A while back our good friend at the Young Bond Dossier did some investigative reporting into the Centenary author and was able to scratch Ken Follett from the list of possibilities. You can scratch Lee Child from the list too. As Child tells it, apparently Ian Fleming Publications has offered him the job of writing a Bond novel twice in the past five years and he’s turned it down both times.
“Twice over the period of five years they’ve asked me to write the series, no regrets really because I think it is a thankless task in terms of first financial remuneration, as the terms were more favourable to the Ian Fleming estate than to me, and secondly there is the technical and cultural aspect. I see this as an impossible job as it’s now 2007, around 50 years on from the world that James Bond first appeared in. The world has changed, and one of the reasons the world has changed is because of James Bond, this country has altered its cultural frame of reference because of things like James Bond, so any follow-up fifty years later would be somewhat self-referential, and reading the book would be like watching an ABBA tribute band – i.e. what’s the point?”
You can read the full interview here.
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Comments
Comment by zencat
Made Wednesday, June 6, 2007 at 2:19 pm
Great find, K1.
ABBA cover band? Well!
Interesting that he calls it a “series” and not a one-shot Bond novel.
Comment by K1Bond007
Made Wednesday, June 6, 2007 at 3:31 pm
Yeah, it appears IFP looked to him as a possible replacement following Benson. They did the same with Forsyth in late 2001. I think it seems likely that IFP is looking for a series here. They may have settled for a one-off to get whomever it is though. I still think bringing back Robert Markham as a rotating pseudonym would be a good idea. Maybe, anyway.
I also forgot that Child’s reps struck it down in in 2006, but at least we know now that Child was offered the gig, and not just once.
Comment by David Schofield
Made Thursday, June 7, 2007 at 2:22 am
I think Child pretty succinctly states all the problems surrounding Continuation Bond, both the disadvantages to the writer and the quality of the final product. I do hope, that this being the case, IFP really do have a writer of quality who can get over the pitfalls of attempting an approximation of Fleming’s world.
Comment by Kevin Collette
Made Thursday, June 7, 2007 at 7:53 am
I for one would love to see a full dossier dedicated on those ‘ missed opportunities ‘ with various writers selected by Glidrose to pursue the Fleming legacy …Were they any of them from a non-english speaking language country , for instance ? What about selecting a russian writer to have a 360) turn vision of 007 behind the Iron Curtain …
Ah, I guess that with those kind of ideas , Glidrose will never ask me to become a board member…
Comment by Coolio Hunt
Made Friday, June 8, 2007 at 12:21 am
No child will be able to spy under 13 years. James Bond Jr was under 25.
