I've Bought Three Novels.

Colonel Shatner

I've splashed out and bought three of Fleming's famous novels which are Dr. No, Thunderball, and You Only Live Twice, the first and last mentioned novels adapted into two of my more favourite Bond movies. In the future I may track down some non-Fleming novels (which ones are recommended, I'm particularily interested in the Union Trilogy).

Willie Garvin

Raymond Benson's entire "Union Trilogy" has recently been collected into a single trade paperback--here's the title:James Bond-The Union Trilogy:Three 007 Novels by Raymond Benson).

Contents are: High Time to Kill,DoubleShot,and Never Dream of Dying.This book also includes the original version of Benson's first 007 short story "Blast From the Past" as an extra feature.

I bought my copy from Amazon(and I suspect this omnibus can also be found in several bookstores,besides).

May I suggest that you first read Ian Fleming's SPECTRE trilogy before starting on the Union Trilogy?A familiarity with the SPECTRE storyline might add to your appreciation of the Union tales.Benson specifically wrote the Union trilogy as a latter-day companion piece to Fleming's SPECTRE stuff.You already have the first and third books in the SPECTRE saga--all you need now is a copy of On Her Majesty's Secret Service to complete the collection.

The SPECTRE Trilogy should be read in this order:
1)Thunderball
2)On Her Majesty's Secret Service
3)You Only Live Twice

Taken together,these books make up one large story--the entire Bond/Blofeld saga.And the Union stories form a kind of sequel to this plotline.

Indeed,certain segments of the three Fleming novels--particularly in OHMSS--actually influence and inform some of the key elements in the Union trilogy,most notably in the final novel,Never Dream of Dying.

And why not give From Russia With Love a glance,as well?Ian Fleming always thought that this was his best book.Fleming's Moonraker is pretty good,too--and it's only vaguely similar to the two movies that were later based on it:Moonraker and Die Another Day.


Hope some of this is helpful.:)

Colonel Shatner

I've nearly finished Dr. No and I find the patronizing, kitsch racism to be absolutely hilarious and cringe inducing. More over than in the movies. Fleming was more racist than JRR Tolkien but probably not as racist as HP Lovecraft.

Not only was Fleming cribbing from Dr. Fu Manchu but Dr. No has fairly obvious allusions to Captain Nemo with his isolation at sea behind cutting edge technology and dozens of followers, a king of his own little kingdom with a hatred of the outside world culmilating into piracy (then you have the giant squid and the study window looking out into the sea).