Ranking the James Bond Continuation Authors | 007 Ian Fleming Books

[@RaymondBenson]

Thank you, sir.

[@RolandHulme]

Thank YOU! Omg your books got me through my teenage years stuck out on a farm in the middle of nowhere!

[@DeanJonasson]

A very interesting (and helpful) survey of post-Fleming authors. As a big fan of the movies, I've slowly dipped into Fleming's novels. They are definitely page-turners with an economy that never sacrifices plot for background. So far, CASINO ROYALE and MOONRAKER are my favourites. On a whim, I picked up COLONEL SUN and was stunned: it was like Fleming but with a sharper eye for detail and ear for dialogue. Amis put more 'meat' on this Bond tale but kept the plot moving inexorably to the excitng climax. Your review has provided a few more 'leads' to satisfy my future Bond explorations.

[@duhduh666]

This is excellent and in-depth. I cannot understand why this doesn't have more views. Calvin Dyson needs to check this out.

[@RolandHulme]

I'm really pleased it was appreciated! Growing up as a lonely teenager on a farm, I had a lot of time to read, and I made my way through all of the Gardner and Benson Bond continuation novels. Never realized that would be a useful experience 25 years later!

[@DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader]

Thank you for not only spotlighting the unfairly overlooked continuation novels but also highlighting the positives of each author’s tenure. I’ve wanted to do my own video on the later Bond novels for far too long.

[@RolandHulme]

If you do, make sure you let me know! I'll be really interested to watch it.

[@kallreader7376]

Nice overview. I have read all of these (including the two other Amis books mentioned) and can generally agree, although I’d rate Gardner a little higher (although some were much better than others). I do think the Christopher Wood novelization of The Spy Who Loved Me was actually quite good (and much better than his Moonraker novelization).

[@midnightalley4586]

The audio of colonel sun is fantastic !

[@MrDewynter]

Excellent job! Thoroughly enjoyed it.

[@Joneserinn]

Thanks for a wonderful ranking Roland 🍸Currently reading through Fleming’s novels for the first time in my life and your video is much appreciated in terms of what’s to come 🙂

[@Silvernight81]

I was so keen to hear where you would rank Charlie and Steve but, otherwise, a great video

[@DeedUNo]

Simply the best continuation 007 book- A.Horowitz acknowledged p.263, readers may notice a few other “easter eggs” here and there: - Bond’s debating with Scaramanga in his mind p.104; - Bond remembering previous arch villains he tangled with Mr Big, Dr No; Le Chiffre, Drax p. 108, - Bond’s mentions his secretary , Loelia Ponsonby p.154 - He remembers the Oriental X train travel in the company of a psychotic Smersh Killer p.113 - plan to assassinate the target at the Berlin State Opera classical symphony - (The Living Daylight) p.237 - the spy who came in from the cold border crossing ending- like, last chapter - Bond remembers Tracy & compares Katya p.246 - last page echoes the last page of YOLT….. Bond keeps…..

[@ptjcinema]

Thank you... 🙏🏾🙏🏾

[@justapasserby6063]

So, what did you think of a dragged out of retirement James Bond appearing in Clive Cussler's novel "Nightprobe"?

[@joshgay6478]

Another brilliant video Roland! Love hearing your insights into the literary side of Bond 🍸 Horowitz is by far my favourite of the continuation authors.

[@RolandHulme]

I think Horowitz really nailed the formula. He'll be a tough act to follow.

[@ObiKKa]

The number 1 continuation author, which is missing from the auto-generated time chapters below the description, is, SURPRISE... Kingsley Amis at 25:58! Preface at 25:29. I like this list, which I think is very accurate.

[@bandstem]

Man.. The novelisations of Christopher Woods are my favorites.. 😢

[@OmarBhoo]

Not gonna lie, I liked John Gardner's books. Also, Denver had a good reboot type take but they didn't go in that direction.

[@bryanalstoncoxing]

Great video! I’ll definitely check out some of these authors. BTW, I didn’t know Africa was a country 😅

[@williammcguire130]

CARTE BLANCHE is worse on a technical, thematic, and conceptual level than any Gardner Bond novel. Gardner's Bond is much less mythic and ready to die than Fleming's but he's recognizable-- Deaver's worries that Moneypenny is too good for him and is a health nut. I mean, he's not even recognizable.

[@billmurray7473]

Babs Broccoli 🥦 should use the John Gardner Bond novels for the next movies. Ian Fleming doesn't really work today.

[@StephenRansom47]

Hello, Have you seen Spider-man? … I expect that you’ll Love It 😍… Truly another spark of hope in the dismal landscape… Saw your Ghostbusters review and felt a need to check in. Enjoy 😉 …and a Merry Christmas 🎄

[@RolandHulme]

Thanks so much, man! And I'm planning to see No Way Home with the kids tomorrow. I'm super excited now you tell me it's good!

[@StephenRansom47]

@@RolandHulme 👍 across the board … Be your best DAD-self.

[@golrush007]

I enjoyed this video very much. The continuation novels have meant a lot to me as well, although I am a much bigger fan of the John Gardner books that you are, Roland. When I was a kid I had more access to Gardner than to Fleming in my local library, so some of the Gardner books actually became my introduction to literary Bond. I'd rate the Gardner books of the 1980s as my favourite group of continuation novels. Admittedly, there was a strong case of diminishing returns as Gardner's tenure went on, especially the 1990s stuff but most of those novels were still enjoyable to read. I would also give a lot more credit to Christopher Wood. I think his novelisation of The Spy Who Loved Me is one of the strongest continuation books, deviating massively from the tone of the film and reimagining the story with a dark and very violent undercurrent. I mean, Bond is tortured with electrodes to his balls, and the backstory of Jaws is brutal. My personal ranking of the authors is this: John Gardner Kingsley Amis Anthony Horowitz Christopher Wood Raymond Benson William Boyd Sebastian Faulks Jeffrey Deaver (Apologies to John Pearson, but I have yet to read The Authorised Biography of James Bond. I hang my head in shame. 🙃)

[@THEBANDIT7979]

Great job. This has helped me a lot in picking out the best books to read

[@hotsake7819]

To me John Gardner was the best post Fleming Bond writer.

[@jonallen2407]

Sorry chap but where was Robert Markham, actually Kingsley Amis who wrote Colonel Sun?

[@ObiKKa]

Check at 25:58. Those time chapters, like in many videos with them below their descriptions as usual, are auto-generated. They don't accurately cover every key interval in a given video.

[@DonMckee-n7w]

John gardner Raymond benson best