6 replies to this topic

[RossMan]

Just wondering what people's thoughts are on John Gardner's second to last Bond novel (and it looks like its been a while since there has been any Gardner conversation).

This isn't among my favorite Gardner books. My main problem is that it doesn't seem to be evenly paced. Throughout the whole book it seems like Bond is talking with MicroGlobe One, then goes off on a little mission, and returns to MicroGlobe One for a debriefing and another little chore to go on. I find it rather slow moving anytime I read it. Everything after Felix comes into the story is great, though. IMO, however, it has some really well written action scenes and Maxwell Tarn is a vile villain. Nice cliffhanger ending leading up into his last one.

So, what's everyone else's take on this one?

[mi6spy005]

I started to read the book a couple years ago, but it didn't interest me enough to keep going. I only got through a couple of chapters.

[brendan007]

microglobe one is probably the stupidest idea that gardner ever had for the bond series. i hated the idea. im also not a fan of freddie, or flicka, or whatever hes calling her in this book. bond girls imo should not continue on book to book. gardner really shouldnt have been let anyway near the bond series.

[General Orlov]

No, I disagree with you brendan007, at least on the last statement. There are some weaker Gardner-novels all right, and SeaFire is probably one of them, and not all of Gardner's ideas were good, but he has delievered some great books and sure kept the novel-series alive. All in all, he did a good job.

[MicroGlobe One]

I have to disagree regarding MicroGlobe One. That much is no doubt obvious from my choice of forum name. For various reasons, MicroGlobe One came across to me as one of Gardner's more interesting, if annoying, elements of realism in his Bond mythos. It was a means of shifting the formula around, putting Bond up against an institutional foe of sorts at the same time he was battling a true villain, and adding some real world flavor to the proeedings.

Granted, it's been quite some time since i last read SeaFire. I hesitate to comment much on the plot and characters until I've read the book again. While I don't recall the storyline very well, however, the action packed climax of the novel is burned into my mind. Pun intended. Max Tarn's brutal death at the hands of a ruthless James Bond is fairly unforgettable, as is the state in which Bond finds his latest true love at the book's end. Gardner's world of 007 was, at times, certainly darker.

[RossMan]

I have to disagree with above statement of Gardner shouldn't have been let anywhere near the Bond series. In my mind, he is far superior to Benson and Amis (I do enjoy their books immensely, so don't get me wrong). Gardner made many changes to Bond and his world, and often not following the standard forumula or flow of either the movie Bond or Fleming, but that's what seperates his stuff from every other Bond novel and movie and, in my opinion, makes them so enjoyable. (Though, I really didn't start to appreciate Gardner's Bond novels so much until I went through them a second time).

When I first read SeaFire I was irritated with the creation of MicroGlobe One. However, I think it'd be interesting to have seen what Gardner had in mind for MicroGlobe One in future books.

[chronicliar]

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