Deaver on Carte Blanche and who he was envisioning while writing

edited June 2014 in Literary 007 Posts: 9,841
You wrote the recent James Bond novel “Carte Blanche.” Why'd you decide to tackle that assignment and did that book expand the audience for your thrillers?
Well, it certainly did that. I only intended to do one book, unlike [Raymond] Benson, who wrote a dozen in the series. But I did it as a lark because I loved Bond as a kid. I thought I could contribute by bringing him into present day as a young agent while paralleling his personality from the '50s. Some diehard Bond fans weren't happy but it did well.

You can't please everybody, but it was a positive experience for me. The gist of one review was, “is this a hero that we need for the present day?” and my response is, “Yes, I think so.” Just look at headlines recently! My Bond had nothing to do with Ukraine or Crimea but I did kind of sense that we were going back to traditional heroes and villains so I thought, let's get back to the basics of the big Soviet bear vs. the American eagle. And sure enough, it came true!



Who's your favorite Bond, and is there anyone you'd like to see take over the role when Daniel Craig is ready to move on?
Sean Connery is my favorite, but if “Carte Blanche” is ever made — Guy Pearce. He looks more like the Bond in my mind more than anyone else and he has the presence. If they want to buy the book and use my input on casting


http://www.thewrap.com/bone-collector-author-jeffery-deaver-on-new-sequel-james-bond-and-the-state-of-journalism/


which halfway through the godawful Solo Carte Blanche was far from bad and I would love a sequel either by Deaver (which now seems impossible) or by another author.

Comments

  • Posts: 15,054
    Guy Pearce as James Bond? I like the actor but I can't see him as Bond.
  • Posts: 2,483
    Ludovico wrote:
    Guy Pearce as James Bond? I like the actor but I can't see him as Bond.

    Same here. He's a good looking guy, but somehow not quite dashing and rakish enough.

  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    Posts: 18,236
    Interesting, thanks for providing the link for that.
  • Posts: 15,054
    Ludovico wrote:
    Guy Pearce as James Bond? I like the actor but I can't see him as Bond.

    Same here. He's a good looking guy, but somehow not quite dashing and rakish enough.

    He certainly lacks something for Bond IMO. A bit too skinny, a bit too soft looking. And now he is 46, which makes him an ever odder choice for Bond. Carte Blanche is the only non-Fleming Bond novel I have. I did not read it yet. Not sure I am in any hurry now.
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    Posts: 18,236
    Ludovico wrote:
    Ludovico wrote:
    Guy Pearce as James Bond? I like the actor but I can't see him as Bond.

    Same here. He's a good looking guy, but somehow not quite dashing and rakish enough.

    He certainly lacks something for Bond IMO. A bit too skinny, a bit too soft looking. And now he is 46, which makes him an ever odder choice for Bond. Carte Blanche is the only non-Fleming Bond novel I have. I did not read it yet. Not sure I am in any hurry now.

    What, no John Gardner, @Ludovico?
  • Posts: 15,054
    I don't care about any continuator. I will repeat what I said before: they are IMO glorified fanfic writers. Fleming wrote Bond, period.
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    Posts: 18,236
    Ludovico wrote:
    I don't care about any continuator. I will repeat what I said before: they are IMO glorified fanfic writers. Fleming wrote Bond, period.

    Not even Colonel Sun?
  • Agent007391Agent007391 Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A, Start
    Posts: 7,854
    Ludovico wrote:
    I don't care about any continuator. I will repeat what I said before: they are IMO glorified fanfic writers. Fleming wrote Bond, period.

    Doesn't mean they can't be good.
  • Posts: 15,054
    Ludovico wrote:
    I don't care about any continuator. I will repeat what I said before: they are IMO glorified fanfic writers. Fleming wrote Bond, period.

    Doesn't mean they can't be good.

    I guess there are good fanfics, they are still fanfics.
    Dragonpol wrote:
    Ludovico wrote:
    I don't care about any continuator. I will repeat what I said before: they are IMO glorified fanfic writers. Fleming wrote Bond, period.

    Not even Colonel Sun?

    Don't see much point reading it. I did like the novelization of TSWLM though.
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    edited June 2014 Posts: 18,236
    Ludovico wrote:
    Ludovico wrote:
    I don't care about any continuator. I will repeat what I said before: they are IMO glorified fanfic writers. Fleming wrote Bond, period.

    Doesn't mean they can't be good.

    I guess there are good fanfics, they are still fanfics.
    Dragonpol wrote:
    Ludovico wrote:
    I don't care about any continuator. I will repeat what I said before: they are IMO glorified fanfic writers. Fleming wrote Bond, period.

    Not even Colonel Sun?

    Don't see much point reading it. I did like the novelization of TSWLM though.

    Colonel Sun
    is well worth reading as it is the only continuation to feel authentic as it was the only one written in the 1960s. And it was written by Kingsley Amis - expert on all things Bond. I'm planning on re-reading it soon for a miniseries on the novel for my blog that aims to explore it more in-depth than ever before. I think you should give it a read ASAP, especially if you did like Wood's TSWLM novelisation.
  • 0BradyM0Bondfanatic70BradyM0Bondfanatic7 Quantum Floral Arrangements: "We Have Petals Everywhere"
    Posts: 28,694
    From what I remember of it, Carte Blanche was a good thriller. The only downside, and a big failure of it was that you could swap Bond's name with that of any generic agent and it would still work. Deaver's Bond just had no iconic, recognizable presence or essence about him.
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    Posts: 18,236
    From what I remember of it, Carte Blanche was a good thriller. The only downside, and a big failure of it was that you could swap Bond's name with that of any generic agent and it would still work. Deaver's Bond just had no iconic, recognizable presence or essence about him.

    Ironically, the same was often said of some of John Gardner's later James Bond novels especially the experimental The Man From Barbarossa (1991).
  • Posts: 802
    I find this debate endlessly fascinating simply not least because despite fabulous spin offs (Moneypenny Diaries and Young Bond) the main franchise continues to misfire at a pace.
    Everybody considers it to be all so difficult then in walks Anthony Horowitz and reboots an infinitely more challenging franchise featuring a certain Mr.Sherlock Holmes.
    Personally, I lay all of this firmly at the door of the IFP board. They simply don't care. Either that or they've been lobotomised!
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    Posts: 18,236
    Villiers53 wrote:
    I find this debate endlessly fascinating simply not least because despite fabulous spin offs (Moneypenny Diaries and Young Bond) the main franchise continues to misfire at a pace.
    Everybody considers it to be all so difficult then in walks Anthony Horowitz and reboots an infinitely more challenging franchise featuring a certain Mr.Sherlock Holmes.
    Personally, I lay all of this firmly at the door of the IFP board. They simply don't care. Either that or they've been lobotomised!

    Strangely things seem to have declined since the Fleming family took over the reigns at IFP, rather ironically...and Anthony Horowitz should definitely be given the next adult Bond novel to do. Either him or Ken Follett.
  • Posts: 15,054
    Not sure about Ken Follett. His Pillars of the Earth was like a medieval soap. I understand that was decades ago, but still. Anyway, you know what I think of followers.
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    Posts: 18,236
    Ludovico wrote:
    Not sure about Ken Follett. His Pillars of the Earth was like a medieval soap. I understand that was decades ago, but still. Anyway, you know what I think of followers.

    By followers do you mean Bond continuation authors, @Ludovico?
  • edited June 2014 Posts: 15,054
    Yes that's what I mean. Which gave the word fellow, and subsequently the French word falot, I.e. of negligible importance, insignificant to the point of being ridiculous. You see I don't rate them highly.
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    Posts: 18,236
    Ludovico wrote:
    Yes that's what I mean. Which gave the word fellow, and subsequently the French word falot, I.e. of negligible importance, insignificant to the point of being ridiculous. You see I don't rate them highly.

    Thank you for that interesting etymology of the word "followers", @Ludovico.
  • Samuel001Samuel001 Moderator
    Posts: 13,355
    Interesting to hear this. Thanks for posting.
  • Posts: 10
    "unlike [Raymond] Benson, who wrote a dozen in the series" I really think you mean John Gardner...
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    Posts: 18,236
    SimG wrote:
    "unlike [Raymond] Benson, who wrote a dozen in the series" I really think you mean John Gardner...

    Well said, Simon. We must keep the JG Flag flying high!
  • Posts: 10
    No disrespect to Raymond but I think even he would be startled to read he wrote 12 continuation novels :) Oh and if we are keeping count 14 novels and 2 books from the film for JG
  • Posts: 10
    Raymond did write 12 if you count the short stories and Film novelisations, but short stories can't really be counted..... can they?
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    Posts: 18,236
    SimG wrote:
    No disrespect to Raymond but I think even he would be startled to read he wrote 12 continuation novels :) Oh and if we are keeping count 14 novels and 2 books from the film for JG

    Yes, JG gave a lot of his time and energy over to the literary James Bond from 1981 to 1996 and I will never allow him to be forgotten while a member on this site. Just check my name for my Gardnerologist credentials!
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    Posts: 18,236
    SimG wrote:
    Raymond did write 12 if you count the short stories and Film novelisations, but short stories can't really be counted..... can they?

    No, the short stories don't count as they were never released in their own short story collection. And Benson also wrote the unreleased 'The Heart of Erzulie' of course. ;)
  • Posts: 38
    I really enjoyed reading Carte Blanche. I would like Deaver to write another Bond set in the 50's as well. I disagree with this being a "generic agent"- Obrady. I believed he captured the flavor of FRWL and I enjoyed the storytelling. I can picture Sean C in the novel. Devil May care was a step down for me because he did not capture the flavor of Goldfinger and Thunderball and the storytelling was more "generic". I did not picture Sean C in that novel. The next writer needs to first capture the flavor of the Bond movie/actor at the time of the setting and then develop the multiple plot twist. It's not the easiest thing to do because the bar is set so high with Sean C in the earlier time periods. If you do a Bond of the 40's, 50's, and 60's, the literary Bond needs to be related to Sean C
  • Posts: 802
    SHF1 wrote:
    I really enjoyed reading Carte Blanche. …….. If you do a Bond of the 40's, 50's, and 60's, the literary Bond needs to be related to Sean C

    Frankly, I find this to be a ridiculous idea.
    If the literary continuation is to have any merit Bond has to be Fleming's Bond.
    Benson's attempt at filmesque books were absolute stinkers and Deaver's submission was an abomination.
    Horowitz's interpretation of Conan Doyle's Holmes was firmly rooted in the original description of the character and so it has to be with 007.
    It's not complicated, IFP should just phone Higson and get it done. We've suffered enough!
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    Posts: 18,236
    Villiers53 wrote:
    SHF1 wrote:
    I really enjoyed reading Carte Blanche. …….. If you do a Bond of the 40's, 50's, and 60's, the literary Bond needs to be related to Sean C

    Frankly, I find this to be a ridiculous idea.
    If the literary continuation is to have any merit Bond has to be Fleming's Bond.
    Benson's attempt at filmesque books were absolute stinkers and Deaver's submission was an abomination.
    Horowitz's interpretation of Conan Doyle's Holmes was firmly rooted in the original description of the character and so it has to be with 007.
    It's not complicated, IFP should just phone Higson and get it done. We've suffered enough!

    Agreed.
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