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James Bond Bedside Companion to return in 2012

AlexanderWaverlyAlexanderWaverly
edited December 2011 in News Posts: 2,115
http://bit.ly/sbcG21

Comments

  • PrinceKamalKhanPrinceKamalKhan Monsoon Palace, Udaipur
    Posts: 3,262
    AlexanderWaverly wrote:
    http://bit.ly/sbcG21

    Great news! I wish Benson would update it though with his thoughts on the films post-TLD.
  • AlexanderWaverlyAlexanderWaverly
    Posts: 2,115
    @PrinceKamalKhan: your avatar....wouldn't happen to be Mort Drucker, circa 1974, the Mad parody of the first eight Bond movies, would it?
  • Samuel001Samuel001 Moderator
    edited December 2011 Posts: 13,350
    When it's out in print again as an actual book, I'll snap it up. Thanks for letting me know. Great news!

    For those who've read it, what makes this the must read book, it's so often touted as?
  • Agent007391Agent007391 Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A, Start
    Posts: 7,854
    So, will it be updated? I'd still love to have it, but if it's not going to get updated, I'm not sure I'd buy it in this day and age. I bought the Tom Clancy Companion, and since it's nowhere near up-to-date, it has that dated feel (if you know what I mean) that can work with fiction, but not non-fiction.
  • AlexanderWaverlyAlexanderWaverly
    edited December 2011 Posts: 2,115
    My understanding is it won't be updated. Part of the reason, I suspect, is that Mr. Benson would have a conflict of interest because he eventually took over as continuation author from Gardner. Even if he did the utmost to separate himself, would readers accept that? Thus, it's look strange if he updated the film section and didn't touch the literary section.

    Essentially, the Bedside Compansion is frozen in time, in 1988. (I have the earlier '84 edition, not the '88 one). Why read it? As I recall reading it, it was pretty thorough in its analysis. It obviously made an impact on Bond fans in the '80s. But once Benson became a participant, instead of an observer, everything changed.
  • Agent007391Agent007391 Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A, Start
    Posts: 7,854
    AlexanderWaverly wrote:
    My understanding is it won't be updated. Part of the reason, I suspect, is that Mr. Benson would have a conflict of interest because he eventually took over as continuation author from Gardner. Even if he did the utmost to separate himself, would readers accept that? Thus, it's look strange if he updated the film section and didn't touch the literary section.

    Essentially, the Bedside Compansion is frozen in time, in 1988. (I have the earlier '84 edition, not the '88 one). Why read it? As I recall reading it, it was pretty thorough in its analysis. It obviously made an impact on Bond fans in the '80s. But once Benson became a participant, instead of an observer, everything changed.

    Why wouldn't he update the literary section? If I were writing the thing, even if I had taken over as the official writer for some time, I wouldn't hesitate to put information about further novels from other writers or myself (Of course, I'm not the writer of the Bedside Companion, but it does give me an idea for some kind of aide for my fanfics on fanfiction.net).
  • GeorgeLazenbyGeorgeLazenby
    Posts: 295
    Interesting news. The original was practically my Bond Bible in the 80s.
  • PrinceKamalKhanPrinceKamalKhan Monsoon Palace, Udaipur
    Posts: 3,262
    AlexanderWaverly wrote:
    @PrinceKamalKhan: your avatar....wouldn't happen to be Mort Drucker, circa 1974, the Mad parody of the first eight Bond movies, would it?

    Is that the artist? It is from the "On His Majesty's Secret Shamus" spoof. I didn't know they did the other 7. Those would be fun to read.

  • AlexanderWaverlyAlexanderWaverly
    Posts: 2,115
    PrinceKamalKhan wrote:
    AlexanderWaverly wrote:
    @PrinceKamalKhan: your avatar....wouldn't happen to be Mort Drucker, circa 1974, the Mad parody of the first eight Bond movies, would it?

    Is that the artist? It is from the "On His Majesty's Secret Shamus" spoof. I didn't know they did the other 7. Those would be fun to read.

    Yes, Mort Drucker is the artist. Mad published a parody of the first eight movies sometime between Live And Let Die and The Man With the Golden Gun. One of the jokes from the Goldfinger parody had Pussy Galore and Goldfinger flying by Fort Knox. (not exact quotes)

    GOLDFINGER: There is the largest concentration of wealth in the world!

    PUSSY: Is that Fort Knox?

    GOLDINGER: No, it's the vault of Albert R. Croccoli and Harry Saltpeter, who produce these ridiculous movies. Fort Knox is down the road.

    Your avatar is from the On Her Majesty's Secret Service parody in which George Lazenby remarks how he gets to romance an actress who's about to get her own television series. (Diana Rigg had a short-lived sitcom -- I think it was just called Diana -- on NBC).
  • AlexanderWaverlyAlexanderWaverly
    Posts: 2,115
    Back on the subject, here's a look why The James Bond Bedside Companion had such an impact in the 1980s: http://bit.ly/sQsCcW
  • MajorDSmytheMajorDSmythe "I tolerate this century, but I don't enjoy it."Moderator
    Posts: 13,894
    I don't have a copy of this (I don't think I do :-? ), so if I don't have it, i'll pick up the '12 reissue.
  • Samuel001Samuel001 Moderator
    edited December 2011 Posts: 13,350
    AlexanderWaverly wrote:
    Back on the subject, here's a look why The James Bond Bedside Companion had such an impact in the 1980s: http://bit.ly/sQsCcW

    Thanks for the link. I'll be getting it now for certain. Can't wait.
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    Posts: 17,816
    So, I take it that this book came out, then? I have both editions from 1984 and 1988, though only acquired within the last year.
  • 007InVT007InVT Classified
    Posts: 893
    Is it on Amazon?
  • TheWizardOfIceTheWizardOfIce 'One of the Internet's more toxic individuals'
    Posts: 9,117
    It is as someone says above the Bond bible. My copy is rather dogeared given the amount of times I went through it in my adolescence, learning my trade as it were.

    I might consider the Kindle version if its reasonbly priced (ie less than a tenner) but I cant see why anyone would buy it in print if he hasnt even bothered to update it in 25 years (except of course if they had never had the chance to buy it back in the day).

    I would certainly have bought it if Benson had updated it with all the films and novels since 1988 (perhaps could have got a guest like Lee Pfeiffer or someone to review his own books, or as its been about 10 years since he did it go back and look upon them with a critics eye) but as it stands it seems a bit of an odd decision to reprint, presumably its just a cash in on the 50th.
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