311 replies to this topic

[Simg]

I think we are all getting excited that you are here Simon, in a virtual sense.

I'll second that.

Definitely!

Glad to be here, virtual or otherwise!

SRJG

[DAN LIGHTER]

I am just getting some breaking news in my ear piece, yep, I can confirm from my facebook feed that we are at 88% for re-prints in the voting!

Modern technology eh!

[Righty007]

I think we'll get Gardner reprints before we ever get Bond 23.

[Glenn]

I would love to see a reprint of the John Gardner novels, all matching covers (the second Bond novel that I read was Licence Renewed) especially since most of my original paperbacks are fading (and my sister ruined my original LR - the blue cover with the wing mirror!).

The promotional Saab car was silver. I lived next door to the owners of the Saab franchise in Newport in 1981, and they had the car on display in the showroom on Chepstow Road. At the time I hadn't read LR and didn't really pay that much attention because it wasn't a 'proper' Bond car. Now I kick myself and should have taken photos!

[Simg]

I would love to see a reprint of the John Gardner novels, all matching covers (the second Bond novel that I read was Licence Renewed) especially since most of my original paperbacks are fading (and my sister ruined my original LR - the blue cover with the wing mirror!).

The promotional Saab car was silver. I lived next door to the owners of the Saab franchise in Newport in 1981, and they had the car on display in the showroom on Chepstow Road. At the time I hadn't read LR and didn't really pay that much attention because it wasn't a 'proper' Bond car. Now I kick myself and should have taken photos!

Thanks Glenn, as I said earlier I though it was silver, however the pictures that I have in digital format all show a white SAAB. I might have access to more info on the whole 'SAAB' story at a later date. I am trying to track someone down who worked closely with my Father back in the day. Keep an eye on www.john-gardner.com SRJG

[Glenn]

It looks silver in this picture:

http://www.jamesbond...a...=au&g=au010

Unforunately I can remember little more about it. I was 11 at the time and didn't pay much attention, but I remember thinking that it wasn't a proper James Bond car because Roger Moore / Sean Connery hadn't used it. What was I thinking!

Edited by Glenn, 20 April 2010 - 01:34 PM.

[DAN LIGHTER]

I must say, as someone who has come to John Gardner books at 29 years of age, it has been very refreshing reading about childhood memories of reading John Gardners Bond Books. I feel like I missed out a little.

[David Schofield]

I must say, as someone who has come to John Gardner books at 29 years of age, it has been very refreshing reading about childhood memories of reading John Gardners Bond Books. I feel like I missed out a little.

Certainly as the annual publications came round of the earlier books, for me Gardner's Bond was the real thing while Roger Moore was just an ageing imposter thickening around the middle.

[zencat]

With the news of Bond 23 being delayed indefinitely, we now need JG more than ever. He alone flew the Bond flag from 89-94, now he can do it again. In 2011, James Bond is BACK.

[DAN LIGHTER]

With the news of Bond 23 being delayed indefinitely, we now need JG more than ever. He alone flew the Bond flag from 89-94, now he can do it again. In 2011, James Bond is BACK.

Yep, although one hopes the film thingy will get sorted soon. But 2011 would be very special with a few releases of John Gardners Bond.

Now, wasnt it Simon who named the SAAB the Silverbeast?

[zencat]

Our campaign has been noted in the April update on the official John Gardner website!

http://www.john-gardner.com/node/169

[Simg]

New update on www.john-gardner.com directing people to come and vote also link to Jeremy Duns Paperback Writer article. Jeremy contacted me today through CBN and I would like to publicly thank him for letting me link his site to JG's. Thanks Jeremy! SRJG

With the news of Bond 23 being delayed indefinitely, we now need JG more than ever. He alone flew the Bond flag from 89-94, now he can do it again. In 2011, James Bond is BACK.

Yep, although one hopes the film thingy will get sorted soon. But 2011 would be very special with a few releases of John Gardners Bond.

Now, wasnt it Simon who named the SAAB the Silverbeast?

Yes I do have that dubious honour

[The Silver Beast]

Yes I do have that dubious honour

And for that I thank you.

[DAN LIGHTER]

Yes I do have that dubious honour

And for that I thank you.

Look at what you have done Simon Gardner! Look! A grown man has called himself the Silver Beast and even made a signature banner to reflect it! Proud of yourself are you!

Joking aside though, Nice to see the Silver Beast addressing the founder of the Silver Beast. Only on CBn I guess.

90 % for re-prints! Wonderful news!

[K1Bond007]

You know, what do you think the chances are IFP already has something planned for the 30th Anniversary? Could we be spoiling it.

Honestly? Zero. The Fleming novels have been hitting their 50th Anniversary every year since 2003 - in fact April 11th was the 50th Anniversary of For Your Eyes Only and they didn't do anything special for that. But, at best if your campaign draws any sort of attention you could get some Benson-like omnibuses. Perhaps the campaign should target Pegasus Books to broaden what they're currently doing. I really don't think IFP is going to do anything, but I support the endeavor regardless. I also like surprises. (No effort really made for these: I, II)

[Simg]

Yes I do have that dubious honour

And for that I thank you.

Look at what you have done Simon Gardner! Look! A grown man has called himself the Silver Beast and even made a signature banner to reflect it! Proud of yourself are you!

Joking aside though, Nice to see the Silver Beast addressing the founder of the Silver Beast. Only on CBn I guess.

90 % for re-prints! Wonderful news!

This now getting a bit weird so I think I will go and lie down now.. Thank you all for the support.

[Mark_Hazard]

The promotional Saab car was silver. I lived next door to the owners of the Saab franchise in Newport in 1981, and they had the car on display in the showroom on Chepstow Road. At the time I hadn't read LR and didn't really pay that much attention because it wasn't a 'proper' Bond car. Now I kick myself and should have taken photos!

I've probably mentioned it before, but I had a similar sort of missed opportunity many years ago at the Biggin Hill Air Fair. Taking an early walk along the crowd line I chanced upon a crowd around the Saab enclosure. Could just about see the Silver Beast and recognised it for what it was, unfortunately there was too much of a crowd to take photographs, so I decided to try again a little later, but by the time I returned it had gone into stealth mode. I did manage to get a copy of the Saab/007 leaflet though, so it wasn't a complete waste of time. At some time I also managed to elicit a couple of pictures from Saab, one with JG (I think - can't lay my hands on it at the moment - on his knees pointing a pistol across the bonnet) and another (I think) cut-away type of picture.

[Qwerty]

Our campaign has been noted in the April update on the official John Gardner website!

http://www.john-gardner.com/node/169

Excellent. More and more of this sort of thing can only help.

[Professor Dent]

Some reprints would be most welcome. Maybe Kindle versions too.

[Jeff007]

Our campaign has been noted in the April update on the official John Gardner website!

http://www.john-gardner.com/node/169

Excellent. More and more of this sort of thing can only help.

Sure is great having Simon here!

[Simg]

The promotional Saab car was silver. I lived next door to the owners of the Saab franchise in Newport in 1981, and they had the car on display in the showroom on Chepstow Road. At the time I hadn't read LR and didn't really pay that much attention because it wasn't a 'proper' Bond car. Now I kick myself and should have taken photos!

I've probably mentioned it before, but I had a similar sort of missed opportunity many years ago at the Biggin Hill Air Fair. Taking an early walk along the crowd line I chanced upon a crowd around the Saab enclosure. Could just about see the Silver Beast and recognised it for what it was, unfortunately there was too much of a crowd to take photographs, so I decided to try again a little later, but by the time I returned it had gone into stealth mode. I did manage to get a copy of the Saab/007 leaflet though, so it wasn't a complete waste of time. At some time I also managed to elicit a couple of pictures from Saab, one with JG (I think - can't lay my hands on it at the moment - on his knees pointing a pistol across the bonnet) and another (I think) cut-away type of picture.

You will find the pictures you speak of at www.john-gardner.com and I also think, and I am sure someone will direct you, they are somewhere on this site and a couple of other site'a as well. Of course it would be great if you went over to the JG site... It's not like going over to the Dark Side!

[Righty007]

GardnerRenewed.org is now online. It redirects to @GardnerRenewed on Twitter for the time being. Stay tuned.

[AliasTheJester]

I really can't see why anyone would particularly object to Gardner's titles being reprinted. Bond is a big enough brand with enough serious fans that even a release of less popular works should be profitable. Even if you think the books are terrible, that's not really a reason to stop other people from judging them for themselves, and there must be plenty of books in print many of us would deem terrible so why draw the line at the Gardner Bonds? With all due respect, I see no reason for introductions which "warn people" that the Gardners deviate from Fleming. If people can accept the 20+ films which deviate greatly from Fleming and each other I don't see why they wont be able to handle Gardner.

[DAN LIGHTER]

You know, what do you think the chances are IFP already has something planned for the 30th Anniversary? Could we be spoiling it.

Honestly? Zero. The Fleming novels have been hitting their 50th Anniversary every year since 2003 - in fact April 11th was the 50th Anniversary of For Your Eyes Only and they didn't do anything special for that. But, at best if your campaign draws any sort of attention you could get some Benson-like omnibuses. Perhaps the campaign should target Pegasus Books to broaden what they're currently doing. I really don't think IFP is going to do anything, but I support the endeavor regardless. I also like surprises. (No effort really made for these: I, II)

The main difference here is Fleming’s Bond books are not out of print so they don’t need to establish celebration editions for books which are readily available in any bookshop. John Gardner’s can only be sourced second hand via the internet which is a bit of a travesty in quite a few people’s eye.

If you think it won’t happen of course that is fair enough. My passion is running quite high with this at the moment so I have a positive attitude which makes me unable to share the same view.

I really can't see why anyone would particularly object to Gardner's titles being reprinted. Bond is a big enough brand with enough serious fans that even a release of less popular works should be profitable. Even if you think the books are terrible, that's not really a reason to stop other people from judging them for themselves, and there must be plenty of books in print many of us would deem terrible so why draw the line at the Gardner Bonds? With all due respect, I see no reason for introductions which "warn people" that the Gardners deviate from Fleming. If people can accept the 20+ films which deviate greatly from Fleming and each other I don't see why they wont be able to handle Gardner.

I agree, I cant see why anyone would be against it. I would like to know why they would be?

[Trident]

... With all due respect, I see no reason for introductions which "warn people" that the Gardners deviate from Fleming. If people can accept the 20+ films which deviate greatly from Fleming and each other I don't see why they wont be able to handle Gardner.

The idea would not be to 'warn off' anybody, to the contrary. It would be a means to set reprints into the context they were written in originally, give some of the background and, with the addition of new material, make a possible new edition interesting for newcomers and old hands in the Gardner-Bond-verse alike. Background material dwelling into the specifics of the elements and plots (and the distinctions/differences to Fleming) of Gardner's books and perhaps extended version(s???) would be terrific news and for many fans a must-have.

[Jeff007]

All this Gardner talk makes me wish that there was a Gardner James Bond Companion book. The only Bond book I've ever seen them talked about was in the Bedside Companion and that is no doubt because Benson is a true fan. Their are plenty of Fleming Companion books out there that only aid to the background of the stories. I.e. Learning about the true situations Fleming was in and then seeing how he nicked it for his story.

Why hasn't there been a book like this for the Gardner novels?

[zencat]

Or the continuation novels in toto. I'd like that.

[Jeff007]

Yes Amis, Faulks, Wood Gardner and Benson. Higson already has his own.

[Trident]

All this Gardner talk makes me wish that there was a Gardner James Bond Companion book. The only Bond book I've ever seen them talked about was in the Bedside Companion and that is no doubt because Benson is a true fan. Their are plenty of Fleming Companion books out there that only aid to the background of the stories. I.e. Learning about the true situations Fleming was in and then seeing how he nicked it for his story.

Why hasn't there been a book like this for the Gardner novels?

Or the continuation novels in toto. I'd like that.

A Bond Continuation Companion? Covering Amis, Gardner, Benson, Faulks? An interesting idea, for a variety of reasons. There should be plenty of interesting backstory and material in that project to make fans open their wallets. Alas, it only would be possible with IFP's initiative and call for some effort in research. Right at the moment IFP is not giving the impression of having something like that lined up. But the prospect would be fantastic, no doubt there.

[DAN LIGHTER]

All this Gardner talk makes me wish that there was a Gardner James Bond Companion book. The only Bond book I've ever seen them talked about was in the Bedside Companion and that is no doubt because Benson is a true fan. Their are plenty of Fleming Companion books out there that only aid to the background of the stories. I.e. Learning about the true situations Fleming was in and then seeing how he nicked it for his story.

Why hasn't there been a book like this for the Gardner novels?

Or the continuation novels in toto. I'd like that.

A Bond Continuation Companion? Covering Amis, Gardner, Benson, Faulks? An interesting idea, for a variety of reasons. There should be plenty of interesting backstory and material in that project to make fans open their wallets. Alas, it only would be possible with IFP's initiative and call for some effort in research. Right at the moment IFP is not giving the impression of having something like that lined up. But the prospect would be fantastic, no doubt there.

All of that would be an interesting story in itself. The history if the Continuation Authors. I would read it.