2121 replies to this topic

[zencat]

Let's be careful not to turn this into a flame war. If Jeffery Deaver decides to read any thread on CBn, it will be this one, and it would be nice for him to see us at our best (not our worst). If he makes it as far as page 26, that is.

I don't want to get too personal either, but I do get annoyed when nationality is brought into a discussion that doesn't call for it. Everyone else has been talking about Project X, not where the posters come from.

Agree. Unless of course the poster is Canadian. Then we can have at them. Damn Canucks!

As to usernames, hey, they're part of the fun. Some are even damn funny. Best thing about danslittlefinger was his username. And typically if you click on them you can learn who the person really is. But I admit I have a bit of a prejudice about people who are provocative or argumentative and also conceal their profile, because sometimes they turn out to be old trolls come back to cause new trouble and I don't want to waste my time with them. But others just don't want their identity online. Maybe they don't want people to know just how big a Bond geek they are.

[DAN LIGHTER]

Let's be careful not to turn this into a flame war. If Jeffery Deaver decides to read any thread on CBn, it will be this one, and it would be nice for him to see us at our best (not our worst). If he makes it as far as page 26, that is.

I don't want to get too personal either, but I do get annoyed when nationality is brought into a discussion that doesn't call for it. Everyone else has been talking about Project X, not where the posters come from.

Agree. Unless of course the poster is Canadian. Then we can have at them. Damn Canucks!

Candians and Scottish.


English or American......that will get sorted out tomorrow at 8:30pm BST

[whiteskwirl]

There is reason to be excited about Jeffery Deaver writing Project X, however. Deaver is a popular thriller writer. We haven't had that since John Gardner, and this time the writer is actually a James Bond fan. Faulks and Amis weren't thriller writers, and Benson was an unknown (for fiction) at the time. Deaver doesn't write spy novels, though, except for Garden of Beasts.

Deaver's mainstream appeal might very well attract new readers to Bond, which is great for the franchise. Actually, it certainly will attract new readers. It's just a question of how many.

So I think it is pretty huge that Jeffery Deaver is going to be the best Bond novel, and it would be huge even if he didn't have a reputation as a consistently good author, because the publicity alone will be good for Bond. That's why I'm so excited about it, and I think that's a good reason why all Bond fans ought to be excited about it.

[Righty007]

I think Jeffery Deaver will be a phenomenal Bond author. But what do I know? I'm just a stupid Yank.

[Loomis]

I'll let the Bond Youth (not Young Bond) and their better understanding of comic book retcons/reboots make their own sense of this. Them and the essentially American "Even though Jeffrey Deaver hasn't written a word of James Bond I'm a fan" (with apologies to Trident, Loomis and various others hiding behind user names on here).

Why are you apologising to me, and furthermore why are you accusing me of "hiding" behind a user name?

Context thus:

1. I've enjoyed the contents of your posts and replying to them and also those of Trident. I apologise because I'd happily continue with them, but feel this subject now futile.

2. I believe there are various folks hiding behind user names who have already fallen for Deaver without a word being written; these may or may not be Americans - I am unable to decypher who they might be in the Bond community, and hence nationality, due to the anonymity of user names. (I've been around the "Bond community" for some years, know some real folk, etc )

Sorry if the original punctuation of my original post doesn't make it clear.

Now, back to the kids.

Ah, apologies. For some reason, I'd assumed you knew I was a fellow Brit.

It is, of course, true that I hide behind a username, although "hide" seems a harsh way of putting it. Although I have met and become friends with some CBners in the real world, and have corresponded by e-mail with others, and in those instances I do of course use my real name.

As for my having "fallen for Deaver without a word being written", well, I haven't. Yes, I admit that the news that he's been chosen as the new continuation author has me looking forward to seeing how his book turns out (so sue me, although I presume that that is also true for you). But I haven't proclaimed PROJECT X as a masterpiece, nor will I, because I learned a painful lesson from the bitter disappointment that was DEVIL MAY CARE, which was the product of one of the greatest writers currently walking the earth.

I am not a fan of the continuation novels, although I do try to keep an open mind (bloody hard though it can be sometimes). For me, the literary Bond begins and ends with Fleming, and maybe also Amis and Pearson if I'm in a good mood. The only "canon" worth a damn is Fleming's. Long after everyone's forgotten DEVIL MAY CARE and PROJECT X, and when IFP is on its third reboot of Young Bond, the Flemings will still be being reprinted and admired.

Everything else comes and goes. Only Fleming is eternal. Which is why I'd far rather that Deaver threw Fleming and continuity to the wind and did his own thing with Bond, instead of producing yet another lifeless and unconvincing Fleming imitation.

If Deaver were to really cut loose and make Bond his own (although I doubt he'll be permitted to do so), we could be in for a real treat.

[Trident]

I believe there are various folks ... who have already fallen for Deaver without a word being written; these may or may not be Americans - I am unable to decypher who they might be in the Bond community, and hence nationality, due to the anonymity of user names. (I've been around the "Bond community" for some years, know some real folk, etc )

Sorry if the original punctuation of my original post doesn't make it clear.

Now, back to the kids.

Oh, I think there is a distinctive amount of (overhasty?) enthusiasmn regarding X around, sure. But I also think this is perfectly natural considering the circumstances. News on the film front will probably be scarce for the forseeable future, so fans are actually in a mild state of starvation. Any news regarding Bond would spark lively responses right at the moment.

Now we get the announcement (with a countdown, mind you) that there is a new adult novel in the works.

Reaction: FAN-TAS-TIC! (after DMC it was not very likely there'd ever be a new adult Bond novel!)

Next we hear it's to be written by Jeffery Deaver, a prolific thriller writer in his own right.

Reaction: BLOODY FANTASTIC! (since John Gardner it always was someone that happened to be almost drafted, not a person whose own work would put him into a place to politely decline the idea)

But the wonders never cease. We hear 'Project X' stands for a whole series of present day novels by different authors.

Reaction: ... (actually, this is one of fandom's most often voiced ideas; stunning that IFP really has picked up on it!)

And on top of all that we hear now that X stands for a 'reboot'.

Reaction: F*C*U*K!!! (mind you, up to now the standard IFP strategy was 'ok, you write a continuation and we'll just see the rest...')

This is for the first time an attempt that goes beyond the minimum effort. There is a basic concept hinted at, a schedule that reaches much further into the future than any previous effort, personally and conceptionally.

In light of all of that I can understand people getting somehow enthusiastic. I also can understand your (or anybody else's) initial discomfort and doubt about the idea of 'rebooting' Bond. As I've mentioned before, not so long ago I'd haven't been very positive about this venture myself. Still, after some pondering of the idea (strangely enough, before X was announced) I started to see definite potential in it. I'm 42 myself at the moment, so I had to do my fair share of bending my mind around it (not being overly comic geek-ish I have to admit).

I still think rebooting is far from an easy feat. A complicated task that calls for some effort. But I also have confidence that it can be done. And the main thing about Deaver's X-1 of course should be that it convinces as a Bond adventure. If it succeeds in that regard I think it will be much easier to get comfortable with the reboot that the X-series also is.

[Loomis]

I'll add that Deaver is (if I understand it correctly) one of the world's most acclaimed and bestselling thriller writers. He's not just some schmo like Benson or Higson. He's not just some random geezer whom IFP has picked up on the cheap. He's not just another struggling scribe who'd be lucky to get published. He's a giant like Clancy, Grisham or King, or at least not far off. As a thriller writer, Gardner was popular only in Britain, whereas Deaver is huge in America. Again, though, if I understand things correctly. I've never read Deaver, and, no, I haven't actually looked at his sales figures, but this is the impression I get.

Of course, Faulks is, as I say, one of the best writers in the world (as a prose stylist he could no doubt write Deaver under the table), and I admit that I hyped DEVIL MAY CARE to the skies on that basis - I was convinced that not only would it be by far the best of the continuation novels, but that it would also put to shame all of the Flemings bar YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE. Well, I learned a lesson in not counting one's chickens.

The difference is, Faulks was not known as a master of the thriller genre, whereas Deaver is. With Bond, Deaver won't be halfheartedly slumming it as Faulks was - he'll be doing something that's very much on his own turf.

[Jack Spang]

The only thing that displeases me is that Bond will be under 30. I think he should atleast be 32. 28, damn, he's younger than me now! LOL.

[zencat]

I don't think there's any shame in Bond fans getting excited, even overly so, about news of a new Bond book and series. For some of us, it is THE most exciting news we can get. If it offends, best not click into this forum, because when we get the title or the first look at the cover, I'm going through the roof!

[whiteskwirl]

If we aren't excited about Project X, if we don't speculate about it endlessly, then what else are we going to talk about for the rest of the year while we wait?

[zencat]

How much we hate MGM?

[whiteskwirl]

If it offends, best not click into this forum, because when we get the title or the first look at the cover, I'm going through the roof!

There's also that "secret mission" thing on the Project X website. Whatever that turns out to be, there will be lots of talk about that.

[Righty007]

For some of us, it is THE most exciting news we can get. If it offends, best not click into this forum, because when we get the title or the first look at the cover, I'm going through the roof!

I'm going to be right there with you going through the roof!

How much we hate MGM?

MGM Who? That pretty much sums up my feelings for the cinematic James Bond right now.

[whiteskwirl]

I'm glad the response to Deaver has been so positive, unlike the announcement of Daniel Craig, which led to CraigNotBond. I'm glad there's no DeaverNotFleming.

[zencat]

How much we hate MGM?

MGM Who? That pretty much sums up my feelings for the cinematic James Bond right now.

Yeah, me too. For some reason, I'm feeling this urge to start hatin' on the films just a little bit. Hate on MGM. Hate on Eon even. Call it postpartum Bond film depression with a bad case of the GrahamRyes. Now that I'm getting my meds from IFP, for some reason I want a pound of their flesh.

But this can be treated with a solid title for Bond 23.

[K1Bond007]

Become a Trekker if you want continuity.

Star Trek is actually not so good with continuity. There's tons of glaring mistakes throughout TNG, DS9, VOY, ENT and especially in the films. As much as I agree with your post, I'm inclined to say that Bond has better continuity. Nothing's perfect though and after 40-50 years, hell 10 years or even a sequel later in Hollywood's current climate things start to unravel and fall apart. This is why comic books refresh so much.

Honestly, just consider this James Bond X. Don't even think of it as a reboot. Marvel does this all the time. Ultimate Spider-Man, Ultimate X-Men etc. It's like a re-imagining that doesn't wipe out the original timeline. They can easily co-exist (and hopefully will when Higson does Young Bond 2 - am I right).

[terminus]

Oh, yes, I will be doing the happy dance when we get a title or find out a plot blurb.

[zencat]

My great fear is they are going to hold back everything until the release day. That Project X box is going to remained locked. Man, that would be tough.

[whiteskwirl]

If we aren't excited about Project X, if we don't speculate about it endlessly, then what else are we going to talk about for the rest of the year while we wait?

I'm going to quote myself and say that one thing we can talk about besides Project X is Deaver's other work. There's a discussion thread already for Garden of Beasts here. Not much discussion yet, but we can change that.

My great fear is they are going to hold back everything until the release day. That Project X is going to remained locked. Man, that would be tough.

That would be rough. A trickle here and a trickle there would be much better, leading up to the release. I don't remember what happened with DMC.

[zencat]

They kept the plot of DMC locked up tight (which I didn't mind). But we got the title and cover art along the way.

[terminus]

I seem to recall we just had the title and not much else, re: DMC, and that was one of the problems about the themetune competition, that it was being written without having seen even a simple synopsis. I recall some extracts surfaced a week or so before the book was published, but that was it. Of course, I didn't follow it that closely so other people may be able to set things right.

[whiteskwirl]

I seem to recall we just had the title and not much else, re: DMC, and that was one of the problems about the themetune competition, that it was being written without having seen even a simple synopsis. I recall some extracts surfaced a week or so before the book was published, but that was it. Of course, I didn't follow it that closely so other people may be able to set things right.

Yeah, I remember now the extracts. I recall it wasn't received well, but it certainly did spark discussion.

[Single-O-Seven]

Let's be careful not to turn this into a flame war. If Jeffery Deaver decides to read any thread on CBn, it will be this one, and it would be nice for him to see us at our best (not our worst). If he makes it as far as page 26, that is.

I don't want to get too personal either, but I do get annoyed when nationality is brought into a discussion that doesn't call for it. Everyone else has been talking about Project X, not where the posters come from.

Agree. Unless of course the poster is Canadian. Then we can have at them. Damn Canucks!

Oh, well...

Silently, with head held low, back into my igloo I go...

[mcdonbb]

I seem to recall we just had the title and not much else, re: DMC, and that was one of the problems about the themetune competition, that it was being written without having seen even a simple synopsis. I recall some extracts surfaced a week or so before the book was published, but that was it. Of course, I didn't follow it that closely so other people may be able to set things right.

In a way I just want a straight bond adventure...not revenge not a reboot not a love story....just bond. MGM is so far in debt makes me feel good come bill time so no 23 anytime soon...but at least this gives producers material to scavenger from as well. But enough of that I am excited and its a intriguing idea.

But what if the producers used this...hmm lets say takes too long to get 23 going and Craig bails because he thinks hes too old now (btw hes has said that before..you know that when he thinks hes too old he'll quit..)

Who would take over? How about henry cavill...okay now im getting pumped good actor looks part and wouldnt be too much of a kid on a rollerblade with rockets...but how explain reboot of reboot (I loved casino royale and daniel craig and dont want to undo what was done)

hmmmm okay answer so this cavill bond movie version takes plase inbetween the teaser of cr and the madagasser mission. yeah craigs bond is chasing a terrorists there just like this deavers bond....and at the end of the movie M can call bond back and say we need you in madagasser.

would a movie going audience buy that? not sure and not sure if would buy a younger bond or a reboot of a reboot but something to imagine while listening to the audiobook.

Oh and Bill Nye can play M.....who needs continuity!

b

[Jack Spang]

Oh, oh, oh, I hope Bond will atleast be 30. For some reason, a 2 at the beginning of his age makes me feel like he is too much of a kid.

So, Bond won't have come from the Royal Navy then? It's funny how it is hinted through Vesper in the film CR that Bond is former SAS yet on the website they specifically state that Bond has come from the Navy. I would rather him come from the latter.

Edited by Jack Spang, 12 June 2010 - 12:18 AM.

[[dark]]

Now we get the announcement (with a countdown, mind you) that there is a new adult novel in the works.

Reaction: FAN-TAS-TIC! (after DMC it was not very likely there'd ever be a new adult Bond novel!)

Next we hear it's to be written by Jeffery Deaver, a prolific thriller writer in his own right.

Reaction: BLOODY FANTASTIC! (since John Gardner it always was someone that happened to be almost drafted, not a person whose own work would put him into a place to politely decline the idea)

But the wonders never cease. We hear 'Project X' stands for a whole series of present day novels by different authors.

Reaction: ... (actually, this is one of fandom's most often voiced ideas; stunning that IFP really has picked up on it!)

And on top of all that we hear now that X stands for a 'reboot'.

Reaction: F*C*U*K!!! (mind you, up to now the standard IFP strategy was 'ok, you write a continuation and we'll just see the rest...')

This is for the first time an attempt that goes beyond the minimum effort. There is a basic concept hinted at, a schedule that reaches much further into the future than any previous effort, personally and conceptionally.

Just had to quote this because I agree with it so damn much.

[mcdonbb]

Oh, oh, oh, I hope Bond will atleast be 30. For some reason, a 2 at the beginning of his age makes me feel like he is too much of a kid.

So, Bond won't have come from the Royal Navy then? It's funny how it is hinted through Vesper in the film CR that Bond is former SAS yet on the website they specifically state that Bond has come from the Navy. I would rather him come from the latter.

yeah I dont think you want bond too young.....he's get ID'ed everytime he'd order a martini!!

[terminus]

Oh, oh, oh, I hope Bond will atleast be 30. For some reason, a 2 at the beginning of his age makes me feel like he is too much of a kid.

So, Bond won't have come from the Royal Navy then? It's funny how it is hinted through Vesper in the film CR that Bond is former SAS yet on the website they specifically state that Bond has come from the Navy. I would rather him come from the latter.

yeah I dont think you want bond too young.....he's get ID'ed everytime he'd order a martini!!

Vesper doesn't state that Bond is former SAS - she says that he's a former SAS type. The Royal Navy have an equivalent to the army's SAS - the SBS. Bond was presumably a member of this rather than the SAS.

28 isn't too young for Bond to have joined the Royal Navy, moved into the SBS and then been singled out by MI6 for the Double-Oh section. A character of roughly the same age attends university, joins the army and then gets recruited into the SAS and has participated in enough missions to make a name for himself in the novel Ultimate Weapon by Chris Ryan.

[Harry Fawkes]

Spot on Terminus.

Twenty eight is a good age for the new Bond novel (At the age of twenty eight, I was already a Sergeant with only God knows how many kills....Oops,Rescues ,sorry, under my own belt).

As for Bond being SAS or SBS, lets just say that considering he is a Royal Navy officer (should Deaver retain the rank Fleming gave him of course) then Bond, as a serving member in the Military, would have most certainly been attached to both Units during his years, as neither the SAS or the SBS have a permenant cadre of Officers.

Also to note and just for info, the SAS and the SBS are just 2 Units within the BA that form part of the UK Special Forces Group.

I tried depicting the above in my Fan Fic novel Midas Gold (Giving Bond a booted 'history' that is) See for yourselves:

…Bond stood up and leaned on the railing of the balcony and ran a hand through his hair. As he drank some of the Scotch, he looked out into the night, a slight frown on his face.
After University he had joined the Royal Navy because he could think of nothing better to do with his life. He went on to the Special Boat Service where he obtained the rank of Commander and after a couple of years was placed in 030 Special Forces Unit, serving covertly in Iraq, Somalia, Iran, Libya and actively in Bosnia. Those were the days, he thought; his early days as a Special Forces Operative. One knew where one was then. One had a job to do and one did it, to the best of one’s knowledge and ability. There were no grey areas. No cloak and daggers. No J-I-bloody-C thirsting for his blood! After 030, he decided to try out the SAS which in itself was a blast of a time, but then after two years he decided to move on to RNR Defence Intelligence where he was sent on a couple of specialized courses studying languages at Oxford and Cambridge.
‘Big bloody mistake, James,’ he hissed.
Cambridge was where he had met that SIS recruiter who’d thought Bond was the perfect candidate for the world of espionage.
Must’ve been a bloody nutter, he reflected ironically. Look at me now!
Then again, he had no family and was going from one adventure to the other in the SAS, in search of that ultimate thrill; so SIS seemed the next best thing. He had ended up working at Section F where it was all about intelligence gathering then; Information, profiling, assessments, data processing - spying in the true sense of the word. A year after joining, Sir Miles Messervey summoned him to his office on the eighth floor of the Regent’s Park Headquarters. He wanted Bond to join his outfit. Said he’d been highly recommended and he could do with a man of his ‘talents’. It turned out he was the founder of what they then called the Double O Section and after going through the mandatory gruelling training, he gave Bond his first two jobs. He had to assassinate a Japanese spy in New York and a Norwegian double agent who betrayed two British agents to the Russians. After those two very messy affairs, Bond was given Double O status and from then on there was no turning back...

Harry Fawkes

[Byron]

I have not read Deaver so can someone explain to me (and others) what this "ticking clock" trademark of his, is about?

Is it something along the lines of "Bond you have 48 hours to complete your mission"? Then each chapter heading shows the time ticking down?

If so would i be right in assuming P-X will be a very fast paced novel?

Personally i prefer a more leisurely pace such as in DR and LALD. Characterisation, location and atmosphere are better when the pace isn't too fast.