Rank'n'Rate: Ian Fleming

[Feliks, Moderator]

Fleming wrote post WWII but he got all his experience *during* WWII.

I think an exception should be made so that we can assess his writing; which is always fun and this group is sorely lacking in topics lately.

Let's treat of Ian Fleming. Cite your favorite books by this author and state why.

[Doubledf99.99]

"On Her Majesty's Secret Service"
Its a longer read than most of the Fleming Bond novels.
Flemings descriptions of card games, gambling, cities. How Bond rescued Tracy from humiliation at the Casino.
The Bond and Tracy affair.
Going up against Blofeld, SPECTRE and the air assault on Piz Gloria.

[Feliks, Moderator]

So you feel its his best effort? Not arguing, just asking.

I admit the "octopus battle" in 'Doctor No' strained the bounds of credulity.

I love the baroqueness of the 'Garden of Death' in 'You Only Live Twice'. Probably my favorite.

'Moonraker' was a total dud.

Oh wait-actually my faves are probably 'Live and Let Die' and 'Spy Who Loved Me'. I'll address them more in subsequent posts. Definite faves.

[Doubledf99.99]

Ya i think OHMSS was his best effort, but I do highly like all his stories from what I've read thus far.
On Moonraker I really liked the chapter on the Bridge game.


This might be a question for another place here, but who would you like to see write the next 007 Bond book??

[Feliks, Moderator]

Oh my god. No one. There's no writers left today I respect. Its the wrong era for Bond now, anyway. Pining for both books and movies to end, once-and-for-all. HEARTILY dislike the way they did the re-boot. I feel they should have gone for a full-blown period-piece, or nothing at all.

[Feliks, Moderator]

Andrew Vachss is probably the only crime writer I admire anymore; and even he has run aground (in his own hard-boiled genre) so he wouldn't even be an appropriate choice but I just want honest gutsy authors like that..and there aren't any anymore..just David Baldaccis..sob.

[Doubledf99.99]

Feliks wrote: "Andrew Vachss is probably the only crime writer I admire anymore; and even he has run aground (in his own hard-boiled genre) so he wouldn't even be an appropriate choice but I just want honest guts..."

I'm afraid your spot on on that on both points..
What about Deighton years ago anyway, Follette, Kerr, or Furst. Think they're just not up to the task?

[Feliks, Moderator]

Thanks.

Those fine authors each should stick to their own style, at which they excel. Writing Bond takes something else; something bizarre. It can't be programmed. Similar to Dash Hammett--no one else but he could write the Continental Op or Spade.

Kingsley Amis was the best ever stand-in for Fleming.

Ultimately (to answer your musing): 'I dunno'. Even if a brilliant mimicry could be found, an author really needs to write the series over again from the start, with the time-period setting exactly in tune to the story. Go in reverse. Stop trying to make the Bond paradigm fit the modern era. It would be huge fun to see a combination action+historical writer give us more adventures set in Bond's early career. Period-piece writing with 'all-the-trimmings'. Teach us about Paris or Bangkok in the 1950s. Show us how he acquired his degree in Asian languages. Or, show us how he became a naval commander. That's what is really called for.

[Doubledf99.99]

That's exactly what I'd like see As well, along with some Budapest, and Vienna, stories. I'd like to see the BBC do a three episode 90 minute series, YA i know those are only pipe dreams..

[Feliks, Moderator]

I'm amending my previous answer after sleeping on it.

I think one author who might pull it off if he applied himself to the task is John Updike. I wouldn't have thought so until I read his book, 'The Coup' last year. Big departure from his usual turf (suburban middle American male menopause). He really showed a talent for a difficult topic: globalization, violence, and political schism transforming an ascetic, severe, Arab dictatorship. The portrait he painted rang as clear as a bell: women, machine-guns, and automobiles were all very Bond-like.

[Doubledf99.99]

Hhhmmmmm, sounds very interesting will have to give that one a shot..

[Doubledf99.99]

Just read about the book on goodreads, kinda reminds me of Philip Caputo's book, "The Horn Of Africa".

Horn of Africa

[Feliks, Moderator]

Caputo's a very fine author

[Doubledf99.99]

I'd say From Russia With Love is his second best effort and my 2d favorite.
Seems a lot darker and more intense, the Grant back story is good and his work with SMERSH. Fleming really knows how to keep you immersed in the story.
And of course I haven't read them in order, but the Fleming novels I have have read I've thoroughly enjoyed them, can't believe how good they hold up, and are pretty quick reads.

[Mark]

Feliks wrote: "Thanks.

Those fine authors each should stick to their own style, at which they excel. Writing Bond takes something else; something bizarre. It can't be programmed. Similar to Dash Hammett--no one..."

I found Christopher Woods' novelisations of TSWLM & MR very well written and reminded me more of Flemings writing than any other writer. I wish they let him write an original story just to see if he can do that.

[Feliks, Moderator]

He'd vomit.

[Mark]

Feliks wrote: "He'd vomit."

I do think he would be laughing all the way to his bank, Fleming did write James Bond to obtain a certain style of living which would be quite luxurious by now.

I do think that Fleming died to soon I was kind of curious where 007 would go after the epilogue that TMWTGG was of the Blofeld trilogy.

[Feliks, Moderator]

Maybe. But I hope he'd have careful financial investments from his earlier publications which would take care of that for him.