20 replies to this topic

[OmarB]

Sitting around the living room after a day of too much partying for the Memorial Day a thought occurred to me.  What's to be done with PX?  

 

Boyd's Solo is coming up soon and it's firmly rooted in the original timeline/universe for Bond.  Now PX was there to establish a modern take and use rotating authors.  So at this point it comes to me, that we should bug the heck out of the book people to keep both universes going.  

 

I'm not gonna judge PX based upon Deaver's perceived failure by some.  As a novel it trucked along quite nicely and was a pretty good starting point for a modern Bond series of novels.  I always thought that they should keep going, write modern spy/thrillers with Bond.  

 

Call me selfish for wanting not one but two ongoing Bond literary series going.  One with shorter more "literary" books like Ian did, and then more modern books with high tech, modern spycraft, and my favorite Clancy, Ludlum type page counts.  Yup, still waiting for the big, doorstop style Bond book.

[Dustin]

I suppose it's really just a question of the market. The market for thrillers is a tough one, with new competition coming up every week. Just putting 'BOND' on the cover doesn't sell that many books any more, so the natural thing is to keep Bond books scarce, with a new one only coming every few years. But that doesn't mean modern Bond is already a dead duck after CARTE BLANCHE. There may be future writers who want to follow up on it, or perhaps use their own version of a contemporary 007. But whether 'classic' or 'modern' I doubt we'll see more than three or four new Bond novels in a given decade in the future.  

[OmarB]

It would be cool if they alternated years. So there woul be a major release every year. I'm a huge fan of modern spycraft and those big freaking doorstop novels we are getting from that genre. Gayle Lynds from Ludlum's Covert One or her own solo books come to mind.

[glidrose]

Call me selfish for wanting not one but two ongoing Bond literary series going.  One with shorter more "literary" books like Ian did, and then more modern books with high tech, modern spycraft, and my favorite Clancy, Ludlum type page counts.  Yup, still waiting for the big, doorstop style Bond book.

 
I agree with everything Dustin said. You do know that Solo will be the longest Bond novel ever? If by big doorstop style of book you mean something in the 800 page range, then forget it. Bond doesn't work that way and he never will. Bond is a solo operative (see what I did?). 800 page novels traditionally need a large cast of characters with the protagonist absent from too many of the pages. An 800 page spy thriller with the protagonist in virtually ever scene is well-nigh impossible.

And lead with an "R".

Hi SKYFALL!

[OmarB]

If you think so, but there are many great books over 800 pages.  Rainbow 6 comes to mind, as does Apocalypse Watch and quite a few more.  I know what to expect from a Bond novel, I have them all.  That's why I want a big one.  Fleming, Gardner, Benson, Higson, etc, all too short.  Good books that finish right when you get into it.

[glidrose]

 

If you think so, but there are many great books over 800 pages.  Rainbow 6 comes to mind, as does Apocalypse Watch and quite a few more.  I know what to expect from a Bond novel, I have them all.  That's why I want a big one.  Fleming, Gardner, Benson, Higson, etc, all too short.  Good books that finish right when you get into it.

 

Great books!? Remind me to email the Nobel Prize committee. I've thankfully not read either book but, I dunno, does either book have a large cast of characters or suffer a rambling plot or appear to be overwritten?

Edited by glidrose, 29 May 2013 - 06:48 PM.

[OmarB]

Look at this guy being a smart aleck for no reason other than disagreeing.

 

 

If you think so, but there are many great books over 800 pages.  Rainbow 6 comes to mind, as does Apocalypse Watch and quite a few more.  I know what to expect from a Bond novel, I have them all.  That's why I want a big one.  Fleming, Gardner, Benson, Higson, etc, all too short.  Good books that finish right when you get into it.

 

Great books!? Remind me to email the Nobel Prize committee. I've thankfully not read either book but, I dunno, does either book have a large cast of characters or suffer a rambling plot or appear to be overwritten?

 

 

Oh look, someone who would rather be facetious than discuss what's to happen with PX.  Be a little more pleasant kid, the internet is not just for blasting other people's opinions.

[Dustin]

Gentlemen, the fate of Project X is hardly a topic to justify more than a cursory exchange of raised eyebrows, is it?

Thank you very much...

[Bill]

A new Bond book from Deaver would be welcome.  I enjoyed Carte Blanche.  He did a far better job of rebooting Bond then the film series (at least prior to Skyfall), as his book felt more like a traditional Bond book then the first two Craig films felt like a Bond film.  Granted, the film series set the precedent for rebooting the book series, so it was far easier to swallow.  I liked the mystery that Deaver put into place at the end of the novel, and would like to see it resolved.  A pity if we never get the chance to do so.

 

IFP should definitiely consider getting  a new continuation author for a series like Gardner or Benson.  I would prefer Benson come back, continuing where he left off (and it would also be interesting as to how he would deal with M after Skyfall, given that his Barbara Mawdsley is bascially Judi Dench's character.)  However, if that is not possible, then it would be terrific for Deaver to continue, which seems doubtful as it would seem that they would have hired him to follow up Carte Blanche before getting Boyd. 

[Dustin]

Deaver is one of those writers who have contracts for a certain number of books in a given period. This means he's practically always wrapped in his own work for a couple of years. IFP would have to agree to his schedule one or two years in advance if they want him back. At the moment it looks as if IFP doesn't plan much ahead beyond the book at hand. I suppose the authors they approach for a continuation can choose their own setting, so it could be some time until Bond features in a modern timeline again. Not that I think IFP ask that many writers.

[OmarB]

As a Bond novel Deaver's book was cool, but as the beginning of a series like any "pilot" it had it's weak points.  There's enough there to continue with new author(s).  

[Bill]

Omar:

Do you mean a continuation of what Deaver established with new authors?  That would be interesting, depending on how much of the underlying mystery was his creation and how much was IFP.  He may have specific ideas as to how to proceed, so he may be best to continue with them.  However, if it was an IFP idea then having new authors take over in that continuity would work.

[OmarB]

Yes, continuing Deaver's story. They may follow his plan or go off on their own. But PX was meant to be contemporary, so it will not interfere with Boyd's extension of original continuity.

[glidrose]

 

Gentlemen, the fate of Project X is hardly a topic to justify more than a cursory exchange of raised eyebrows, is it?

Thank you very much...

 
Amen!
 

Look at this guy being a smart aleck for no reason other than disagreeing.
 
Oh look, someone who would rather be facetious than discuss what's to happen with PX.  Be a little more pleasant kid, the internet is not just for blasting other people's opinions.

 
I didn't expect you to be so touchy, but no matter. Yes, you did initially raise the topic of what will become of Project X. Then you changed course. No harm there. Happens all the time on message boards. Then the conversation seagued to your long-held desire to have an 800 or so page Bond novel. My perfectly valid counter-argument is that such length works against Bond. Count me among those who distrust popular fiction that long. I also don't know why someone would want to emerse themselves in books that long. Lots of books to read, so little time.

As a wise man on the internet said somewhere if Henry James were alive today and were to write "The Turn of the Screw" it'd be 700 pages long and book one of a trilogy. I'll save you the trouble of searching for its actual page count - somewhere around 100 pages. Perfectly fine for that sort of book.

What counts as a great novel is entirely in the eye of the beholder but I suspect many people would question the value of both those books.

I could also ask you to be "a little more pleasant kid" and remind you that other people may not agree with you, that's what the internet - and life - is about but I think Dustin's getting ready to intercede again. He's giving me these looks. Besides, as well all know the internet is also about finding porn. Lots of it. The more the merrier.

Oh well... what's to become of Project X? Only IFP knows and they're not telling. I suspect they want to get as many high profile writers on board before they go back for seconds.

[Jim]

The concept didn't seem strong enough to sustain further development, and there was no particular pleasure to be derived from the manner of its execution.

[OmarB]

I would love to see IFP go ahead with a plan for once.  Remember Robert Markham was gonna be sort of the same deal.

 

Hey mods.  I just tried starting a topic in the John Gardner section and it said I was not authorized to.  What's going on here?

[Dustin]

This one? : http://debrief.comma...n/#entry1261223

 

Looks fine to me.

[OmarB]

Yeah, it worked after the 3rd attempt.  Weird.  But then I've been getting a lot of weird from this site.  I can log in on my laptop and my android phone, but my android tablet cannot for some reason even after putting the correct name/pw in.

[Dustin]

Probably some glitch. Not that I'm anything like having the foggiest about these things, mind you. But from experience one popular measure seems to be to delete your cookies, apparently this often helps. Let us know if the problems persist.     

[OmarB]

Cool.  Im at home now so on the desktop.  It's when I'm out and using the tablet I have the problem.  I will try later.

[glidrose]

 

The concept didn't seem strong enough to sustain further development, and there was no particular pleasure to be derived from the manner of its execution.

And let's not forget that Deaver said he would only write the book if it were done this way, i.e. a reboot. I think IFP were willing to humor him so get him on board. Once the book was finished and in bookstores they were free to drop the concept.

And as I've said before I don't buy the whole Robert Markham house pseudonym concept. Appears to have been some of us fans inventing the facts again to suit our wishes and fantasies.