[fieldmarshaldj]

Since you’re big on reading the novels, and I’ve yet to tackle them, what is your assessment in the Bond novels written by Ian Fleming vs. non-Fleming ?

[Perdogg]

Fleming novels were much better. The Raymond Benson novels were more or less hybrids of the movie and the Fleming novels. Christophre Woods novalizations are supposed to be as good as Fleming, I just started James Bond and The Spy Who Loved me. I have never read the Gardner novels.

Fleming definetly wrote in an area where reading was done for pleasure. You have also interpret this whole notion of the spiritual world v the modern world. Not in a flakey sense, but rather as almost as a joke. There is a lot of Spiritual/Mythical/Gothic references in the novels. I believe he drew a lot more than people thin on Sax Rohmer.

The Benson novels are confusing because they reference events in Fleming novels and sort of combined them with the movie Bond.

If you read the Fleming novels, take these pointrs.

1) Forget the movies, you will not have spacebase weapons or cutout mountain bases. The novels somewhat read like a detective story.

2) Don't skip through the slow parts.

3) Ignore this crap about racism and sexism.

4) Read them in order.

[abb]

Can’t recall if I’ve read the Gardner stuff, but I’ve read all the Fleming books.

Outstanding literature.

Even now, fifty and sixty years after they were written, they are great adventure reads. Nothing better to take when you go to the beach or mountains on vacation.

Good writing stands the test of time.