Last Bond Novel You Read

I still find it insanely weird and awesome that I can scroll through Facebook and see thatIi'm friends with or connected to Raymond Benson and others of the IFF.

Cor, that's not bad. I should be so lucky. The big name I have is the actor John G. Hertzler.

Speaking of Benson, I was googling for something else and this came up. Someone giving Zero Minus Ten the old Pan treatment.

Wow that's awesome!

I never heard bad things about Benson's tenure until getting into forums but without a doubt they've got great ideas and the most energy of any Bond related project since....well honestly since the Dalton renaissance.

Am currently reading Gardner's novelisation of Goldeneye ... the differences are interesting such as the 'I'm alone/Aren't we all?' exchange between Alec and Bond being the only bit of dialogue from the pre-credits sequence that's the same, and Bond not having to firefight his way to the runway and fall from a plummeting motorbike into a pilotless plane in order to escape.

Gardner did this and LTK well, sort of separating it from the film and making them their own entries in the continuation line. Never felt like a straight-up novelisation with extra meat upon the bones.

It does say 'Based on the screenplay'. I wonder which draft of it Gardner worked from.

Blunt Instrument wrote:

It does say 'Based on the screenplay'. I wonder which draft of it Gardner worked from.

Do you mean to say Gardner worked on the GoldenEye script?

Zoinks. That'd be quite something if true.

Mr. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang wrote:

Blunt Instrument wrote:

It does say 'Based on the screenplay'. I wonder which draft of it Gardner worked from.

Do you mean to say Gardner worked on the GoldenEye script?

Ah no, I meant which version of the script he was given from which he produced the novel. I presume that's how it works/worked with adaptations ... if the novelisation is intended to be released around the same time as the film, I guess time pressure means they can't really wait until they have a finalised shooting script to pass along.

Ahh. Having read the very comprehensive Some Kind of Hero, I didn't think he did work on the GE script. I imagine he took creative licence in delving deeper into characters and scenes beyond what's necessary for the visual medium. Much like the TND novelisation giving Paris the maiden name of 'McKenna' which I doubt would have made any draft.

Gardner's GE is an interesting read and like the other 90's tie ins tough to find. I really appreciated the Natalya backstory which helped me get into her character more. However I found it strange that this had more energy and was a better read than any of his official novels at the time-and had more of a focus on the sex scenes than was typical for him.

It's not yet being flicked into, but bordering on my recent tradition of OHMSS in December. Ideally it'd be the recent Folio edition but sadly, I don't make enough money.

Anyway. If the film is the Bond Xmas flick, then the book naturally is the Bond Xmas, er, flicker. We all know the ending but still an absolute punch to the gut when it happens.

Up to Zero Minus Ten in my regular rereads. I'm about 3/4 in.

Made it as far as the Mah Jong game when I tried to read it, unfortunately Benson doesn't describe it too thrillingly as I recall ... I 'tapped out' and am yet to return.

I prefer Zero Minus Ten to what followed bar his novelisations (DAD is not too shabby compared to the film). Was never mad on the one where Draco is the villain.

I like the energy of ZMT but over the years it feels very patchy in spots and only jumps up in segments. The best moments are Bond going into full Bond mode and perhaps best of all is his blasting out of the corrupt General's palace on a side mission for the Triad leader.

Those are the best bits indeed. I quite like Bond in the Outback. First time I read it, could feel the heat and thirst.

Working into Goldfinger and during Bond's meeting with Smithers, struck by the name "Miss Philby" this time round (someone on the phone to Smithers). Fleming strikes me as someone who considered his names all throughout, not just villains etc, and Philby feels notable.

Two or so years prior to Kim Philby's defection to the USSR, but coming after the stuff in the news about him possibly being one of the Cambridge Five (that infamous press conference at his flat). Fleming likely knew things that the average reader wouldn't have (he still had contacts in the old service by the looks of it right up to his death).

Probably reading much into it but a curious name personally. Philby I don't think was all that common a name really. Filby maybe (Time Machine for example).

Otherwise, the Du Pont scene is quite decent. I guess it wouldn't have looked right in film, having someone from say Dr No pop up at Miami Beach but it's a nice hook into Bond meeting GF for the first time (and how he 'kidnaps' Masterson).

It's been a while since I picked up GF but what do you make of Fleming potentially using the Philby name? To suggest treachery is about with one of the characters or simply to lend an air of intrigue and danger by association to the name?

I'm thinking that it could be either reason you suggest. I imagined he had the same view of treachery as Bond (that line in Property of a Lady at Bond's skin crawling being so close to treachery) and as I say he thought his name's out for impact sometimes -Goldfinger, Blofeld, Bunt, Largo etc- so in a nutshell I imagine Philby, even in a paragraph.

This Miss Philby phones Smithers and Smithers gets irritated, maybe we can read more into the lines:

"I'm sure I sent you a note about the summer fixtures, Miss Philby. The next match is on Saturday against the Discount Houses." He listened again. "Well, if Mrs Flake won't play goals, I'm afraid she'll have to stand down. It's the only position on the field we've got for her. Everybody can't play centre forward. Yes, please do. Say I'll be greatly obliged if not this once. I'm sure she'll be very good-right figure and all that. Thank you, Miss Philby."

I assume they're talking about either football or netball (likelier the latter). Assuming Fleming knew the truth about Philby, and this is 1959, it could be a subtle dig. Centre forwards are important in most field. Maybe Mrs Flake is a dig.

I might do some research and see.

I went to the recent book on the Philby affair, "A Spy Among Friends" by Ben McIntyre (written with the declassification of documents) and it seems Fleming was in contact with important SIS officers almost till death. It mentions he met Nicholas Elliott (a top officer and best friend of Philby who went to Beirut in '63 to get a confession from Philby and perhaps, it is now suggested, helped him escape to Moscow), in 1960 as SIS in those days kept 'useful people' close. Fleming by the sounds of it though going to Kuwait for work (writing an article or some such) was probably asked by Elliott to do some spying.

Intriguing to think that in the late 50s, Elliott -who seems to have known Fleming quite well- might have said some things about Philby and Fleming used some of it, discreetly. Like Thunderball was influenced by the Crabb affair.

Fascinating. The Nicholas Elliott affair may have been inspiration for Fleming's Octopussy - Bond visiting Smythe and letting him die with dignity instead.

Quite possibly. Elliott never offered Philby that alternative of course but makes sense for Fleming to give it to Smythe whilst perhaps thinking of Philby.

Delicious historical irony that Philby once in Russia was utterly miserable. He wasn't needed, bit of an embarrassment to the KGB and USSR. They kept him going moneywise and he gave lectures at the KGB academy or whatever it was that trained them but otherwise, nothing. Have to love the USSR's way of doing things. Leech off these people, these traitors and spies, then have a total volte vace at the drop of a hat.

Of course, when he died, proper pomp of a funeral.

Death Is Forever was decent enough, although having Bond fall in love with the female protagonist (and proclaim same to her) really did seem like Gardner somewhat desperately trying to give her later death a poignancy it didn't deserve.

I've only read it the once and that was a couple of years ago so I have no memory of it. The early Gardner's were more solid -Licence Renewed to For Special Services.

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I finished Goldfinger and always striking that the Hoods and Tilly make it longer in the book than the film but of course, same end. "Poor little bitch. She never did like men."

The segment where Bond muses on sexuality, 'pansies', gays and lesbians would not pass an editor now you suspect. I know people who would find them beyond offensive but as much as it's contrasting to todays tolerance, like anything in the past, you take it in the context of the time and get on with your life.