by 007Bond007, 20 June 2009 - 01:06 PM.

[deth]

Faulks was always derogatory when talking about the Bond books... so I'm glad he's not back. He treated it like he was above writing books like that... but yet, his Bond book wasn't very good.

[zencat]

Great news that they are still going to go ahead with a new adult series.

Where do you see that news? All I see here is a statement that they "don't have any firm plans" for a new adult novel.

[OmarB]

A couple names I would like to hear tossed around.

Charles Cumming
Gayle Lynds
Barry Eisler
Patrick Larkin

[B. Brown]

Does resurrecting Ian Fleming count as an "option"?

[Major Tallon]

What do you think, Zencat? Has Higson given any hints as to whether he'd do it?

[David Schofield]

Come on CBNers, there's a lot of naivety going on.

Faulks' book sold a lot of copies, sure. But it was Centenery year. And Faulks says he won't write anymore, because he's a long way up himself. And the reviews among people who had read Fleming were pretty lousy.

The Moneypenny books were based on a ludicrous premise no one really cared about and so badly reseached they made Faulks look like a Bond fan. And they probably didn't sell in great numbers. Not rush-realeased in the USA, were they?

Higson's Bonded out and, quite understandably, needs a break. And what Bond does he write about next?

Contemporary Bond demands Dan Craig, so it's hard to make work in lit. form. Benson's Brosnan-Bond efforts, anyone?

Oh, and Per Fine Ounce is no saviour. Publish and its crap, and everyone understands Glidrose/IFP's original supression. Turns out to be good... and IFP have to justify their orginal decision not to publish.

And besides, what capable contemporay author wants/needs the gig...?

No, it can't be easy being the James Bond literary copyright holder, what with all that they've sanctioned before...

[Bryce (003)]

No, it can't be easy being the James Bond literary copyright holder, what with all that they've sanctioned before...

I'll agree with you on that. It's really a "damned if you do, damned if you don't" situation IMO right here and now. I read DMC twice and it has sort of grown on me. Maybe the third time will tell.

What it will tell, to me, I can't tell you, but I'll give it a go again one of these days. More out of curiousity than anything else.

Frankly, I'll most likely grab either Moonraker or Icebreaker off the shelf next time I travel or have the time to read at home. I'm doing a bit too much writing of my own these days.

[Quantumofsolace007]

Well At least i have the fact i haven't read all the gardner novels to fall back on.

I would like to make a suggestion for apossible writer of a new bond series
Brad Meltzer. I love his work and think he would do a good job.

[OmarB]

Well At least i have the fact i haven't read all the gardner novels to fall back on.

I would like to make a suggestion for apossible writer of a new bond series
Brad Meltzer. I love his work and think he would do a good job.

Brad's another great choice. I came to his work through his stuff at DC comics and we all know how dependent comics are on what has come before. He writes great stories using elements from the past both important and obscure and crafts a good tale. I suggest people pick up his graphic novel "Identity Crisis," it's a universe spanning (as in affecting all the heroes and villains so he's great at writing huge casts) story bringing back an old near forgotten DC villain in a truly shocking story. Or his 13 issue run on Justice League.

[Quantumofsolace007]

Well At least i have the fact i haven't read all the gardner novels to fall back on.

I would like to make a suggestion for apossible writer of a new bond series
Brad Meltzer. I love his work and think he would do a good job.

Brad's another great choice. I came to his work through his stuff at DC comics and we all know how dependent comics are on what has come before. He writes great stories using elements from the past both important and obscure and crafts a good tale. I suggest people pick up his graphic novel "Identity Crisis," it's a universe spanning (as in affecting all the heroes and villains so he's great at writing huge casts) story bringing back an old near forgotten DC villain in a truly shocking story. Or his 13 issue run on Justice League.

I haven;'t read any of his comic book stuff (though i hope to soon) but i did enjoy the book of fate and his Book of lies looks good too. they are a good medium size book (400-600 pages) and they usually are quick reads.

I think Meltzar would do a great job with 007

[Tybre]

I'm doing a bit too much writing of my own these days.

No such thing, Bryce. No such thing.

[zencat]

What do you think, Zencat? Has Higson given any hints as to whether he'd do it?

Oh, he's said openly that he'd like to write more Bond. This from our last interview:

As I said, I’m going to take a break. I’ve started this new series and we’ll see how that goes. But there are so many areas of James Bond that you could write about and it would be fun to write about. And I definitely want to be involved in the world of James Bond in one form or another. ...

The decision as to exactly how we do the books and where we go ultimately lies with IFP.

[Harry Fawkes]

What do you think, Zencat? Has Higson given any hints as to whether he'd do it?

Oh, he's said openly that he'd like to write more Bond. This from our last interview:

As I said, I’m going to take a break. I’ve started this new series and we’ll see how that goes. But there are so many areas of James Bond that you could write about and it would be fun to write about. And I definitely want to be involved in the world of James Bond in one form or another. ...

The decision as to exactly how we do the books and where we go ultimately lies with IFP.

Well, I suppose it'll come out one of these days so I might as well tell you myself.

I was approached by IFP a couple of weeks ago (they rang me at home you see) and asked if I'd take up writing the official Bond novels.

They wanted me to give the series a fresher edge where action, characters and the sexy bits are concerned.

Offered me quite a sum I must say - you know, to bring Bond back to life in the strictest sense of course, but I'm afraid I had to decline.

Yes I'm sorry.

I know, I know.

Stupid thing to do but I'm so committed this year, what with my Fan Fiction novel called MIDASGOLD on CBn that, unfortunately, I simply wouldn't cope.

So, there you go.

That's me out of the game.

Thank you all at IFP for having me in mind and all that but as things stand, CBn's Fan Fic site has that effect on me.. .

[Scrambled Eggs]

Seems to me, given the success they had with DMC, that they'll be keen to keep continuation novels as occasional prestige projects. I doubt we'll see a Gardner or a Benson - someone contracted to write a new James Bond 007 novel every year or so.

A followup series to Young Bond seems far more likely.

I like the idea of a Graphic Novel series (Brian Azzarello? Garth Ennis?) but I imagine thats unlikely.

I also like the idea of "Fleming Universe" novels - adventures featuring other double O agents. But given the relative lack of success (or so I understand) of the Moneypenny books that might not appeal to IFP.

I suspect they'll stick to what works: a series aimed at younger readers with one off spectaculars every few years.

[Professor Dent]

I would have thought that they had been working on this while Devil May Care was in the works or as it was being released but instead we get a "no firm plans at the moment" comment.

[Peaceful]

Great news that they are still going to go ahead with a new adult series.

Where do you see that news? All I see here is a statement that they "don't have any firm plans" for a new adult novel.

Sorry . . . was half asleep when I posted that.
I meant to say that, although nothings set in stone, the possibility for more adult bond is still out there.
Faulks turning down an offered 2nd, (re contract) to me means, that IFP want to do more. So now they are gonna sit and think about it over a cuppa and decide whether or not to turn on the green light and, if & when they do, who's gonna do it next
does that make sense?? or am I talking out of my butt crack?? it's quite possible as friends tell me I do it a lot

'nite
P

[zencat]

It makes sense.

[Skudor]

Clearly his one attempt was a bit of fun, for him, thankfully he won't be doing the silly thing - write another one - which is why he gets away without a slap.

I'm still annoyed with the trash that DMC turned out to be.

Hopefully whoever comes next will put some effort into writing a decent thriller, something that doesn't read like the literary equivalent of Die Another Day.