Young Bond Six

Strangeways

At last, it seems that a sixth Young Bond novel is on its way next year!
http://www.mi6-hq.com/news/index.php?itemid=11114&t=mi6&s=news

superado

Wow! I'm kind of sad Charlie Higson is not doing this, but I am so glad Young Bond lives and I'll keep an open mind with Steve Cole.

David Schofield

Thing is, the choice of this guy should be pretty depressing. The Who-folk don't rate his work as much more than middling and I suspect we'd all consider Bond to be more "literary" than the pulpist volume turnover of Who books. And the fact that he's also a management type at Random House suggests a sort of cheap and nasty incestuousness.

So this should be as depressing as Glidrose picking an uber-fan - Benson - for the gig many-a-year-ago? Well...

Higson was no more than a TV comedian before Young Bond. And Faulks and Boyd have both been literary big hitters. And Deaver sold huge numbers of airport fiction. But all three produced Bond rubbish.

So, in summary, a Dr Who in-house hack isn't a bad proposition for 2014, is it?

Sir Miles

David Schofield wrote:

Higson was no more than a TV comedian before Young Bond.

That's not true...he'd already written successful novels before...I suggest you do some research before trotting out this kind of rubbish...some people may believe you.

David Schofield

Sir Miles wrote:

David Schofield wrote:

Higson was no more than a TV comedian before Young Bond.

That's not true...he'd already written successful novels before...I suggest you do some research before trotting out this kind of rubbish...some people may believe you.

Bit tetchy, Miles.

But you are right. Before SILVERFIN, Higson had written a few novels a decade before while being a successful TV comedian. Novels very few, including me, had credited him with as he was, essentially, a TV comedian.

Sir Miles

David Schofield wrote:

Sir Miles wrote:

David Schofield wrote:

Higson was no more than a TV comedian before Young Bond.

That's not true...he'd already written successful novels before...I suggest you do some research before trotting out this kind of rubbish...some people may believe you.

Bit tetchy, Miles.

But you are right. Before SILVERFIN, Higson had written a few novels a decade before while being a successful TV comedian. Novels very few, including me, had credited him with as he was, essentially, a TV comedian.

Yes I am. I detest it when people trot out rubbish as 'gospel'...just because YOU don't, or didn't know about him writing novels as well as tv sketches it doesn't mean he didn't...and they were/are considered good...

David Schofield

Sir Miles wrote:

David Schofield wrote:

Sir Miles wrote:

That's not true...he'd already written successful novels before...I suggest you do some research before trotting out this kind of rubbish...some people may believe you.

Bit tetchy, Miles.

But you are right. Before SILVERFIN, Higson had written a few novels a decade before while being a successful TV comedian. Novels very few, including me, had credited him with as he was, essentially, a TV comedian.

Yes I am. I detest it when people trot out rubbish as 'gospel'...just because YOU don't, or didn't know about him writing novels as well as tv sketches it doesn't mean he didn't...and they were/are considered good...

Miles, when you first saw that Higson had got the Young Bond gig - presumably on the Internet like most of the rest of us - did you REALLY think: "Ah, yes Charlie Higson, the successful novelist. Damn fine choice with his literary background. But, you know, there'll be some folk less literary-aware than I, who won't know he's a hugely successful literary figure as I do and will only consider him a successful TV comedian"?

My point remains that, clearly other than the literary-in-the-know, in 2005 few knew Higson as other than a TV comedian, as his novels weren't at that time hugely successful with the wider-public and in general consciousness?

Sir Miles

David Schofield wrote:

Miles, when you first saw that Higson had got the Young Bond gig - presumably on the Internet like most of the rest of us - did you REALLY think: "Ah, yes Charlie Higson, the successful novelist. Damn fine choice with his literary background. But, you know, there'll be some folk less literary-aware than I, who won't know he's a hugely successful literary figure as I do and will only consider him a successful TV comedian"?

My point remains that, clearly other than the literary-in-the-know, in 2005 few knew Higson as other than a TV comedian, as his novels weren't at that time hugely successful with the wider-public and in general consciousness?

Yes, I knew Charlie Higson had written successful novels and I knew he was a huge Bond fan...and I knew those facts BEFORE he was announced as the Young Bond author....and I am most certainly NOT a literary-in-the-know...

David Schofield

Sir Miles wrote:

David Schofield wrote:

Miles, when you first saw that Higson had got the Young Bond gig - presumably on the Internet like most of the rest of us - did you REALLY think: "Ah, yes Charlie Higson, the successful novelist. Damn fine choice with his literary background. But, you know, there'll be some folk less literary-aware than I, who won't know he's a hugely successful literary figure as I do and will only consider him a successful TV comedian"?

My point remains that, clearly other than the literary-in-the-know, in 2005 few knew Higson as other than a TV comedian, as his novels weren't at that time hugely successful with the wider-public and in general consciousness?

Yes, I knew Charlie Higson had written successful novels and I knew he was a huge Bond fan...and I knew those facts BEFORE he was announced as the Young Bond author....and I am most certainly NOT a literary-in-the-know...

Then I must concede the point.

My knowledge of Higson in 2005 wasn't that he had written a few novels some little while before and their success had not penentrated. I knew he was a very successful writer of TV comedy and no more.

Obviously, I maintain that Higson was known by the majority for those sketches alone: but clearly there are those like yourself who had greater knowledge of Higson's wider career in 2005

Sir Miles

David Schofield wrote:

Then I must concede the point.

My knowledge of Higson in 2005 wasn't that he had written a few novels some little while before and their success had not penentrated. I knew he was a very successful writer of TV comedy and no more.

Obviously, I maintain that Higson was known by the majority for those sketches alone: but clearly there are those like yourself who had greater knowledge of Higson's wider career in 2005

That's because I knew he was a massive Bond fan...so I took a wider interest in his career...especially as I really enjoyed his tv work too...

mrbond

I've met Steve Cole and as a Who fan, I do really rate his work. Shadow in the Glass being my favourite book of his, hurriedly co-written to make up for another book being delivered late. I think he's going to be very good but it will take a lot to continue Charlie Higson's great work.

Napoleon Plural

How does it work though, hasn't young Bond grown up or will this be a reboot? Or will the stories take place in between Higson's books?

Anyway, Christopher Wood was only known for the Confessions novels, under the name Timothy O'leary or something, yet his novels are corkers.

David Schofield

Napoleon Plural wrote:

How does it work though, hasn't young Bond grown up or will this be a reboot? Or will the stories take place in between Higson's books?

My best guess is that these are the "Fettes" years, because we've been told they'll follow on from BY ROYAL COMMAND which ended with the, erm, 'explusion'. Unless, Young JB had such a cracking summer post Eton and before going up to Fettes that there was enough happening to fill four novels' worth of adventures? )

But more crucially, of course, will YB still be the 1920-born lad of Higson or the 1924-born creation of Fleming and Boyd????? -{

Sir Miles

David Schofield wrote:

My best guess is that these are the "Fettes" years, because we've been told they'll follow on from BY ROYAL COMMAND which ended with the, erm, 'explusion'.

I think that is correct....I'm sure IFP have said as much -{

Strangeways

My guess it will be the Fettes years.
Hadn't his friend Pritpal or one of the boys already transferred there before Bond?

RagalElMostaheel

I'm excited about this, I finished reading Silverfin (yes, it took me long to read that) and I looking forward to buying second book. Shame that Higson won't helm the sixth book, hopefully Cole will do it justice.

superado

I don't rememeber which route Higson took with Bond's chronology, but based on what I do remember with Benson's chronology in his Bedside Companion book, Bond was 17 when he enlisted in the RN Reserves, so I hope we see some pre-war and WWII stories of Young Bond. I love Higson's YB so much, that I am reserving the short story in Danger Society for a good read the next time I manage to get a vacation in warm beach weather, which I have not had the pleasure of enjoying for some time.

RagalElMostaheel

In my opinion, they should have the last book in the series end with a scene that leads up to Casino Royale.

Agent 00 Frog

RagalElMostaheel wrote:

In my opinion, they should have the last book in the series end with a scene that leads up to Casino Royale.

The only way to do it! -{

Thunderpussy

-{ It would be a nice way to end the series

RagalElMostaheel

I've read that John Gardner was among the people who hated the idea before Silverfin was released, declaring it a cheap gimmick to make money which is understandable. However, considering the reputation of his continuation books among literature critics, I wonder how he must of felt if he found out Silverfin got a far better critical reception than most of his Bond books, which were huge sellers but weren't well received critically with a few exceptions.