17Jan

Project X is Carte Blanche

Filed under: Carte Blanche on Jan 17, 2011 at 1:56 pm

Late last night Jeffery Deaver announced the title and cover art for his upcoming James Bond novel formerly known as Project X. It’s now called Carte Blanche. I rather like the title. I don’t think it’s dead on Fleming in the way that Devil May Care was, but it’s not far from the path. I also like it due to its double meaning. Deaver says, “In the world of espionage, giving an agent carte blanche on a mission comes with an enormous amount of trust and constantly tests both personal and professional judgement. Part of the nonstop suspense in the novel is the looming question of what is acceptable in matters of national and international security. Are there lines that even James Bond should not cross?” That’s a good premise for a Bond novel. Something I think has been explored in the recent James Bond films starring Daniel Craig – specifically Quantum of Solace. It wasn’t so much carte blanche, but forming a trusting relationship between Bond and M. If there’s two things you get out of that movie, it’s that Bond is a trustworthy agent and it took him a bit to get over Vesper if he really ever got over her at all. In my opinion anyway. The other meaning I see in the title is Jeffery Deaver’s own carte blanche. When you hear stories about Glidrose (now known as Ian Fleming Publications) and the writing process previous authors had to go through to craft a unique story the way that Fleming had, carte blanche is a joke. They’ve loosened up in recent years, but still they gave Jeffery Deaver (an American too) practically carte blanche to start over with Ian Fleming’s James Bond. It’s a reboot, a blank slate, an empty piece of paper, a carte blanche. As far as a first title goes in a hopefully successful new series; It’s a fantastic title. Semi-related note, it reminds me of the new Back to the Future game by Telltale Games. They went all out here and got the original screenwriter Bob Gale to be involved and they got Christopher Lloyd back for Doc Brown (Michael J. Fox couldn’t be a part – sad). It’s a five part series. So what did they call the first episode? “It’s About Time”. I love it.

Press release after the break

The new James Bond book, due to be published later this year and written by best-selling thriller writer Jeffery Deaver, is to be called Carte Blanche. Its title and cover artwork are unveiled today (Monday 17th January), at a special launch event at the InterContinental Hotel in Dubai.

Like Fleming, Jeffery Deaver takes inspiration from exotic locations around the world, and after visiting Dubai for the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature last year he decided to set part of Carte Blanche in the United Arab Emirates City.

Carte Blanche is due to be published by Hodder and Stoughton in the UK, a few days before Fleming’s birthday, on 26th May 2011. It has been commissioned by Ian Fleming Publications Ltd.

Jeffery Deaver comments, “I’m really excited about being back in Dubai. It is an inspirational and awe-inspiring city and makes a perfect Bond location—especially for a novel that pushes our hero to new extremes.”

Regarding the book’s title, Deaver added, “In the world of espionage, giving an agent carte blanche on a mission comes with an enormous amount of trust and constantly tests both personal and professional judgement. Part of the nonstop suspense in the novel is the looming question of what is acceptable in matters of national and international security. Are there lines that even James Bond should not cross?”

Unlike the most recent James Bond book, Sebastian Faulks’ period piece Devil May Care, Jeffery Deaver’s Bond will have a contemporary setting. As part of his latest assignment, the modern-day secret agent travels with Emirates Airline and spends a number of thrilling hours in Dubai both meeting up with an old friend and tracking a very disturbing villain.

The novel’s setting encompasses Deira and Port Saeed, and the history of the Emirates provides an exciting backdrop for some heart-stopping action.

Bond is renowned for visiting the most exotic and glamorous of cities and this is the first time Dubai has featured in a James Bond novel.

Jeffery Deaver will be making a special appearance at Emirates Airline Festival of Literature, on Tuesday 18th January, when he will be speaking about his love of Bond and his experience of writing Carte Blanche.

Carte Blanche also features Fleming’s favourite car – a Bentley. Historically, Bond owned three Bentley cars in the course of the fourteen original novels written by Ian Fleming and, bringing the plot completely up to date, Bond drives a Bentley Continental GT in the new book.

Jeffery Deaver has written 28 novels and sold more than 20 million books worldwide. He is best known for his Kathryn Dance and Lincoln Rhyme books, most notably The Bone Collector, which was adapted for film in 1999, starring Denzel Washington and Angelina Jolie. Before becoming a full-time author, Deaver was a journalist, like Fleming, and attorney. He started writing suspense novels on the long commute to and from his office on Wall Street. His books are now translated into 25 languages and he lives in North Carolina.


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