Fan fiction Bond published in the '80s

Everyone, I am sure it's here on the forum but I can't recall the title and so don't know how to search for it -- but several years ago I learned about an unofficial Bond novel some guy self-published here in America in the '80s. This was back in 2004 I read about it, either on this or another Bond forum, and someone put up a pdf of it, which I still have on some hard drive somewhere. As I recall, the author was briefly back in the news as he'd just committed suicide, shortly after publishing an expose sort of book on the Bush family (cue dramatic music). But as I recall about his Bond novel itself, it was something he self-published in small quantity because he'd lied to his friends that he'd won a "contest" to be the new author of James Bond novels -- surely one of the strangest lies in history! Like who would even think of such a thing? So instead of fessing up the dude actually paid to publish his book, which I understand has a "shocking" ending. Anyway, what was this book/author, and have any of you read it? Silhouette Man, you should do a writeup on it in your Continuation Novel Reviews thread...

Comments

  • TrempoTrempo Lower SaxonyPosts: 8MI6 Agent
    The book is "The Killing Zone" by Jim Hatfield.

    It is quite good. And you are right there is a "shocking" ending.
  • onemonk909onemonk909 Posts: 65MI6 Agent
    Trempo wrote:
    The book is "The Killing Zone" by Jim Hatfield.

    It is quite good. And you are right there is a "shocking" ending.

    Thanks for the reminder! One of these days I'll see if I can dig up that PDF.
  • Sir MilesSir Miles The Wrong Side Of The WardrobePosts: 27,746Chief of Staff
    Do you mean The Killing Zone by Jim Hatfield...?

    Ah..sorry...was beaten to it ;%

    Carry on...
    YNWA 97
  • Silhouette ManSilhouette Man The last refuge of a scoundrelPosts: 8,844MI6 Agent
    edited February 2018
    Yes, I've read all of this too years ago on CBn, the first Bond forum I joined (under the same username as here) back in May 2002.

    I was thinking about this "book" again myself only the other day. I have read portions of it, and years before "Q.R. Markham" it was a work that plagiarised Fleming and Gardner, amongst others. The shocking ending was heavily inspired by the Star Trek film The Search for Spock.

    I also have a Word copy of this so-called Bond novel on my hard drive somewhere or else on disc somewhere. I'll have to try and look it out to confirm that I still have it at all! I remember that it used to be available to download on one of the Bond sites, now most likely defunct.

    On the Continuation Bond Novels review thread that onemonk909 links me with I think that he has perhaps gotten me confused with another member, chrisno1, who did have a thread of this title on AJB some years ago. Whilst I am well known as a Gardner and Continuations defender on AJB and other Bond forums, I don't believe I have any such reviews thread to my name (regrettably, of course!). :)
    "The tough man of the world. The Secret Agent. The man who was only a silhouette." - Ian Fleming, Moonraker (1955).
  • onemonk909onemonk909 Posts: 65MI6 Agent
    Yes, I've read all of this too years ago on CBn, the first Bond forum I joined (under the same username as here) back in May 2002.

    I was thinking about this "book" again myself only the other day. I have read portions of it, and years before "Q.R. Markham" it was a work that plagiarised Fleming and Gardner, amongst others. The shocking ending was heavily inspired by the Star Trek film The Search for Spock.

    I also have a Word copy of this so-called Bond novel on my hard drive somewhere or else on disc somewhere. I'll have to try and look it out to confirm that I still have it at all! I remember that it used to be available to download on one of the Bond sites, now most likely defunct.

    On the Continuation Bond Novels review thread that onemonk909 links me with I think that he has perhaps gotten me confused with another member, chrisno1, who did have a thread of this title on AJB some years ago. Whilst I am well known as a Gardner and Continuations defender on AJB and other Bond forums, I don't believe I have any such reviews thread. :)

    So sorry, that's really embarrassing -- yes, I was confusing you and Chrisno1! My apologies. Somehow your blog writeups about Bondian history/etc merged in my mind as being by the same person who wrote all those continuation novel reviews here... Well, now I'm going to feel like a jackass for the rest of the day...
  • Silhouette ManSilhouette Man The last refuge of a scoundrelPosts: 8,844MI6 Agent
    onemonk909 wrote:
    Yes, I've read all of this too years ago on CBn, the first Bond forum I joined (under the same username as here) back in May 2002.

    I was thinking about this "book" again myself only the other day. I have read portions of it, and years before "Q.R. Markham" it was a work that plagiarised Fleming and Gardner, amongst others. The shocking ending was heavily inspired by the Star Trek film The Search for Spock.

    I also have a Word copy of this so-called Bond novel on my hard drive somewhere or else on disc somewhere. I'll have to try and look it out to confirm that I still have it at all! I remember that it used to be available to download on one of the Bond sites, now most likely defunct.

    On the Continuation Bond Novels review thread that onemonk909 links me with I think that he has perhaps gotten me confused with another member, chrisno1, who did have a thread of this title on AJB some years ago. Whilst I am well known as a Gardner and Continuations defender on AJB and other Bond forums, I don't believe I have any such reviews thread. :)

    So sorry, that's really embarrassing -- yes, I was confusing you and Chrisno1! My apologies. Somehow your blog writeups about Bondian history/etc merged in my mind as being by the same person who wrote all those continuation novel reviews here... Well, now I'm going to feel like a jackass for the rest of the day...

    I'll be the first to tell you that there's no need at all for you to feel bad. It's a very easy mistake to make, confusing two members who write about similar things.

    You're still new here, so that is to be expected. Nobody thinks any less of you. I certainly don't and in fact I'm delighted you joined us here as you seem to have a similar deep interest in the literary Bond. In fact, I look forward to seeing new posts from you. Stick around, as Arnie might have said. {[]
    "The tough man of the world. The Secret Agent. The man who was only a silhouette." - Ian Fleming, Moonraker (1955).
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