By Mark Edlitz

Interviews with many of the creators of 007’s new literary adventures.

There are 14 James Bond books.

Well, that’s not quite right. There are 14 James Bond books penned by Ian Fleming. However, ever since Fleming’s death in 1964, there have been new adventures for 007 – not least on the silver screen, where the movies have slowly but surely in the past decades become completely original adventures (pace Casino Royale, which follows the structure of the Fleming book much more closely than you might think). It all began with Kingsley Amis’ Colonel Sun… or did it?

A companion to his James Bond After Fleming, Mark Edlitz’s new book is far more than just a collection of interviews; through his very carefully prepared questions, he reveals a lot of the history of the “continuation novels” (a phrase many of his interviewees aren’t keen on, for very good reason). From the kids’ book about Bond’s nephew – Edlitz and I have both read it; you don’t need to! – to Kim Sherwood’s contemporary take on the 00 section (and warning, by the way, for this in particular – there’s one huge spoiler in her interview) which you should read, the saga unfolds.

The interview with IFP’s Corinne Turner is fascinating, not least for what isn’t mentioned as for what is. The genesis of the novels, John Gardner’s and Raymond Benson’s long tenures, the “spin-offs” of Young Bond/Moneypenny as well as the “event novels” that followed are discussed and there’s a clear insight into the somewhat unusual way in which they are created. The interviews that follow – with John Gardner’s son, but otherwise with the authors themselves of the books from the mid-90s onwards – are inevitably coloured in the reader’s mind by Turner’s comments, but reveal which of the aspects of writing 007 (or Bond-adjacent) were difficult for all, and the specific challenges faced when putting the story within or immediately after Fleming’s work (Weinberg, Horowitz, Faulks, Boyd), in a new era (Deaver, Sherwood), or extrapolating from Fleming’s few hints about the past (Higson, Cole).

Verdict: Hopefully, Bond fans reading this who have turned up their nose at (or in some cases were not aware of the existence of) these novels may seek them out – IFP are reprinting some – and enjoy fresh adventures of that very special agent. Edlitz’s book makes for an excellent companion. Comics next? 9/10

Paul Simpson

Paperback — US
Paperback — UK