Accompanying the exhibition will be a new book by Ben Macintyre also called “For Your Eyes Only: Ian Fleming and James Bond” that will be published by Bloomsbury in April 2008. (Timesonline)

Next year is really going to be quite awesome for Bond fans. Bond 22, Devil May Care, Final Fling, the SilverFin graphic novel, Double or Die in the US, and now an exhibition and at least one non-fiction book that we know of. Who knows what else, maybe even Young Bond Book 5. Exciting times.

YBD also has a look at the cover for the next Titan Books comic reprint: Shark Bait, which will be released early next year. You can pre-order it from Amazon.

The James Bond Encyclopedia will be published stateside on October 15. Pre-order on Amazon

On a related note the Australian Government loves SilverFin calling it a “sensational, action-packed adventure”. They recently added it to their Books Alive program which aims to encourage their citizens to experience the joys of reading. For more on that news, check out CommanderBond.net.

When and Where:
Thursday 6th September at 6:30pm
Waterstone’s, 203 – 206 Piccadilly
The Simpson Room, 6th Floor

• Hollywood In Hi-Def sat down with Casino Royale director Martin Campbell and talked about James Bond in HD. Specifically Blu-ray. Campbell says he can’t wait to see Lawrence of Arabia in HD. He also talks about why he didn’t come back for Bond 22.
• Now this is just silly. Wanna know what Daniel Craig has been up to? Well the BBC has been keeping tabs. Apparently he went to a pub for a pint and it was at that moment in time that the pub owner realized his place was a huge sausage fest. Seriously.. :)
• David Arnold was recently at the International Film Music Conference and Soundtrack.net was there to snag some pictures and tell the tale.
• Young Bond Dossier snags a shot of the Hurricane Gold audiobook cover. Yeah, it looks like an audiocover, but it also looks rather lame considering all the cool stuff they’re doing for the hardcover book. Would have been better with a gold look like the book. In my opinion anyway. Oh well. I’ve actually never listened to any of the Young Bond audiobooks, but they’re narrated by Charlie Higson. In the UK anyway. In the U.S. Nathaniel Parker did the first two. He actually stars in Stardust which was released today.
• Awhile back I mentioned that Raymond Benson was going to be attending Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York as the 2007 Joseph G. Astman Distinguished Conference Scholar for their upcoming conference “Bond, James Bond–the World of 007″. Well CBn got the press release and the details for everything that’s going to go on during the event.

In a rare update to Ian Fleming Publication’s website, they respond to the news of John Gardner’s recent passing:

All at Ian Fleming Publications Limited were saddened and shocked to hear of the death of John Gardner on Friday 3rd August.

John was a highly respected and admired member of the Bond family and he will be great[ly] missed.

Our thoughts at this time are with his family.

It seems the mainstream media is just now reporting it.

• The Washington Post
• Stratford Herald
• The Daily Mail

Over at Raymond Benson’s official website, Benson remember his friendship with fellow Bond author John Gardner who recently passed away on August 3rd.

“I was saddened to hear of John Gardner’s passing. I had my first book-signing (THE JAMES BOND BEDSIDE COMPANION) in 1984 alongside John Gardner at the Mysterious Bookshop in New York (he was signing ROLE OF HONOR). Even though I made criticisms, as well as praises, of his Bond novels in my BEDSIDE COMPANION, we became friends and stayed in touch throughout the years. I have fond memories of my visit to his Virginia home for a weekend in 1993 to write an extended piece on John and his works for 007 Magazine. I have nothing but respect for John and the legacy he left. We’ve lost an artist with true integrity.” – Raymond Benson

Gardner took up the mantle in 1981, successfully transporting the 1950s-1960s James Bond into the 1980s with his first 007 novel, Licence Renewed. Gardner retired from the Bond series in 1996 due to health reasons allowing Raymond Benson to take over the mantle and continue on till 2002.

Bond novels:

1. Licence Renewed (1981)
2. For Special Services (1982)
3. Icebreaker (1983)
4. Role of Honour (1984)
5. Nobody Lives For Ever (1986)
6. No Deals, Mr. Bond (1987)
7. Scorpius (1988)
8. Win, Lose or Die (1989)
9. Brokenclaw (1990)
10. The Man from Barbarossa (1991)
11. Death is Forever (1992)
12. Never Send Flowers (1993)
13. SeaFire (1994)
14. COLD (Cold Fall in the US) (1996)

Novelizations:

1. Licence to Kill (1989)
2. GoldenEye (1995)

Outside the world of James Bond, Gardner wrote the Boysie Oakes series and two books focusing on Sherlock Holmes’ nemesis Professor Moriarty. Gardner’s final novel, No Human Enemy, is set to be published later this month on August 27th.

He will be missed.

Coming in the spring 2008, A Hard Day’s Death written by former Bond author Raymond Benson will be published by Leisure Books in mass market paperback. The book is about a private investigator who must solve the death of a rock star. Told tongue-in-cheek, real-life rock stars will make cameo appearances throughout the book.

About the book, Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull said, “Raymond Benson cuts a frantic dash through the world of Rock and Roll. Thrills-a-plenty and backstage passes to the magical mystery musical twilight zone…” On a related note, back in 2002 Benson wrote The Pocket Essentials Guide to Jethro Tull.