James Bond by other people

[berk]

I wouldn't say that... but it's certainly very different from all the others.

One of these days I'll get round to re-reading all the Fleming books to see how they match up to my memories, but right now, yeah, I remember it as an odd, but interesting experiment. Not a bad thing to try for an author who reputedly was getting a little tired of his creation at that point.

[Vesper]

Frankly, I hated all of the Gardner books. Fleming is one of my favorite writers. Gardner wrote plot twists that one could see coming a billion miles away, retread or not. It's been years since I've read any, but I'm not sure I could bring myself to again in any case.

[RolandJP]

You know who would write a great Bond Novel. American Psycho Author Bret Easton Ellis.

Even tho the material was not related. His flair for name dropping fashion, places, and such were so Fleming.. I kept thinking He could write one hell of a bond Novel.

[Joe no Sleep]

I remember Man With the Golden Gun as probably the worst of the Fleming books, but it's 30 years since I read it.

Heh, I had to wiki that to see what you were talking about. Pretty cool. I haven't read many of Christie's short story collections, but looking at the wiki article there's a few I'll want to hunt down, including this one.

Thanks. I found a few Gardner Bonds for $1 each at a local bookstore today: For Special Services, which I think I read when it came out in the 1980s, Nobody Lives Forever, and Role of Honour. None of them among your top recommendations, but for $1 each I figured what the hell.

I read Golden Gun this past summer and liked it. Fleming knew his days were numbered and stripped Bond back to basics - one last team-up with Felix, turning down Knighthood (and literally becoming Sir James Bond), try to kill his boss (inspired loosely on Fleming's own mother and her constant criticism), and hooked up with his old secretary. I liked how Mary Goodnight is a bit smarter than she is in the film. I also liked the crazy exotic dance with the hand-shaped chair that nobody seems to remember. I also like Penguin's lavender cover for it in the current edition.

Some fans think of Bond as a detective, so its neat to have one of the best mystery writers ever write a Bond story. "The Rajsh's Emerald" might as well count as one of the Young Bonds. My bookshelf, my rules .

The Gardners you bought are all nice - the "new" SPECTRE trilogy. Tamil Rahani is a good character, but Gardner never offered a backstory as to how he became SPECTRE's chief - he's just there. For Special Services and Role Of Honor give fans deja vu after they've seen A View to a Kill and Goldeneye. Goldeneye is almost a remake the Golden Gun film.

Gardner wrote the Goldeneye novelization. I'm curious enough to want to see if he could explain what the "fried egg" prop was for and what it did. My guess was that the gem's signature was read like a handprint as a passkey to activate the program.

[Joe no Sleep]

i can see why one would think 'The Man With The Golden Gun' was worked on by someone other than Fleming. its the worst Bond novel i've read thus far. though, i haven't read 'The Spy Who Loved Me' yet and i hear its not that good either.

I suspect the latter had its origin as a short story/novella that was expanded with preamble about Vivienne's romances and her meeting Horror and Slugsy. The Dain Curse by Dashiell Hammett had a similar structure where it could be viewed as three stories. In that sense, Vivenne becomes the most fully-realized of the Bond girls in print.
It's also the only book where Bond comes off like a true detective - he deduces the insurance scam, the atmosphere, Viv's part in it and takes decisive action. The only real spy story is the parable about SPECTRE that Bond tells Viv, which is very Dahiell Hammett-like.

[Libaax]

That does set some alarm bells ringing.

It's interesting that the Bond series has attracted two pretty prestigious "literary" writers, Kingsley Amis and Sebastian Faulks, to contribute to it. Well, Amis at least; I don't really know much about Faulks, so maybe I have a mistaken impression of his standing. Anyway, I can't think of another series that could make the same claim.

It should not be alarm bells because he won big international crime award for Garden of Beast a cool spy thriller set in WWII where an american hitman is sent into germany,Berlin undercover. Hardcore,Bond like character.

Its the first non Fleming i plan to read.

[Joe no Sleep]

It should not be alarm bells because he won big international crime award for Garden of Beast a cool spy thriller set in WWII where an american hitman is sent into germany,Berlin undercover. Hardcore,Bond like character.

Its the first non Fleming i plan to read.

I read his (Deavers) introduction to Casino Royale, but I prefer not to use his past works as a tarot deck. This is really a "wait and see" deal for me.

[Libaax]

I read his (Deavers) introduction to Casino Royale, but I prefer not to use his past works as a tarot deck. This is really a "wait and see" deal for me.

His usual crime series i havent read and doesnt sound like to me my taste but i will buy his Bond.

For me who read his cool spy novel he is a proven spy author even if he wrote only one novel.

Rather read him than people who are not known for this kind of lit. Like Faulks.

[berk]

So the Guardian says there'll be a new James Bond novel coming out in 2013 written by William Boyd: I've heard of this writer but haven't read anything by him up to now - anyone have an opinion for or against, or a recommendation of one of his novels? I'm thinking of giving his Bond book a try, even though I still haven't read the Sebastien Faulks one yet.