Double O by Kim Sherwood

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  • Posts: 9,734
    Dragonpol wrote: »
    Risico007 wrote: »
    Dragonpol wrote: »
    Risico007 wrote: »
    MaxCasino wrote: »
    Risico007 wrote: »
    Can this be seen as a sequel of sorts to Deaver’s carte Blanche


    I wonder even though Bond is missing and the agents are trying to find him if we get any info on what bond is doing during this time

    It would be nice, it did deserve a sequel of sorts. It is nice that literary Bond is going modern again. I still think that we can expect to see some classic characters return in one way or another.
    So wait is Bond in the novel or not?

    No, as far as we know the Double O novel (and presumably the three book series itself) is going to be "Bondless" in the same way as R. D. Mascott's 1967 James Bond Junior continuation novel and the later unconnected Eon-produced early 1990s James Bond Jnr cartoon were "Bondless". He will no doubt be mentioned in passing as missing presumed dead etc. but he won't appear as a character in his own right.

    :( sigh I love the cover love the title love the modern setting


    Hate that there is no point to this novel

    Yes, it is I suppose an attempt at creating a kind of Expanded Universe for the literary Bond side of things, looking at the lives and adventures of other Double-O Section. However, to Bond fans I suppose it will be of more peripheral interest as Bond himself (the main draw) doesn't actually appear. It could perhaps bring in some new readers though and lead them on to reading the Fleming Bond novels and the continuations and that would be no bad thing.

    Well I said I will give the first one a try and I meant it hell if I can suffer through the last few novels and the John Gardner books which were new to me I can read through this book
  • VenutiusVenutius Yorkshire
    Posts: 2,895
    It's like that Bourne-less Treadstone tv series, right?
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    Posts: 17,728
    Venutius wrote: »
    It's like that Bourne-less Treadstone tv series, right?

    I wasn't aware that existed but that sounds like a good comparison with this novel series, yes.
  • Posts: 9,734
    I asked Kim if she will be writing James Bond novels as well…

    What I would be fine with her writing actual James Bond novels
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    Posts: 17,728
    Risico007 wrote: »
    I asked Kim if she will be writing James Bond novels as well…

    What I would be fine with her writing actual James Bond novels

    Good question but I suppose she doesn't know yet as she's only been contracted by IFP to write three of these Double O novels. It would certainly be something different to have a woman's perspective on an adult Bond novel, Vivienne Michel's "co-authorship" of The Spy Who Loved Me (1962) quite aside. ;)
  • Posts: 9,734
    Dragonpol wrote: »
    Risico007 wrote: »
    I asked Kim if she will be writing James Bond novels as well…

    What I would be fine with her writing actual James Bond novels

    Good question but I suppose she doesn't know yet as she's only been contracted by IFP to write three of these Double O novels. It would certainly be something different to have a woman's perspective on an adult Bond novel, Vivienne Michel's "co-authorship" of The Spy Who Loved Me (1962) quite aside. ;)

    Like I would love it if this is almost a bait and switch that half the novel is on say 003’s efforts to find bond and the second half of the book is Bond dealing with his side of the plot


    Just so annoying no bond in a modern bond novel
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    Posts: 17,728
    Risico007 wrote: »
    Dragonpol wrote: »
    Risico007 wrote: »
    I asked Kim if she will be writing James Bond novels as well…

    What I would be fine with her writing actual James Bond novels

    Good question but I suppose she doesn't know yet as she's only been contracted by IFP to write three of these Double O novels. It would certainly be something different to have a woman's perspective on an adult Bond novel, Vivienne Michel's "co-authorship" of The Spy Who Loved Me (1962) quite aside. ;)

    Like I would love it if this is almost a bait and switch that half the novel is on say 003’s efforts to find bond and the second half of the book is Bond dealing with his side of the plot


    Just so annoying no bond in a modern bond novel


    That would be nice of course but sadly that's not what this series is about. As I said above this series is intended to be an expanded universe kind of thing looking at other Double-O agents besides James Bond as so many other franchises have done of late. It could be seen as an attempt to widen the fanbase to readers not currently drawn in by either the literary or cinematic Bond but who might like the sound of a Bondless series following the adventures of other Double-O agents. If, as a result of reading this series of new novels by Kim Sherwood, it brings in new readers to the Fleming originals and then the Bond continuation novels it'll not have been in vain. It's much the same thing as the Young Bond novels by Charlie Higson and Steve Cole hopefully bringing in a new generation to the Bond novels and short stories of Ian Fleming.
  • mtmmtm United Kingdom
    Posts: 14,861
    Would anybody who isn’t drawn to Bond be interested in Bond novels without him in? I feel like the draw to Bond is Bond. If you don’t like Bond… you don’t like Bond, surely?
  • VenutiusVenutius Yorkshire
    Posts: 2,895
    When you put it like that... ;)
  • Posts: 9,734
    mtm wrote: »
    Would anybody who isn’t drawn to Bond be interested in Bond novels without him in? I feel like the draw to Bond is Bond. If you don’t like Bond… you don’t like Bond, surely?
    It’s so annoying as I have been craving modern day 007 adventures hell there is enough real world fear that any author worth their salt could weave Bond into the modern headlines with little effort and it would be amazing
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    Posts: 17,728
    mtm wrote: »
    Would anybody who isn’t drawn to Bond be interested in Bond novels without him in? I feel like the draw to Bond is Bond. If you don’t like Bond… you don’t like Bond, surely?

    You no doubt have a point there. I was just trying to surmise who this new series of novels would appeal to outside of the established readership of literary and general Bond fans. I suspect you're right in that the catchment area for such a set of novels is not perhaps as wide as I'd anticipated. Only time will tell I suppose as to how successful these novels will be but we can at least congratulate IFP for trying to do something a bit different from the norm.
  • mtmmtm United Kingdom
    edited July 2022 Posts: 14,861
    Dragonpol wrote: »
    mtm wrote: »
    Would anybody who isn’t drawn to Bond be interested in Bond novels without him in? I feel like the draw to Bond is Bond. If you don’t like Bond… you don’t like Bond, surely?

    You no doubt have a point there. I was just trying to surmise who this new series of novels would appeal to outside of the established readership of literary and general Bond fans. I suspect you're right in that the catchment area for such a set of novels is not perhaps as wide as I'd anticipated.

    Yeah I think really you're only going to appeal to people who already like Bond so I'm not sure it will draw a new audience, but it's not like that's a tiny amount of people: Bond films and books always do incredibly well.
    Dragonpol wrote: »
    Only time will tell I suppose as to how successful these novels will be but we can at least congratulate IFP for trying to do something a bit different from the norm.

    Yes indeed, it's always nice to see folks trying something new. And IFP's experiments have actually usually worked out very well: I thought Young Bond was terrific, and I hear that the Moneypenny Diaries are worth a look too, I never got around to them.
  • Posts: 9,734
    I wonder if IFP wants this to fail like they don’t want 007 in the modern world so they will do modern 00 books they fail and then they can turn around and say Ha see Jon’s doesn’t work in the modern world let’s pay some stuffy author for mor bond novels set in Fleming time line
  • mtmmtm United Kingdom
    Posts: 14,861
    It's a theory, but I don't think they have to do anything they don't want to, and no one is making them do anything set in the present day.
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    edited July 2022 Posts: 17,728
    It would be nice to see a new adult Bond continuation novel set in contemporary times as that Fleming-Amis-Gardner-Benson continuity was always my favourite growing up. In fact I became a Bond fan during the mid-90s Gardner era. It would be great to see a return to that, however briefly. However, IFP may want to stick with the current period set Bond novels and use up any remaining unused Fleming treatments still in their archives.
  • mtmmtm United Kingdom
    Posts: 14,861
    Yeah I'm fairly easy to be honest. I like the present day stuff too, and I liked the reinvention of Bond and MI6 in Carte Blanche (I just read it again and, my goodness it's lumpy though: I'm not sure that's James Bond in it either), but I do also really enjoy the period ones. I actually don't mind too much either way.
  • ImpertinentGoonImpertinentGoon Everybody needs a hobby.
    Posts: 1,351
    mtm wrote: »
    Dragonpol wrote: »
    mtm wrote: »
    Would anybody who isn’t drawn to Bond be interested in Bond novels without him in? I feel like the draw to Bond is Bond. If you don’t like Bond… you don’t like Bond, surely?

    You no doubt have a point there. I was just trying to surmise who this new series of novels would appeal to outside of the established readership of literary and general Bond fans. I suspect you're right in that the catchment area for such a set of novels is not perhaps as wide as I'd anticipated.

    Yeah I think really you're only going to appeal to people who already like Bond so I'm not sure it will draw a new audience, but it's not like that's a tiny amount of people: Bond films and books always do incredibly well.
    Dragonpol wrote: »
    Only time will tell I suppose as to how successful these novels will be but we can at least congratulate IFP for trying to do something a bit different from the norm.

    Yes indeed, it's always nice to see folks trying something new. And IFP's experiments have actually usually worked out very well: I thought Young Bond was terrific, and I hear that the Moneypenny Diaries are worth a look too, I never got around to them.

    The only thing I can think of is that this is a relatively easy way to have the lead of a (sorta, kinda) James Bond novel be female or a person of colour or both. We know the main characters of this are going to be Johanna Harwood (003), Joseph Dryden (004) and Sid Bashir (009). It's not "What if, in a parallel universe, James Bond was female" or whatever. It's a different character, but in the same setting and presumably at least a recognizable style.
    In a way it's surprisingly honest of them to say: These are the people Kim is going to write about, James Bond is not the main focus. Instead of selling this as a main James Bond novel but suddenly have 75% of the book be about his plucky sidekick from an East Asian family and what it is for him to be On Her Majesty's Secret Service in the shadow of the great James Bond.
    Of course that is not going to reel somebody in who actively hates James Bond, but there might be interest by people who haven't read the old Fleming books to have a look what this is about.

    One other thing: I am currently reading the Slough House books by Mick Herron (which are fantastic, by the way, as is the TV show on Apple TV+). One of the cool things about that series is that he builds up a cadre of characters that kind of step in and out of the spotlight for the different books. With this having three main character and being planned for a three book run, I wonder if this will be similar or whether we'll always get the three characters to a similar degree. (Although I would put money on not all three making it to the end of book 3...)
  • PropertyOfALadyPropertyOfALady Colders Federation CEO
    Posts: 3,675
    Anyone recognise Johanna Harwood? Haha. Not sure about the other two, though.
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    edited July 2022 Posts: 17,728
    Anyone recognise Johanna Harwood? Haha. Not sure about the other two, though.

    Sid Bashir is a reference to the character Dr Julian Bashir in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine which had a Bond-themed episode that character appeared in. This reference seems to have been confirmed today by Kim Sherwood on Twitter as she replied to a question on Twitter with a clip from this episode. Dryden was the name of Bond's Double-O earning kill in the Casino Royale PTS. So there seem to be a few meta references there in the character names at least.
  • zebrafishzebrafish <°)))< in Octopussy's garden in the shade
    Posts: 4,311
    003, Johanna Harwood: Wrote parts of Dr. No as Harry Salzman's secretary.

    004, Bashir is a Star Trek character from DS9, playing a James Bond-like person in a holodeck program.

    DS9-25-Our-Man-Bashir-pic1.jpg

    As for 009, Dryden...

    1*yHH-1Gq9LbXjDDEczPN7Gg.png


  • I'm not sure a Bondless story is going to be an instant purchase for me given how much continuation content I already have to get to from The Moneypenny Diaries to Young Bond (both of which I have read parts of and really like), but I'm curious to hear what others think of it. Hopefully someone will give it a read and post their thoughts.
  • CharmianBondCharmianBond Pett Bottom, Kent
    Posts: 533
    I may have gone ahead and pre-ordered the exclusive edition 😅 (wish I'd seen the tweet about Netgalley before I did but no matter). I'm really excited to have a woman author a Bond novel, even if it won't feature James Bond as such but I've been covered on that front that I really want to explore more the James Bond universe and hopefully just be a good thriller in its own right. I really enjoyed Slow Horses on Apple TV, I've not read the book yet, but I think if Sherwood is able to do something similar with her cast of characters then I'll be happy. Rest assured whatever, I'll post my thoughts when I've read it.
  • Agent_99Agent_99 enjoys a spirited ride as much as the next girl
    Posts: 3,099
    My mum reviews NetGalley books so I've asked her if she'd consider this one. After all, one of the characters shares our surname :)
  • Posts: 9,734
    I would almost pay money for someone to give me a fan interpretation of that cover as if James Bond was in the novel lol
  • Risico007 wrote: »
    I would almost pay money for someone to give me a fan interpretation of that cover as if James Bond was in the novel lol

    It is a very cool cover. The golden orb definitely evokes the sun, which is probably appropriate if the novel has to do with the climate crisis.
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    edited July 2022 Posts: 17,728
    Risico007 wrote: »
    I would almost pay money for someone to give me a fan interpretation of that cover as if James Bond was in the novel lol

    It is a very cool cover. The golden orb definitely evokes the sun, which is probably appropriate if the novel has to do with the climate crisis.

    The second golden circle looks like the bottom of a bullet too and it keeps with the Double O theme as well. So rather minimalist in nature but subtly clever too.
  • CharmianBondCharmianBond Pett Bottom, Kent
    Posts: 533
    Dragonpol wrote: »
    Risico007 wrote: »
    I would almost pay money for someone to give me a fan interpretation of that cover as if James Bond was in the novel lol

    It is a very cool cover. The golden orb definitely evokes the sun, which is probably appropriate if the novel has to do with the climate crisis.

    The second golden circle looks like the bottom of a bullet too and it keeps with the Double O theme as well. So rather minimalist in nature but subtly clever too.

    It it growing on me, and reading her newsletter about it was very interesting.
  • Posts: 9,734
    Dragonpol wrote: »
    Risico007 wrote: »
    I would almost pay money for someone to give me a fan interpretation of that cover as if James Bond was in the novel lol

    It is a very cool cover. The golden orb definitely evokes the sun, which is probably appropriate if the novel has to do with the climate crisis.

    The second golden circle looks like the bottom of a bullet too and it keeps with the Double O theme as well. So rather minimalist in nature but subtly clever too.

    Dragonpol you do fan art sometimes can you remove the James Bond is missing and put in something like James Bond born in 86 veteran of the Afghanistan war on his first mission as 007

    Something like that I dunno lol
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    edited July 2022 Posts: 17,728
    Risico007 wrote: »
    Dragonpol wrote: »
    Risico007 wrote: »
    I would almost pay money for someone to give me a fan interpretation of that cover as if James Bond was in the novel lol

    It is a very cool cover. The golden orb definitely evokes the sun, which is probably appropriate if the novel has to do with the climate crisis.

    The second golden circle looks like the bottom of a bullet too and it keeps with the Double O theme as well. So rather minimalist in nature but subtly clever too.

    Dragonpol you do fan art sometimes can you remove the James Bond is missing and put in something like James Bond born in 86 veteran of the Afghanistan war on his first mission as 007

    Something like that I dunno lol

    I think you must be mixing me up with another member, @Risico007. My hack-like talents (such as they are) lie merely in the field of non-fiction writing and not in art sadly. As my Art teacher at secondary school once told my parents, "He's no Picasso." :)

    That prospective Bond novel you have in mind sounds rather like Carte Blanche where I think Deaver's new 2.0 version of Bond was born in 1979 and had fought in the Afghanistan War. ;)

    I myself wouldn't mind a return to the Amis-Gardner-Benson continuity of a contemporary set adult Bond continuation novel that doesn't have any period set gimmicks and that isn't a reboot of the character. However, that may be too much to ask for nowadays from IFP.
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