William Boyd to Write Next James Bond Novel
  • darren_blacksmithdarren_blacksmith
    Posts: 672
    Lets hope its: 2013: New Bond novel, 2014: new Bond film!
  • Samuel001Samuel001
    Posts: 9,932
    Love the video! Best of luck to Boyd.

    Bounine said:

    Samuel001 said:

    Bounine said:

    So, Higson won't be writing the next series of Young Bond books. What a shame. Still, I'm glad IFP have plans to keep it going. I hope Bond won't still be13 though. We need a Bond in his early twenties in wartime. Unfortunately I'm starting to lose confidence in authors writing Bond due to the disappointing DMC and CB.



    They should wait for Higson. If he goes back to Bond after his current series is done, the next novel would be out 2015. IFP have waited this long, why not wait the extra three years?

    I'm now undecided if I'm even going to read them. Higson even knew what the next set of books would be about! (A trilogy set at Fettes). X(


    Hmmm, 2015. That's quite a while away. I'm not sure about waiting that long but I might be thinking it would have been a good idea if this new author doesn't do a good job.

    People should atleast try reading the first one and if they don't like it, then don't touch them.

    I'm still excited about a new young Bond series and an adult Bond yarn but to a lesser extent than I would have been a few years ago. I still feel greater enthusiasm for a new Bond book though than I do a new Bond film.



    Well the next Young Bond would be out 2014 I think, if IFP get this done quickly. Why not just wait the extra year? The announcement of Higson returning would come in 2014 anyway, for the 2015 novel.

    Now someone is just going to undo all the good work Higson as done. It's a dodgy concept to begin with, that Higson made work. Now if's just a dodgy concept once more.

    I'm gutted, I really am. :((
  • MajorDSmytheMajorDSmythe
    Posts: 3,261
    I don't know, in that interview that marketto posted, i'm getting a greater sense of enthusiam from Boyd than I did from Faulks & Deaver. Boyd comes accross as a genuine fan of Flemings books.
  • ChuckChuck
    Posts: 212
    MajorDSmythe said:

    I don't know, in that interview that marketto posted, i'm getting a greater sense of enthusiam from Boyd than I did from Faulks & Deaver. Boyd comes accross as a genuine fan of Flemings books.



    I noticed that as well. I very much got the sense that Boyd seems genuinely excited about being approached and ultimately offered the job of writing the next Bond novel, which is certainly something that never came across in any of Faulks' comments, although it may have been present, but to a lesser degree, in remarks made by Deaver, or at least the ones I recall coming across during the lead-up to CB.

    I still wish that they would maintain some sense of continuity in terms of the timeframe in which the novels take place, but I'm at least encouraged by the prospect that Boyd is being allowed to write his novel rather than having to mimic Ian Fleming or even having to write "as Ian Fleming" like Faulks did.
  • MajorDSmytheMajorDSmythe
    Posts: 3,261
    Chuck said:

    MajorDSmythe said:

    I don't know, in that interview that marketto posted, i'm getting a greater sense of enthusiam from Boyd than I did from Faulks & Deaver. Boyd comes accross as a genuine fan of Flemings books.



    I noticed that as well. I very much got the sense that Boyd seems genuinely excited about being approached and ultimately offered the job of writing the next Bond novel, which is certainly something that never came across in any of Faulks' comments, although it may have been present, but to a lesser degree, in remarks made by Deaver, or at least the ones I recall coming across during the lead-up to CB.

    I still wish that they would maintain some sense of continuity in terms of the timeframe in which the novels take place, but I'm at least encouraged by the prospect that Boyd is being allowed to write his novel rather than having to mimic Ian Fleming or even having to write "as Ian Fleming" like Faulks did.


    Exactly. I'm thinking of picking up some of Boyd's books, to get a head start on his writing style.

    I'd also like for them to hire someone to write a number of books like Gardner or Benson, rather than one-offs.
  • ChuckChuck
    Posts: 212
    MajorDSmythe said:


    I'd also like for them to hire someone to write a number of books like Gardner or Benson, rather than one-offs.



    That would be rather nice if they could find someone to take on the challenge of writing several.

    Perhaps they're waiting for someone to truly deliver an outstanding novel before they anchor themselves to one author for an extended period of time. I think it was always understood that Faulks' DMC was going to be a one-off for the anniversary, but beyond that perhaps they're just waiting for someone to really knock it out of the park with a novel at which point I could see them making an offer to bring that author back for another go at it.

  • St_GeorgeSt_George
    Posts: 1,509
    Well, Boyd certainly comes with a strong reputation (as did both Faulks and Deaver admittedly), but hopefully that can only be a good thing this time. Frankly, though, as with the announcement of each new Bond film, I'm always hopeful, expectant and excited with the announcement of a new Bond novel (at least one not penned by either Gardner or Benson) and this time's no exception.

    Actually, Boyd's a damn talented guy, not only does he adapt some of his novels for the screen, but he even directed his own work The Trench for cinema - and, if memory serves, it ain't a bad movie either and starred one Daniel Craig. Unusual for a novelist that...
  • 0BradyM0Bondfanatic70BradyM0Bondfanatic7
    Posts: 13,635
    Very insightful video, and I am confident in Boyd after hearing just how much he knows of Bond and his world, both in fiction and reality. I throughly enjoyed the part where he said he isn't writing as Fleming, the book is just his about a character everyone knows.
  • BounineBounine
    Posts: 977
    Someone brought up a point on another thread which I had thought of at the time of listening to the interview too that because Boyd mentioned that Bond always beds two dames, has gadgets and encounters deadly women that it can perhaps be interpreted that Boyd will write a Bond yarn more in the vein of the films. It is a slight worry. :) However, one shouldn't think too much about these things. If he does have a real committment to the project, he'll pick up the Fleming books and re-read all of them. Something I'm doing at the moment for about the 7th time. LOL.

    "Well the next Young Bond would be out 2014 I think, if IFP get this done quickly. Why not just wait the extra year? The announcement of Higson returning would come in 2014 anyway, for the 2015 novel."

    Oh, good point. If that's the case, then I'm with you on that.
  • BentleyBentley
    Posts: 121
    Fellow Agents,
    The problem with the literary Bond lies squarely with the Fleming estate.
    There are authors that could deliver; Charles Cumming, Daniel Silva or Charlie Higson to name but three but a series is not commissioned because their desire is for a quick shilling and consequently they go for the one off "coup". Faulks is a big literary figure and despite the fact that DMC dissipated into dross after sixty pages it went on to be Penguins biggest seller of the year. The next "coup" from Deaver was so bad it should have been consigned to the read and laugh file but CB went on to sell well albeit, not as well as DMC and they are now working with the law of diminishing returns.
    For one of the twentieth centurie's greatest literary creations to be mismanaged in this way defies common logic and as a life long fan, it makes my blood boil.
    The thriller genre is highly competitive, much more so than in Fleming's day and the estate should get a Managing Director who understands and loves Bond and who is capable of developing one of the world's biggest brands in a frenetic environment.
    The missed opportunities are legion. The failure to sell the film rights for Higson's fabulous 'Young Bond' novels to eon, the hopscotch between time zones, the changing of publishers, the failure to retain Higson, cover art that fails to communicate any class (the last good dust jacket was Cape's first UK edition of "Role Of Honor"), the belated, hap hazard e-book plan. The catalogue of disasters is never ending and point to a complete lack of any coherent strategy.
    Bond deserves better than this. He needs more than a fabulous mission from William Boyd. He needs a coherent career plan and the Fleming estate need a new M!
    Regards,
    Bentley.
  • 0BradyM0Bondfanatic70BradyM0Bondfanatic7
    Posts: 13,635
    Bentley said:

    Fellow Agents,
    The problem with the literary Bond lies squarely with the Fleming estate.
    There are authors that could deliver; Charles Cumming, Daniel Silva or Charlie Higson to name but three but a series is not commissioned because their desire is for a quick shilling and consequently they go for the one off "coup". Faulks is a big literary figure and despite the fact that DMC dissipated into dross after sixty pages it went on to be Penguins biggest seller of the year. The next "coup" from Deaver was so bad it should have been consigned to the read and laugh file but CB went on to sell well albeit, not as well as DMC and they are now working with the law of diminishing returns.
    For one of the twentieth centurie's greatest literary creations to be mismanaged in this way defies common logic and as a life long fan, it makes my blood boil.
    The thriller genre is highly competitive, much more so than in Fleming's day and the estate should get a Managing Director who understands and loves Bond and who is capable of developing one of the world's biggest brands in a frenetic environment.
    The missed opportunities are legion. The failure to sell the film rights for Higson's fabulous 'Young Bond' novels to eon, the hopscotch between time zones, the changing of publishers, the failure to retain Higson, cover art that fails to communicate any class (the last good dust jacket was Cape's first UK edition of "Role Of Honor"), the belated, hap hazard e-book plan. The catalogue of disasters is never ending and point to a complete lack of any coherent strategy.
    Bond deserves better than this. He needs more than a fabulous mission from William Boyd. He needs a coherent career plan and the Fleming estate need a new M!
    Regards,
    Bentley.



    Well, tell us what you really think...
  • MrSpyMrSpy
    Posts: 116
    Bentley said:

    Fellow Agents,
    The problem with the literary Bond lies squarely with the Fleming estate.
    There are authors that could deliver; Charles Cumming, Daniel Silva or Charlie Higson to name but three but a series is not commissioned because their desire is for a quick shilling and consequently they go for the one off "coup". Faulks is a big literary figure and despite the fact that DMC dissipated into dross after sixty pages it went on to be Penguins biggest seller of the year. The next "coup" from Deaver was so bad it should have been consigned to the read and laugh file but CB went on to sell well albeit, not as well as DMC and they are now working with the law of diminishing returns.
    For one of the twentieth centurie's greatest literary creations to be mismanaged in this way defies common logic and as a life long fan, it makes my blood boil.
    The thriller genre is highly competitive, much more so than in Fleming's day and the estate should get a Managing Director who understands and loves Bond and who is capable of developing one of the world's biggest brands in a frenetic environment.
    The missed opportunities are legion. The failure to sell the film rights for Higson's fabulous 'Young Bond' novels to eon, the hopscotch between time zones, the changing of publishers, the failure to retain Higson, cover art that fails to communicate any class (the last good dust jacket was Cape's first UK edition of "Role Of Honor"), the belated, hap hazard e-book plan. The catalogue of disasters is never ending and point to a complete lack of any coherent strategy.
    Bond deserves better than this. He needs more than a fabulous mission from William Boyd. He needs a coherent career plan and the Fleming estate need a new M!
    Regards,
    Bentley.



    These are all reasonable criticisms but I have my misgivings of having an "expertly managed" Bond. This is one of the inane paradigms of our time, and the results are often as deep as an ad campaign. There's a certain charm to the fact that Bond isn't Yet Another Expertly Managed Brand(TM).

    One of the problems is that Bond doesn't pay, so it's not easy to find a competitive author willing to put aside their own work to write Bond novels. If they had a huge success, as with other similar cases, the author would probably give less to Bond and more to their own original work. Also, keep in mind that part of the Bond-Camp "strategy" is to not over-saturate the market with product. The movies are the biggest money-makers in their corral, it doesn't make sense for them to train competing horses to run in small-time races.

    While there is certainly some confusion about how to promote Bond novels, evidenced by the Carte Blanche cover & ad campaign, the fact is that not many people who aren't serious Bond fans are going to want to buy a Bond novel. (DMC is an exception; if CB had done as well, we wouldn't be having this conversation, but since bestelling Bond novels aren't the rule, and DMC was a "stand-alone", publishers will be wary about making long term plans for the series.) And if that level of audience response was achieved, it would create conflict with the film series. I can understand why they're reluctant to have this happen.

    At the end of the day, the series from Col. Sun to Carte Blanche is a hell of a lot better than most other long-running posthumous series; just look in the SF-F section for a tour of horrors. At least the Fleming Estate is willing to try new things.

    Having said all that, I would certainly welcome a new, internally consistent, Bond book series. But, the bottom line is, due to the fact that it will do absolutely zero for the author's bank account or literary career, who would be willing to do it? IMO, they lucked out with John Gardner (and again with Higson), but as you point out, the "thriller" genre has moved on, crime fiction has changed enormously, and is a more grisly, action-driven, horror-oriented genre now. Getting Bond up to that "speed" would probably destroy his character. I'd also like to add that I have (way too much) experience with the publishing world, and the reason Higson isn't signed to do the adult books could be as simple as publishers saying, "He's a juvenile author, juvenile authors don't publish adult thrillers." Arbitrary crap like that happens every day in the publishing world.

    Just a few stray thoughts...

    (As per DMC, I might also add that it came out at the just the right moment, riding the success of shows like "Mad Men" and a general nostalgic feeling toward the pre-Feminist, Playboy-era of American male culture. Casino Royale had been a huge success, and QOS wasn't out yet. It had some serious "steam" for a Bond novel. CB came out at a really bad time for the series, years after the disappointing QOS, during a summer of political unrest that would result in the Occupy Movement etc. There's a lot to be said about timing.)
  • BounineBounine
    Posts: 977
    "I'd also like to add that I have (way too much) experience with the publishing world, and the reason Higson isn't signed to do the adult books could be as simple as publishers saying, "He's a juvenile author, juvenile authors don't publish adult thrillers." Arbitrary crap like that happens every day in the publishing world."

    Mmm, I can picture this happening.
  • PeterGreenhillPeterGreenhill
    Posts: 215
    Is there a publication date for this novel?
  • Agent005Agent005
    Posts: 528
    Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe it'll be Fall of '13.
  • Samuel001Samuel001
    Posts: 9,932
    Not yet. The novel will be out Autumn next year. That's all we know at the moment.
  • chrisisallchrisisall
    Posts: 2,539
    MajorDSmythe said:

    I don't know, in that interview that marketto posted, i'm getting a greater sense of enthusiam from Boyd than I did from Faulks & Deaver. Boyd comes accross as a genuine fan of Flemings books.


    That's the reason I will buy his novel.
    And I'd rather have one more good novel in my lifetime than 20 sort-of-kind-of-okay ones.
  • BentleyBentley
    Posts: 121
    0BradyM0Bondfanatic7 said:

    Bentley said:

    Fellow Agents,
    The problem with the literary Bond lies squarely with the Fleming estate.
    There are authors that could deliver; Charles Cumming, Daniel Silva or Charlie Higson to name but three but a series is not commissioned because their desire is for a quick shilling and consequently they go for the one off "coup". Faulks is a big literary figure and despite the fact that DMC dissipated into dross after sixty pages it went on to be Penguins biggest seller of the year. The next "coup" from Deaver was so bad it should have been consigned to the read and laugh file but CB went on to sell well albeit, not as well as DMC and they are now working with the law of diminishing returns.
    For one of the twentieth centurie's greatest literary creations to be mismanaged in this way defies common logic and as a life long fan, it makes my blood boil.
    The thriller genre is highly competitive, much more so than in Fleming's day and the estate should get a Managing Director who understands and loves Bond and who is capable of developing one of the world's biggest brands in a frenetic environment.
    The missed opportunities are legion. The failure to sell the film rights for Higson's fabulous 'Young Bond' novels to eon, the hopscotch between time zones, the changing of publishers, the failure to retain Higson, cover art that fails to communicate any class (the last good dust jacket was Cape's first UK edition of "Role Of Honor"), the belated, hap hazard e-book plan. The catalogue of disasters is never ending and point to a complete lack of any coherent strategy.
    Bond deserves better than this. He needs more than a fabulous mission from William Boyd. He needs a coherent career plan and the Fleming estate need a new M!
    Regards,
    Bentley.



    Well, tell us what you really think...


  • Samuel001Samuel001
    Posts: 9,932
    The new book will be out 26th September, is 432 pages long and will cost £16.14

    https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0224097474/ref=as_li_ss_til?tag=theyoungbondd-21&camp=2902&creative=19466&linkCode=as4&creativeASIN=0224097474&adid=0BKE2Q8EBHVKSQJAAYPE&;
  • KanangaKananga
    Posts: 266
    Samuel001 said:

    The new book will be out 26th September, is 432 pages long and will cost £16.14

    https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0224097474/ref=as_li_ss_til?tag=theyoungbondd-21&camp=2902&creative=19466&linkCode=as4&creativeASIN=0224097474&adid=0BKE2Q8EBHVKSQJAAYPE&



    Great news, I like the title :P

  • 0BradyM0Bondfanatic70BradyM0Bondfanatic7
    Posts: 13,635
    Fleming's James Bond 007 returns in...

    UNTITLED
  • Villiers53Villiers53
    Posts: 145
    Bentley said:

    0BradyM0Bondfanatic7 said:

    Bentley said:

    Fellow Agents,
    The problem with the literary Bond lies squarely with the Fleming estate.
    There are authors that could deliver; Charles Cumming, Daniel Silva or Charlie Higson to name but three but a series is not commissioned because their desire is for a quick shilling and consequently they go for the one off "coup". Faulks is a big literary figure and despite the fact that DMC dissipated into dross after sixty pages it went on to be Penguins biggest seller of the year. The next "coup" from Deaver was so bad it should have been consigned to the read and laugh file but CB went on to sell well albeit, not as well as DMC and they are now working with the law of diminishing returns.
    For one of the twentieth centurie's greatest literary creations to be mismanaged in this way defies common logic and as a life long fan, it makes my blood boil.
    The thriller genre is highly competitive, much more so than in Fleming's day and the estate should get a Managing Director who understands and loves Bond and who is capable of developing one of the world's biggest brands in a frenetic environment.
    The missed opportunities are legion. The failure to sell the film rights for Higson's fabulous 'Young Bond' novels to eon, the hopscotch between time zones, the changing of publishers, the failure to retain Higson, cover art that fails to communicate any class (the last good dust jacket was Cape's first UK edition of "Role Of Honor"), the belated, hap hazard e-book plan. The catalogue of disasters is never ending and point to a complete lack of any coherent strategy.
    Bond deserves better than this. He needs more than a fabulous mission from William Boyd. He needs a coherent career plan and the Fleming estate need a new M!
    Regards,
    Bentley.



    Well, tell us what you really think...




    I agree with much that Bentley has said and can't understand the OBradyetc.. one liner.
    Of course he's said what he thinks - he's a man with a view who can articulate it.
    Many of us who count ourselves as Fleming literary afficianados have long scratched our abused heads at IFP's antics. Everthing since early Gardner has been a qualitative disaster when it comes to the development of the adult Bond literary franchise yet, both the YB and MP spinoffs, were great.
    The responsibility for this has to lie with IFP and particularly after the phenomanol critical and commercial success of Andrew Horowitz's Holmes novel they must surely, by now, be asking themselves were did it all go wrong?
    Benson was simply dreadful and Faukes and Deaver were no better. Perhaps IFP felt braver with the spin-offs and went with what they thought were safe hands for the 007 continuations. Whatever the reason, they better get it right this time because I doubt people will be fooled again with another sub standard adult Bond.
    The question is, can Boyd pull it off?
    My verdict - perhaps.
    I say this because on previous form (Restless, Ordinary Thunderstorms and Waiting For Sunrise) he has certainly proved he can write and write well but, he doesn't , IMHO grip like Fleming and he will have to substantially tweak his style to get the average Bond fans' attention.
    Although after Deaver's mess I'd be very reluctant to give the job to another ex- pat (after all there are few things more English than Bond) I do think Daniel Silva would be well worth a punt. His superb Gabriel Allon thrillers are very Flemingesque and he writes like a Brit.
    I also think Higson is a sure thing albeit, as has been mentioned elsewhere, the logical thing would be for him to take Bond through WW11.
    Were I don't agree completely with Bentley is regarding Cumming. There's no doubt that Charley is the best Spy writer around but, for me, he's much more out of the Deighton mold and would probably not give us the sex, violence and snobbery essential to the Bond cocktail.
    Anyway, for now we've got William and let's hope he delivers the goods and that Cape wraps it up in a nice, sexy retro Choppingesque cover - fingers are well and truely crossed!
  • 0BradyM0Bondfanatic70BradyM0Bondfanatic7
    Posts: 13,635
    It's called sarcasm... :-\"
  • Villiers53Villiers53
    Posts: 145
    0BradyM0Bondfanatic7 said:

    It's called sarcasm... :-\"



    How stimulating & informative!
  • MOONRAKER79MOONRAKER79
    Posts: 4
    I like the idea of the new book being set around the tail end of the 60's, it's an ideal period for Bond. I really enjoyed the early Gardner novels, but wasn't really taken with the later books. I have Carte Blanche on my shelves, however I am still yet to read it, I have heard mixed opinion on this one, some like it, others not so much. I will eventually get around to reading it one day soon. if this new book is successful, here's hoping that we may get a series of novels with some level of continuity. The idea of Bond being active throughout the 1970s has never been explored, unless of course you count Christopher Wood's adaptions of the 'The Spy Who Loved Me' & 'Moonraker' screenplays.
  • 0BradyM0Bondfanatic70BradyM0Bondfanatic7
    Posts: 13,635
    Villiers53 said:

    0BradyM0Bondfanatic7 said:

    It's called sarcasm... :-\"



    How stimulating & informative!


    Damn it all...they must be short in stock on senses of humor in your area...Better order one from Amazon then... :|
  • Villiers53Villiers53
    Posts: 145
    MOONRAKER79 said:

    I like the idea of the new book being set around the tail end of the 60's, it's an ideal period for Bond. I really enjoyed the early Gardner novels, but wasn't really taken with the later books. I have Carte Blanche on my shelves, however I am still yet to read it, I have heard mixed opinion on this one, some like it, others not so much. I will eventually get around to reading it one day soon. if this new book is successful, here's hoping that we may get a series of novels with some level of continuity. The idea of Bond being active throughout the 1970s has never been explored, unless of course you count Christopher Wood's adaptions of the 'The Spy Who Loved Me' & 'Moonraker' screenplays.



    I certainly agree with you regarding the early Gardner books. Up to and including "Role Of Honour" , I thought that John did a really good job principely because he provided a great '80s reboot by remixing the Fleming cocktail for the taste of the time.
    Subsequent to that 007's literary fate has been nothing short of disastrous and IFP's latest strategy to present us with a new celebrity author every two years is doomed to failure.
    As you haven't read CB you can save yourself those valuable hours - it's awfull - and go straight to Boyd's book.
    but, bare in mind, if it's good he almost certainly won't do another one. What a mess. The entire IFP board should be rounded up and flayed to within an inch of their lives with an elephants foreskin!
  • dramaticscenesofQOSdramaticscenesofQOS
    Posts: 121
    TopGearJB007 said:

    Continuity in the Bond novels is dead. That blows. :-q



    They stick the finger to readers and to gamers: Bloodstone never had a sequel.
  • Risico007Risico007
    Posts: 1,460
    Samuel001 said:

    The new book will be out 26th September, is 432 pages long and will cost £16.14

    https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0224097474/ref=as_li_ss_til?tag=theyoungbondd-21&camp=2902&creative=19466&linkCode=as4&creativeASIN=0224097474&adid=0BKE2Q8EBHVKSQJAAYPE&



    looking forward to the only bit of bond this year probably
  • chrisisallchrisisall
    Posts: 2,539
    Risico007 said:


    looking forward to the only bit of bond this year probably


    Confidence is high!
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