William Boyd to Write the Next James Bond Continuation Novel

I'm traveling right now and thought I had this blog well covered with a few evergreen, non time sensitive posts in the pipeline, but the literary and filmic curators of James Bond seem determined to prove I picked the wrong time to travel with all sorts of big reveals and announcements this week! In addition to the slew of Skyfall stills that MGM released, Ian Fleming Publications made a huge announcement yesterday, reported by The Book Bond (a truly excellent resource for all sorts of information on the literary 007, from the latest breaking news, like this, to detailed examinations of older editions by Fleming and his followers, which I check religiously every day): esteemed British author William Boyd has been selected by IFP to pen the next James Bond novel. The untitled book, due to be published in Fall 2013 by Jonathan Cape in the UK and HarperCollins in the USA, will return 007 to his 1960s roots. The last time we got a historical Bond novel by an artsy, award-winning author, the result was Sebastian Faulks' Devil May Care, a crude Fleming pastiche I didn't care for one bit. But I'm much more hopeful about Boyd's take on the most famous literary secret agent of all time. Faulks was dismissive of the assignment from the start, making it clear in every interview that his book was a literary lark for him, and he considered himself well above the material. Boyd, however, has demonstrated a clear passion for Ian Fleming over the years, and used Fleming as a character in his novel Any Human Heart. (In the 2011 TV adaptation, Fleming was played by Casino Royale co-star Toby Menzies.) I'm somewhat ashamed to admit that I haven't read Any Human Heart, though it's been in my Amazon wishlist since its 2004 publication. I've never read anything by Boyd, but I'm certainly eager to see his take on Ian Fleming's incredible creation.

The most recent James Bond continuation novel was last year's Carte Blanche by Jeffery Deaver, which somewhat rebooted the series in a contemporary setting. Some fans seem surprised that IFP would go back to a period setting (Boyd's untitled book is set in 1969, shortly after Fleming left off and shortly after the events of Devil May Care, if the new author chooses to acknowledge or reference them in any way) after Deaver's much ballyhooed but blessedly not very drastic "reboot." I'm not. The current regime at IFP seem keen to explore numerous creative possibilities with different authors (besides the Deaver and Faulks books, they've brought us Charlie Higson's Young Bond series and Samantha Weinberg's Moneypenny Diaries, both of which were offbeat, but very, very good), and as long as they keep selecting exciting writers, it makes sense to let each writer decide on his or her own approach, including the period. That said, reading between the lines of remarks that Deaver made on his Carte Blanche book tour, I wouldn't be at all surprised if he or someone else picked up where that book left off in a few years with another new contemporary Bond thriller. Hopefully the reading public is sophisticated enough to grasp the notion of two (or more) timelines running at once. Personally, I'm overjoyed. I hope they keep hiring interesting and well-regarded authors to pen one-off Bond novels. It gives fans the opportunity to read a lot of different takes on their favorite spy hero. And I'm including Faulks among the interesting authors. I may not have liked his take, personally, but the beauty of this model is that there's always another take I might prefer right around the corner. This rotating novelist plan still leaves the doors open for the likes of Mark Gatiss, Lee Child, Stephen Fry, Jeremy Duns, Charlie Higson (who has yet to tackle the adult 007) and any number of authors I'd love to see tackle a Bond novel! Who knows? Maybe they'll even entice notorious Bond hater John le Carré to take a crack and show us how he would do it... The possibilities remain endless. (Though, I'll admit, that last one I mentioned seems really unlikely!)

Additionally, The Book Bond also reports that IFP is looking to continue the Young Bond series started by Higson... but, unfortunately, with a new author. Higson apparently confirmed this in a tweet, acknowledging that they couldn't wait forever for his schedule to free up. The search is on for that new author.

Moneypenny Lives!
The Moneypenny Diaries See New Life as Audio Books

The Book Bond reports that Samantha Weinberg's trilogy of Moneypenny Diaries, my favorite James Bond continuation novels of the past decade, will see new life as audio books from Chivers. Normally I don't concern myself too much with audio books (how many different versions of the Fleming books have there been over the years?), but this announcement particularly excites me because I feel like The Moneypenny Diaries series has been unfairly marginalized. The three novels by Weinberg, writing under the pen name of Kate Westbrook, came out in 2005, 2006 and 2008. The concept of spin-off books told in a diary format and focusing on Moneypenny, a relatively minor character in Ian Fleming's stories, seemed off-putting to some Bond fans. Yet against all odds, Ms. Weinberg not only pulled off the questionable premise, but ended up penning three of the very best Bond continuation novels ever written.

Unfortunately, this series was the rare instance of the current incarnation of Ian Fleming Publications really dropping the ball publicity-wise. On top of a misleading cover that made it look like chick-lit, the first novel, Guardian Angel, was initially marketed with a ludicrous ploy that asked readers to believe that these books were non-fiction, a "true" account of James Bond's MI6 of the 1960s told from the point of view of a real-life figure. The half-baked scheme failed spectacularly, and most major media outlets ignored such an obvious hoax altogether and failed to review these truly excellent books. (The only blurb they ever got was "Thrilling!" from former Bond Girl Joanna Lumley, which was repeated on each cover.) Sales suffered as a result, and the second two books never even saw publication in America. IFP never did anything to correct their initial misstep, and instead moved onto other projects like Sebastian Faulks' risible Centenary novel Devil May Care, which sadly overshadowed the final Moneypenny Diary, Final Fling.

So I'm very happy to see any movement on The Moneypenny Diaries, and these new audio books indicate that publishers haven't abandoned them altogether, which is a very good sign. I sincerely hope that they find a new audience on this format, and that it leads to further exposure. I would absolutely love to see a bumper edition come out in the US collecting all three in one volume (along with the two never-collected short stories), like the two Raymond Benson omnibi released by Pegasus Books. (Pegasus is also putting out the individual John Gardner reprints this fall. Come on, Pegasus; take a look at Moneypenny!) Here's hoping. At any rate, if you're a Bond fan and you haven't yet checked out these books, make every effort to do so, in whatever format is most conveniently available to you. They're a far superior take on a Sixties-set companion to Fleming's Bond books to Devil May Care, and the qualify as genuine James Bond novels despite the different point of view.

The new audio books are read by actress Eleanor Bron, no doubt most familiar to Sixties spy fans from the Beatles' spy spoof Help! I'm sure Bron does a terrific job, though part of me can't help but think it was a missed opportunity not hiring Samantha Bond, the Pierce Brosnan-era Moneypenny. (Lois Maxwell obviously would have been the best choice, but sadly she passed away the same year that the first volume saw print.) All three titles are available for purchase from AudioGo at £22.50 a pop for the unabridged, 8-disc sets.

Read my extensive interview with Samantha Weinberg here.
Read my interview with Moneypenny Diaries cover artist Stina Persson here.
Read my review of The Moneypenny Diaries: Secret Servant here.

Repost: Moneypenny Diaries Interview

Continuing this week's blogiversary celebration, here's another repost - and it's a direct follow-up to yesterday's re-posted review of The Moneypenny Diaries: Secret Servant. Here's the first part of an interview I conducted with James Bond continuation author Samantha Weinberg in 2008, along with a link to the lengthy full interview at the end. This is one of my favorite posts I've done here. Ms. Weinberg was an extremely gracious and forthcoming interviewee. Sadly, I think this interview was probably the biggest promotional push any of these books got, so it makes that much more sense to spotlight it again...

Centenary Exclusive:

Interview With Moneypenny Diaries Author Samantha Weinberg

Today is the Centenary of Ian Fleming's birth, and his heirs have (rightly) turned that into a celebration. Everyone's talking about Sebastian Faulks' new James Bond novel, Devil May Care, commissioned specially for the event, which hits stores today. It's erroneously been described as the first new Bond novel since Raymond Benson's The Man With the Red Tattoo in 2001, but most Double O Section readers probably know that isn't the case. Ian Fleming Publications have put out two excellent series of Bond novels over the past several years, Charlie Higson's wildly successful Young Bond adventures, and Samantha Weinberg's trilogy of Moneypenny Diaries. While the third volume, Final Fling, was recently published in Britain, the first one (here simply titled The Moneypenny Diaries) is finally hitting U.S. shelves, and I thought I'd shine the Centenary spotlight on that today here at the Double O Section.

Weinberg, writing under the pseudonym of Kate Westbrook (Moneypenny's supposed niece and editor of her diaries) took a concept that many fans (myself included) found dubious, and skillfully spun it into some of the very best James Bond continuation novels to date. It's a radically new approach to a Bond novel, the most different tack taken since Ian Fleming himself deviated from his own formula to have Bond Girl Vivien Michelle narrate The Spy Who Loved Me in the first person. It was her own story, and 007 only came into it in the last third. The Moneypenny Diaries comes from a similar angle, but with a far more interesting protagonist in M's famous secretary, Miss Moneypenny.
While Miss Moneypenny only appeared briefly in each of Fleming's novels, she certainly left an impression. Any woman able to get the last word in on Bond like she does in this passage from Thunderball is bound to do so! Here, 007 has just emerged from M's office, confounded by orders to clean the toxins out of his body at a health clinic:

Miss Moneypenny gave a secret smile. 'You know he thinks the world of you - or perhaps you don't. Anyway, as soon as he saw your Medical he told me to book you in.' Miss Moneypenny screwed up her nose. 'But, James, do you really drink and smoke as much as that? It can't be good for you, you know.' She looked up at him with motherly eyes.
Bond controlled himself. He summoned a desperate effort at nonchalance, at the throw-away phrase, 'It's just that I'd rather die of drink than of thirst. As for the cigarettes, it's really only that I don't know what to do with my hands.' He heard the stale, hangover words fall like clinker in a dead grate. Cut out the schmalz! What you need is a double brandy and soda.
Miss Moneyepenny's warm lips pursed into a disapproving line. 'About the hands - that's not what I've heard.'
'Now don't you start on me, Penny.' Bond walked angrily towards the door. He turned round. 'Any more ticking-off from you and when I get out of this place I'll give you such a spanking you'll have to do your typing off a block of Dunlopillo.'
Miss Moneypenny smiled sweetly at him. 'I don't think you'll be able to do much spanking after living on nuts and lemon juice for two weeks, James.'

Yes, Moneypenny made quite an impression standing up to the irrepressible 007 in her few paragraphs. Lois Maxwell solidified that impression in the films, making the role her own and playing up the flirtatious interplay between Moneypenny and Bond into a staple of the film series. (So much so that it was sorely missed from the otherwise excellent Casino Royale.)
Now Samantha Weinberg has gone a step further, developing the fan-favorite supporting player into a leading lady--and giving her a first name in the process. Weinberg calls her Moneypenny Jane, and Jane Moneypenny makes a very engaging protagonist and narrator. This new take offers a new point of view on Bond's world, and the opportunity to eavesdrop on life in the Office while 007 is away on assignment. All of Fleming's support staff get larger roles in Weinberg's SIS: Moneypenny, M, Chief of Staff Bill Tanner, the disagreeable Captain Troop, and even the steady parade of attractive secretaries to the Double O Section.

The point of view isn't the only new angle in The Moneypenny Diaries, however. Like Higson's novels, Weinberg's are period pieces, restoring 007 to the Cold War, Jet Age era that spawned him. This gives the author a freedom Fleming never had, as he was writing contemporary stories. She can integrate historical events into Bond's world. The first novel deals with the Cuban Missile Crisis, and 007's surprising role in it--as well as Moneypenny's. The second concerns notorious MI6 defector Kim Philby. And amidst these actual events, Weinberg weaves ongoing plot threads throughout the three novels like Moneypenny's quest for answers about her father's disappearance during WWII and, later, her attempts to identify a mole in the upper echelons of MI6.
Samantha Weinberg was kind enough to discuss some of these innovations, and more, with the Double O Section.

00: You've frequently credited your literary agent with the germ of the idea for The Moneypenny Diaries, but how much of it did he come up with, and how much did you create in your initial outline?

SW: We were discussing Bond in general when Gillon said, casually, 'What do you think about a Moneypenny biography?' My first reaction was: 'brilliant', and a second later, 'what about Moneypenny diaries?' It was that instinctive. From that point onwards, he left all the plot development to me, though I spoke to him several times during the process.

00: Who decided to integrate actual historical events into the books? And when did the ideas for the series' overarching plot lines (like Jane's father's disappearance and the mole in MI6) emerge?

SW: I wrote a brief outline - which included the concept of setting the diaries in real historical events - he read it, and then took it to the Fleming estate. When they expressed enthusiasm, I wrote a more detailed outline, which we then submitted to several publishers. By that point, the three main story lines for Volume 1 were established: the Cuban Missile Crisis, Jane's search for her father, and Bond/Office life in general. The first book followed the outline closely.

00: Did you plot out the overall story arc for the whole trilogy at that time, or did the plots for books 2 and 3 fall into place only after you'd already written the first one?

SW: I had some vague ideas. I always planned that Kate Westbrook would have an increasing role, and story arc of her own, as the series progressed. And that the second book would have something to do with the Cambridge spies. But none of the details; I literally (ha ha) left myself hanging at the end of book one with some loose ends that I didn’t have a clue how to resolve. (Particularly one relating to Colditz, which I only managed to navigate with the help of Henry Chancellor [author of James Bond: The Man and His World]).

It would have made my job a lot easier if I’d planned the entire trilogy at the beginning – and, with hindsight, I half wish I had – but it was also fun to try to wriggle my way out of some tight – albeit fictional – spots.

00: One of my favorite aspects of these books is the integration of actual historical events. Fleming didn't really have that opportunity (and sometimes when he tried it, the results were enjoyably embarrassing, such as Bond declaring in "Quantum of Solace" that his own loyalties lay with Castro's rebels, prior to the revelation that Castro was Communist!), and most of the continuation novels were also contemporary, so you're really the first author who's ever had the chance to incorporate Bond and Moneypenny into actual history. Did that daunt you at all?

SW: Quite the reverse. As a journalist/non-fiction writer, I feel much more comfortable with fact. So, having the history to hang the story off was a great comfort as well as a help. I enjoyed the research process enormously: digging through the archives, reading books about the period, talking to people and then, of course, hot-footing it off to Cuba to see the missile sites for myself.

00: Did you already have a great knowledge of the Cuban Missile Crisis, or the Philby affair, prior to writing the books, or did it mostly entail new research?

SW: I knew very little - so it was a lot of research. I have piles of books in my office. But it was fascinating and now I know a little more. [Editor's Note: Part of that research involved visiting Philby's fourth wife, Rufina, in Moscow - pictured below.]

00: In the second book, you portray Kim Philby as a complex, three-dimensional and even sympathetic character. What biographies did you rely on most, and to what extent did you extrapolate?

SW: Four main ones: Philby: KGB Masterspy by Phillip Knightley, Philby: The Long Road to Moscow by Patrick Seale and Maureen McConville, My Silent War by Philby himself, and, perhaps most importantly, Kim Philby: The Spy I Loved by Eleanor Philby. I also gleaned bits and pieces from Miranda Carter's biography of Blunt. I think/hope I painted a fairly true portrait of Philby, though it's probably on the sympathetic side; I tend to look for the emotion in people and probably rather under-emphasised the effects of what he'd done.

00: Very interesting! I didn't know about the Eleanor Philby book. I'll have to track that one down. Do you have any problems with corralling actual historical personalities to fit your fiction, or is it easier to write about people who already have well-documented stories?

SW: I love writing about real characters and trying to flesh out their life from what's been written about them.

00: You mentioned travelling to Cuba. Did you travel to every location you write about in The Moneypenny Diaries?

SW: Pretty much, and I'm feeling rather guilty about it now. I probably spewed out a small country's carbon allowance on the excuse of following Miss Moneypenny around the world! I went to Cuba, Miami, Washington, Switzerland (where I stayed with Peter Smithers, just as
Kate did in Guardian Angel [as the first book is known in Britain]), Berlin, Moscow, and from there by train to St. Petersburg, Jamaica, North Uist [Scotland]. I never went to Skye though!

00: Well, I'm sorry for the carbon-induced guilt! If it's any consolation, the research paid off. You painted very vivid depictions of each of those places--especially Moscow in Volume 2. Which of those thrilling cities did you like best?

SW: Definitely Moscow. It was exciting, beautiful, dynamic, and very, very cold (we went during a ‘cold snap’ – temperatures fell to –28C). Jamaica was amazing too, staying at [Ian Fleming's house] Goldeneye, hanging out with Chris Blackwell who, of course, knew Fleming well. [Ed: Fleming reportedly had an affair with Island Records founder Chris Blackwell's mother, Blanche.]

00: All we usually get of MI6 headquarters in Fleming's books is a few chapters. Were you influenced at all by other spy novelists who spend more time on this side of the business, such as John Le Carré or Greg Rucka? To me, your books read like bridges between their school of more realistic spy fiction and Fleming's imaginative world, which is a fantastic feat!

SW: Thank you. I'm a big Le Carré fan, and reread most of his books as I was writing Moneypenny. That was pretty depressing, to tell you the truth; I knew I could never hope to come anywhere near his brilliant depiction of SIS. I also spoke to several former spies, who had worked at the Office during the Sixties and who were wonderfully - if cagily - helpful. My aim was to make it a bit more realistic, yet stick as closely as I could to Fleming. So I guess it's a glamourised version of the real thing.

00: Or a realized version of the glamour! Either way, it works wonderfully.
SW: Thanks.

00: When did you first read Ian Fleming? Were you introduced to James Bond through the books or the movies?

Go here to see Weinberg's answer and read the entire interview.

Repost: Moneypenny Diaries Review

Continuing this week's blogiversary celebration, here's another repost.  The Moneypenny Diaries series is another one of my favorite things (in this case a series of books) that I've reviewed in my four years of blogging about spies that I feel has gotten unfairly overlooked.  While the premise of a first-person series of James Bond continuation novels focusing on Miss Moneypenny (a fairly minor character in Ian Fleming's books) sounded doubtful, author Samantha Weinberg (writing as Kate Westbrook) achieved a considerable feat: she not only made it work, but penned three of the most enjoyable 007 continuation novels to date. Sadly, they were launched with a cheap gimmick and then horribly marketed, with the second and third novels never even being published in America.  It's really too bad, because all of Weinberg's books were far superior to the massively hyped Sebastian Faulks continuation novel Devil May Care.  Oh well; I've beaten that point into the ground before.  My purpose here is to shine a light on The Moneypenny Diaries by reposting my review of the second book, Secret Servant, which was probably my favorite of the lot.  American Bond fans should take the trouble to track down the last two books.  They're well worth it.  Anyway, here's the first part of the review and a link to the rest at the end:

Review: The Moneypenny Diaries: Secret Servant

Samantha Weinberg’s second James Bond novel (writing as Kate Westbrook), The Moneypenny Diaries Vol. 2: Secret Servant, is even more fun than her first. Yes, despite that misleading cover that doesn’t even mention the main commercial attraction, this is a Bond novel. 007 just doesn’t happen to be the main character. Instead, as with the first volume, Ms. Weinberg uses the supporting character of Miss Moneypenny to examine the world of Bond’s Secret Service, and how M, Bond, Tanner and the others weathered the spy scandals that rocked real life England in the early Sixties.

I really like the way Weinberg has integrated real, historical events into Fleming’s world. Obviously, he couldn’t deal with issues so contemporary and scandalous when he was writing the books, but by placing Bond in a historical context (a good decision on the part of the new regime at IFP), Weinberg can. And forty-odd years later, she has access to information that Fleming couldn’t possibly have known, and a historical perspective. (In one retrospectively embarrassing attempt at injecting current events into his fiction, in the short story "Quantum of Solace," Fleming had 007 aiding Castro’s Cuban rebels against Batista! Who knew where that would lead?) It’s fascinating to see M and his team (usually glimpsed only in a single chapter of each Fleming book) grapple with these events. After all, a Soviet mole in the heart of British Intelligence poses a much greater threat to a man like M than a madman sending missiles off course from his private island! (And, lest one think that Soviet moles could never penetrate M’s Secret Service they way they did the real one, remember that Fleming himself mentions Burgess and Maclean in From Russia With Love, in which Bond is assigned to a Committee of Inquiry on the matter!)

While the first novel dealt with the Cuban Missile Crisis, this one revolves around Kim Philby’s defection. It works better, because the Cambridge spy ring was an espionage event that involved MI6 much more directly than the Cuban Missile Crisis. Possibly because of that, Weinberg also works Moneypenny (or Jane, to use the first name she’s given her), into the action much more organically. The first book’s greatest weakness was the barely credible way Moneypenny ended up in Cuba with James Bond. The way she gets caught up in the Philby affair is far more convincing. Really, how could she not? The secretary to the head of MI6 at the time would have been right in the thick of it all. It’s still impossible to believe that M would risk sending someone with as many secrets as Moneypenny into the heart of the Evil Empire–Moscow–for any reason, but the reason Weinberg comes up with is the most plausible I can think of. And it’s never been a requirement for any Bond novel to be entirely grounded in realism.

Secret Servant also revisits a particularly interesting period in Bond’s own fictional history. It begins following the events of Fleming’s You Only Live Twice, when Bond is presumed dead, and continues through his dramatic return in the opening of The Man With the Golden Gun. (For those a bit rusty on their Fleming, an amnesiac Bond comes back brainwashed by the KGB and attempts to assassinate his boss!) Witnessing these events through Moneypenny’s eyes gives us a unique perspective on a unique situation in the Bond canon, and allows Weinberg to fill in a few gaps from Fleming’s final novel, which he never had a chance to fully finish. (Bond’s "de-programming" is fleshed out somewhat more, for one thing.) Secret Servant ends just about where TMWTGG does, so the third (and supposedly final) Moneypenny Diary will give Weinberg quite a bit more freedom in how she uses 007 himself as a character.

Fleming never gave us much detail at all on Moneypenny. She rated a few sentences in most of the books, but managed to make enough of an impression that the filmmakers, and actress Lois Maxwell, were able to turn her into the iconic figure she is today. Weinberg goes even further, though, fortunately. Her Moneypenny is a fully realized character, very occasionally in contradiction with Fleming’s version, but that’s excusable since she really belongs to Weinberg now. (That sentence may shock purists, but it’s true. Moneypenny is the main character of these books, and for their sake the author has the right to tweak a date here or there if it serves her version of the character better.) I found myself really caring about the character, and eager to get back to Moneypenny’s world, not Bond’s, while reading the books. Furthermore, since reading the first Moneypenny Diaries, I’ve enjoyed her brief appearances in the Fleming books even more as I’ve been re-reading them....

Go here to read my full review.

Big Bond Day In Britain

Even though it's nothing more than Halloween here in America, it seems inappropriate to let this day pass by without making note of all the cool stuff the Cousins have going on today across the pond. For starters, there's the first "new" Ian Fleming James Bond hardcover first edition since Octopussy and The Living Daylights came out in 1966! (Well, Amazon actually lists it as having come out at the beginning of this month, but I think it was originally supposed to be today.) That's right, the new collection Quantum of Solace: The Complete James Bond Short Stories, first published in paperback in Britain and the United States this past summer, gets a hardcover release in the UK today from Penguin Classics. Of course, the true first was the Penguin paperback, but most collectors like to have all their titles in hardcover anyway. And it's a pretty neat hardback, with a stamped brown "field report" mini dust jacket and very nice looking boards. I'm not generally a fan of half-sized jackets (and of course I would have preferred a Richard Chopping style cover like next week's Black Butterfly), but this one looks cool. The same book is also out in a smaller format, mass market paperback this month as well, sporting yet another cover (right). I'm surprised the mass market version isn't a movie tie-in, given that the whole point of the book even existing is to tie the books in with the films!

Second, and no less essential, is the paperback debut of Samantha Weinberg's final entry in her "Moneypenny Diaries" trilogy, Final Fling. This was a stellar conclusion to a truly phenomenal series, and every Bond fan should read it. Really, these books are much closer to the spirit of Fleming than that Centenary pretender Devil May Care, or even Charlie Higson's excellent Young Bond spinoff series. Weinberg's "Diaries" are continuation novels even Fleming purists will enjoy, which can't be said for many of them. The paperback sports the same amazing Stina Persson artwork as the hardcover. Here's hoping the first volume in the series gets rejacketed to match...

And on top of those enticing book releases, there's also a movie of some sort in UK theaters today... one we won't get Stateside for another two weeks. Lucky limeys. Enjoy, guys!

Moneypenny Photos

My interview with Moneypenny Diaries author Samantha Weinberg is now updated with photos of the author on location, doing research in Moscow for Volume 2. Be sure to scroll on down again, even if you already read the interview.

Centenary Exclusive: Interview With Moneypenny Diaries Author Samantha Weinberg (aka Kate Westbrook)

Centenary Exclusive:

Interview With Money-penny Diaries Author Samantha Weinberg

Today is the Centenary of Ian Fleming's birth, and his heirs have (rightly) turned that into a celebration. Everyone's talking about Sebastian Faulks' new James Bond novel, Devil May Care, commissioned specially for the event, which hits stores today. It's erroneously been described as the first new Bond novel since Raymond Benson's The Man With the Red Tattoo in 2001, but most Double O Section readers probably know that isn't the case. Ian Fleming Publications have put out two excellent series of Bond novels over the past several years, Charlie Higson's wildly successful Young Bond adventures, and Samantha Weinberg's trilogy of Moneypenny Diaries. While the third volume, Final Fling, was recently published in Britain, the first one (here simply titled The Moneypenny Diaries) is finally hitting U.S. shelves, and I thought I'd shine the Centenary spotlight on that today here at the Double O Section.

Weinberg, writing under the pseudonym of Kate Westbrook (Moneypenny's supposed niece and editor of her diaries) took a concept that many fans (myself included) found dubious, and skillfully spun it into some of the very best James Bond continuation novels to date. It's a radically new approach to a Bond novel, the most different tack taken since Ian Fleming himself deviated from his own formula to have Bond Girl Vivien Michelle narrate The Spy Who Loved Me in the first person. It was her own story, and 007 only came into it in the last third. The Moneypenny Diaries comes from a similar angle, but with a far more interesting protagonist in M's famous secretary, Miss Moneypenny.
While Miss Moneypenny only appeared briefly in each of Fleming's novels, she certainly left an impression. Any woman able to get the last word in on Bond like she does in this passage from Thunderball is bound to do so! Here, 007 has just emerged from M's office, confounded by orders to clean the toxins out of his body at a health clinic:

Miss Moneypenny gave a secret smile. 'You know he thinks the world of you - or perhaps you don't. Anyway, as soon as he saw your Medical he told me to book you in.' Miss Moneypenny screwed up her nose. 'But, James, do you really drink and smoke as much as that? It can't be good for you, you know.' She looked up at him with motherly eyes.
Bond controlled himself. He summoned a desperate effort at nonchalance, at the throw-away phrase, 'It's just that I'd rather die of drink than of thirst. As for the cigarettes, it's really only that I don't know what to do with my hands.' He heard the stale, hangover words fall like clinker in a dead grate. Cut out the schmalz! What you need is a double brandy and soda.
Miss Moneyepenny's warm lips pursed into a disapproving line. 'About the hands - that's not what I've heard.'
'Now don't you start on me, Penny.' Bond walked angrily towards the door. He turned round. 'Any more ticking-off from you and when I get out of this place I'll give you such a spanking you'll have to do your typing off a block of Dunlopillo.'
Miss Moneypenny smiled sweetly at him. 'I don't think you'll be able to do much spanking after living on nuts and lemon juice for two weeks, James.'

Yes, Moneypenny made quite an impression standing up to the irrepressible 007 in her few paragraphs. Lois Maxwell solidified that impression in the films, making the role her own and playing up the flirtatious interplay between Moneypenny and Bond into a staple of the film series. (So much so that it was sorely missed from the otherwise excellent Casino Royale.)
Now Samantha Weinberg has gone a step further, developing the fan-favorite supporting player into a leading lady--and giving her a first name in the process. Weinberg calls her Moneypenny Jane, and Jane Moneypenny makes a very engaging protagonist and narrator. This new take offers a new point of view on Bond's world, and the opportunity to eavesdrop on life in the Office while 007 is away on assignment. All of Fleming's support staff get larger roles in Weinberg's SIS: Moneypenny, M, Chief of Staff Bill Tanner, the disagreeable Captain Troop, and even the steady parade of attractive secretaries to the Double O Section.

The point of view isn't the only new angle in The Moneypenny Diaries, however. Like Higson's novels, Weinberg's are period pieces, restoring 007 to the Cold War, Jet Age era that spawned him. This gives the author a freedom Fleming never had, as he was writing contemporary stories. She can integrate historical events into Bond's world. The first novel deals with the Cuban Missile Crisis, and 007's surprising role in it--as well as Moneypenny's. The second concerns notorious MI6 defector Kim Philby. And amidst these actual events, Weinberg weaves ongoing plot threads throughout the three novels like Moneypenny's quest for answers about her father's disappearance during WWII and, later, her attempts to identify a mole in the upper echelons of MI6.
Samantha Weinberg was kind enough to discuss some of these innovations, and more, with the Double O Section.
00: You've frequently credited your literary agent with the germ of the idea for The Moneypenny Diaries, but how much of it did he come up with, and how much did you create in your initial outline?

SW: We were discussing Bond in general when Gillon said, casually, 'What do you think about a Moneypenny biography?' My first reaction was: 'brilliant', and a second later, 'what about Moneypenny diaries?' It was that instinctive. From that point onwards, he left all the plot development to me, though I spoke to him several times during the process.
00: Who decided to integrate actual historical events into the books? And when did the ideas for the series' overarching plot lines (like Jane's father's disappearance and the mole in MI6) emerge?
SW: I wrote a brief outline - which included the concept of setting the diaries in real historical events - he read it, and then took it to the Fleming estate. When they expressed enthusiasm, I wrote a more detailed outline, which we then submitted to several publishers. By that point, the three main story lines for Volume 1 were established: the Cuban Missile Crisis, Jane's search for her father, and Bond/Office life in general. The first book followed the outline closely.

00: Did you plot out the overall story arc for the whole trilogy at that time, or did the plots for books 2 and 3 fall into place only after you'd already written the first one?

SW: I had some vague ideas. I always planned that Kate Westbrook would have an increasing role, and story arc of her own, as the series progressed. And that the second book would have something to do with the Cambridge spies. But none of the details; I literally (ha ha) left myself hanging at the end of book one with some loose ends that I didn’t have a clue how to resolve. (Particularly one relating to Colditz, which I only managed to navigate with the help of Henry Chancellor [author of James Bond: The Man and His World]).

It would have made my job a lot easier if I’d planned the entire trilogy at the beginning – and, with hindsight, I half wish I had – but it was also fun to try to wriggle my way out of some tight – albeit fictional – spots.

00: One of my favorite aspects of these books is the integration of actual historical events. Fleming didn't really have that opportunity (and sometimes when he tried it, the results were enjoyably embarrassing, such as Bond declaring in "Quantum of Solace" that his own loyalties lay with Castro's rebels, prior to the revelation that Castro was Communist!), and most of the continuation novels were also contemporary, so you're really the first author who's ever had the chance to incorporate Bond and Moneypenny into actual history. Did that daunt you at all?
SW: Quite the reverse. As a journalist/non-fiction writer, I feel much more comfortable with fact. So, having the history to hang the story off was a great comfort as well as a help. I enjoyed the research process enormously: digging through the archives, reading books about the period, talking to people and then, of course, hot-footing it off to Cuba to see the missile sites for myself.
00: Did you already have a great knowledge of the Cuban Missile Crisis, or the Philby affair, prior to writing the books, or did it mostly entail new research?
SW: I knew very little - so it was a lot of research. I have piles of books in my office. But it was fascinating and now I know a little more. [Editor's Note: Part of that research involved visiting Philby's fourth wife, Rufina, in Moscow - pictured below.]
00: In the second book, you portray Kim Philby as a complex, three-dimensional and even sympathetic character. What biographies did you rely on most, and to what extent did you extrapolate?
SW: Four main ones: Philby: KGB Masterspy by Phillip Knightley, Philby: The Long Road to Moscow by Patrick Seale and Maureen McConville, My Silent War by Philby himself, and, perhaps most importantly, Kim Philby: The Spy I Loved by Eleanor Philby. I also gleaned bits and pieces from Miranda Carter's biography of Blunt. I think/hope I painted a fairly true portrait of Philby, though it's probably on the sympathetic side; I tend to look for the emotion in people and probably rather under-emphasised the effects of what he'd done.
00: Very interesting! I didn't know about the Eleanor Philby book. I'll have to track that one down. Do you have any problems with corralling actual historical personalities to fit your fiction, or is it easier to write about people who already have well-documented stories?

SW: I love writing about real characters and trying to flesh out their life from what's been written about them.

00: You mentioned travelling to Cuba. Did you travel to every location you write about in The Moneypenny Diaries?
SW: Pretty much, and I'm feeling rather guilty about it now. I probably spewed out a small country's carbon allowance on the excuse of following Miss Moneypenny around the world! I went to Cuba, Miami, Washington, Switzerland (where I stayed with Peter Smithers, just as
Kate did in Guardian Angel [as the first book is known in Britain]), Berlin, Moscow, and from there by train to St. Petersburg, Jamaica, North Uist [Scotland]. I never went to Skye though!

00: Well, I'm sorry for the carbon-induced guilt! If it's any consolation, the research paid off. You painted very vivid depictions of each of those places--especially Moscow in Volume 2. Which of those thrilling cities did you like best?

SW: Definitely Moscow. It was exciting, beautiful, dynamic, and very, very cold (we went during a ‘cold snap’ – temperatures fell to –28C). Jamaica was amazing too, staying at [Ian Fleming's house] Goldeneye, hanging out with Chris Blackwell who, of course, knew Fleming well. [Ed: Fleming reportedly had an affair with Island Records founder Chris Blackwell's mother, Blanche.]

00: All we usually get of MI6 headquarters in Fleming's books is a few chapters. Were you influenced at all by other spy novelists who spend more time on this side of the business, such as John Le Carré or Greg Rucka? To me, your books read like bridges between their school of more realistic spy fiction and Fleming's imaginative world, which is a fantastic feat!

SW: Thank you. I'm a big Le Carré fan, and reread most of his books as I was writing Moneypenny. That was pretty depressing, to tell you the truth; I knew I could never hope to come anywhere near his brilliant depiction of SIS. I also spoke to several former spies, who had worked at the Office during the Sixties and who were wonderfully - if cagily - helpful. My aim was to make it a bit more realistic, yet stick as closely as I could to Fleming. So I guess it's a glamourised version of the real thing.

00: Or a realized version of the glamour! Either way, it works wonderfully.
SW: Thanks.

00: When did you first read Ian Fleming? Were you introduced to James Bond through the books or the movies?
SW: I saw my first movie at a friend's 8th birthday party. (I was about 6.) It was From Russia With Love, and I'm not sure I really understood it much, though still found it thrilling. I read my first Fleming book (Moonraker, I think) in my early teens; I found it on my father's bookshelves and loved it. But by the time the Moneypenny idea came up, I'd read only about four or five of the books, but seen most of the films. Now, of course, I've read all of the books about fifteen times!

00: Do you have a favorite?
SW: Probably Casino Royale. I like Bond’s doubts.

00: Had you read other "diary" style novels? If so, which of those influenced you most?
SW: Apart from Bridget Jones and Adrian Mole? I was definitely influenced by William Boyd's Any Human Heart, which is a truly amazing book. I can't think of any other diary type novels off hand, but I dipped into several real diaries - Betjeman, Alan Clark, etc. - particularly for tips as to how to handle the introduction and footnotes, Kate Westbrook stuff. [Ed: The first two volumes contain wonderful footnotes by 'Kate Westbrook,' explaining details from Fleming or historically contextualizing the 'diaries.' They're fun for fans and instructional for neophytes to the world of Bond.]

00: I went in expecting Bridget Jones and was pleasantly surprised to find something different, more along the lines of A.S. Byatt's Possession or Elizabeth Kostova's The Historian (a novel I adore) in the way it combines the present narrative with the past narrative found in the diaries, as well as occasional sub-narratives like 007's reports.
SW: I loved Possession too – and must now track down The Historian.

00: Despite focusing on Moneypenny as the main character, your books are still very much James Bond novels. That makes you both the first woman to ever write a Bond novel (congratulations!), and the first author to write extensively in first person from 007's point of view (in his reports that Moneypenny reprints in her diaries). Was that at all daunting?

SW: Yes. Not at first, as the historical significance of writing the diaries hadn't crossed my mind. But once I discovered the fan sites and appreciated how many people knew - and cared - so much about Fleming's world, I realised I was carrying a heavy responsibility - and that I could have a 00 agent after me if I got anything wrong!

00: Did those forays onto fansites like CommanderBond.net and its forums actually influence you at all in writing the later books?

SW: I only discovered the fan sites after finishing the first book. I tried not to let them influence me, though perhaps they had something to do with dropping the ‘James Bond was not his real name’ line. [Ed: The first volume states in a footnote that Ian Fleming changed the name in order to fictionalize accounts of an actual agent, which makes sense given the conceit of the book that Bond and his world were real. This caused a bit of an uproar in fan communities, however.]
00: Could you see yourself spending more time with Bond, perhaps penning a straightforward, Fleming-style 007 adventure, or is the new, female perspective on him the thing that interests you most?

SW: I think I've finished my Bond adventures, haven't I? I'm not sure I could have done a straight 007 adventure - not without making Bond more sympathetic than he is, which would have been wrong, and a shame.
00: You've really made Moneypenny your own, so much so that it's actually increased my appreciation for her when she turns up in Fleming novels I'm re-reading. I feel that I know so much more about her. Do you still think of her as Fleming's character, or as your own?
SW: A bit of both, if that doesn't sound too arrogant. I'm not sure the Moneypenny in my head and the one that was in his are exactly the same people. Perhaps we can both keep our versions of her? There can never be too many Moneypennies in this world.
00: What was the mandate from Ian Fleming Publications (and what was your personal goal)with regards to a target audience?
SW: They didn't try to direct me in any way, and from my point of view, I just wanted to find the widest audience I could.
00: Were you writing these books for existing Bond fans, who know the Fleming books well, or for newcomers?
SW: Again, both. I think, with hindsight, I had the existing fans a bit too much in my mind while I was writing Guardian Angel. Maybe some of the details would have been lost - and even off-putting - to the Fleming virgin? I don't know. It was an especially difficult line to tread during Final Fling. The denouement/twist was hard to judge.
00: Were you specifically targeting a female readership?
SW: No, though I think my publishers were! I knew most of the Bond fans were men, but perhaps more women would be interested in the Moneypenny viewpoint. To a great extent, I fear that the reason the books haven't taken off in a major way is because they fell between two stools: men thought they might be too girly (an understandable reaction to a cover with a pink bow on it [as the original UK paperback unfortunately featured]), while women worried that they would relate to an extant Fleming world that they felt no part of.

00: That's the real Catch 22 of the whole concept. I hope that both audiences ultimately get past any such misgivings, because I really do think the books play well to each group. I've been doing my best to assure spy fans that they're not chicklit; perhaps there's a comparable blog out there that assures the Bridget Jones crowd you don't really need to know anything about Bond beyond what everyone who's ever seen a movie knows!

SW: And that they can ignore footnotes if they find them too daunting!

00: I think that the Mirror quote that's appeared on the more recent books calling them "Bridget Jones crossed with Spooks, but set in the 60s" really sums it up quite well for browsers. It may be the sort of simplification that authors cringe at, but that seems the best way to sell it. The Spooks [MI-5 in the U.S.] connection crossed my mind as well, with its workplace politics in the Intelligence Community--albeit a different branch. Had you seen that show at all?
SW: Yes, love it.
00: Along the same lines, had you read anything by Stella Rimmington, whose autobiography and novels speak with great authority on the myriad trials facing a woman in the security services, even (in the case of her memoir) in roughly the same era as Moneypenny?
SW: I read the first novel, At Risk, and really enjoyed it. Must track down the others. But I didn’t want to get too confused between MI5 and 6; they are very different organisations, with different cultures.

00: When the first novel was initially published in the UK, it was launched with an intriguing marketing campaign, pretending that the whole thing was "real." How involved were you in creating that conceit, and do you feel that it was ultimately successful?
SW: Sadly, I was involved in it; we all - me, Gillon, IFP - came up with the concept at the very beginning, when we were talking to the different publishers. We all got very carried away with the cloak and dagger aspect: no one at the publishing house apart from my editor knew my real name, and I told none of my friends what I was doing. I even wore a wig and coloured contact lenses to the launch party. But, with hindsight, it was a stupid error and I wish we had just hung them on the back of Bond and let the books talk for themselves.
00: Did you have any input in the covers? Personally, the first two hardcovers left me a little cold, but once Stina Persson became involved, they really took off, and did a much better job of conveying what was inside.
SW: I am shown the covers, but have little else to do with them. Ditto IFP. I didn't mind the first hardback - though now it looks a little dull. I hated the first paperback which, to me, reeked of chicklit and bore no relation to the content of the book. We went with the publisher's view that the second hardback would be more commercial (which it wasn't), but majorly put our feet down - with some vehemence - when they tried to sell us on a ghastly, pencil drawn, chick lit cover for the paperback of Secret Servant [Volume 2]. Fortunately, they took us seriously and that's when they went to Stina Persson. I love her covers, particularly the paperback of Secret Servant (the colours are great). If Final Fling sells well in hardback, [U.K. publisher] John Murray have promised to re-jacket Guardian Angel to coincide with the paperback publication of Final Fling.

00: I sure hope that happens! How do you feel about the American jacket?

SW: I love the US hardback. I think it's eye-catching and reflects the period well. I think it's entirely fitting that you can't see Moneypenny's face.

00: Will St. Martin's publish the entire trilogy in the US?
SW: I hope so, though the deal hasn't been done. It depends on how the first book does. All my digits are crossed...

00: Mine too, then! Do you see yourself writing any further Moneypenny short stories, as you did for a few magazines around the time Casino Royale came out?
SW: I have no plans to do so at present, but maybe later this year?

00: Intriguing. Do you think the ones you did write will ever be collected, perhaps in the paperback edition of Final Fling or in a wider collection of Bond stories by various authors?
SW: That would be lovely.

00: What's next for you? Do you have any other fiction in the future, and will you return to the spy genre?
SW: I've been having a rest. I realised the other day that my children were 1 1/2 and 3 1/2 when I started out on this journey and they've only really known me as Mother Moneypenny! I have a few ideas as to what might be next and no, it probably won't be in the spy genre. But
maybe in the future?
00: Any plans for a U.S. book tour?
SW: I'm probably coming to New York in October on the Queen Mary to give a talk [on the ship] about Moneypenny (with Lucy Fleming and [For Your Eyes Only: Ian Fleming and James Bond author] Ben Macintyre - tbc). But, as yet, no plans for a tour. I felt so guilty after all the Moneypenny gadding around, I gave up flying two years ago, so it would be hard to do an extensive tour.

00: Sorry to hear it. Finally, what is your favorite spy novel and spy film?
SW: So difficult. Okay, so not counting Fleming: Our Man in Havana (book) and The Spy Who Came in from the Cold (film).
00: Both great books and great movies! Thank you very much for your time, and good luck storming America!
The Moneypenny Diaries is available for purchase now in U.S. bookstores and from Amazon.com. The Moneypenny Diaries: Secret Servant and The Moneypenny Diaries: Final Fling are both available for purchase from Amazon.co.uk.
Read my review of The Moneypenny Diaries: Secret Servant here.
Read my review of Samantha Weinberg's Moneypenny short story, "For Your Eyes Only, James" here.
Read my review of Samantha Weinberg's Moneypenny short story, "Moneypenny's First Date With Bond" here.
Read my interview with U.K. Moneypenny Diaries cover artist Stina Persson here.
Read Samantha Weinberg's environmental blog, Green Wife, here.

New Bond Books Out This Week

As we head into the actual month of the Ian Fleming Centenary, some important new James Bond books are popping up in stores and mailboxes. And what's the first thing I always do when I get a new Bond book? The very last thing one's supposed to do: I judge it by its cover. Can't help it! It's the collector in me.

Ben Macintyre's For Your Eyes Only: Ian Fleming and James Bond is a beautifully put together volume. It's essentially a catalog of the Centenary exhibit of the same name currently on display at the Imperial War Museum in London, accompanied by essays by Macintyre. With a book of this nature, its design counts for a lot, and this one's very well designed. (Much better than the somewhat similar James Bond: The Man and His World.) For starters, the dust jacket evokes the author's previous espionage book, Agent Zigzag, in both color scheme and its use of matte and gloss. They look good together, and Agent Zigzag was a hit, so this makes sense. Take that dust jacket off, and enjoy the striking, effective artwork on the book's boards, which nicely literalizes the subtitle: "Ian Fleming and James Bond."

It looks great, and the book is sturdy and sewn. The design inside is just as good: profusely illustrated and well laid out with simple, eye-catching graphics illustrating each chapter break. Designwise inside and out, this is one of the best looking books on Bond in a long while. I can't wait to find out if the text itself lives up to the design!

The newly published British edition of Final Fling, Samantha Weinberg's resonant final volume in her Moneypenny Diaries trilogy (writing again as Kate Westbrook) is also graphically stunning. After two extremely lackluster jacket designs for the first two hardcovers (more likely to put off potential male readers than attract the female ones they're clearly intended to captivate), publisher John Murray has come through with a real winner thanks to the team behind the lovely paperback release of Volume 2, designer Madeline Meckliffe and illustrator Stina Persson. In my opinion, the pair have created the best cover for a Bond novel since the British edition of Raymond Benson's Doubleshot in 2000! I only hope that they design a new cover for the first volume, Secret Servant, so that we eventually have a uniform trilogy in paperback.

The somewhat flimsy construction of the book itself is not as impressive as that of For Your Eyes Only: Ian Fleming and James Bond. Like its predecessors in the Moneypenny series, and like most novels printed in the UK today, it's glued instead of sewn, and printed on lightweight paper that feels cheap. All that's okay by me, though, when it's wrapped up in such a spectacular jacket. And even an obsessive collector can admit that it's what's inside that really matters, and I can't wait to plunge into Weinberg's novel and see if the words live up to her last, masterful Bond novel!

Read an interview with Moneypenny cover artist Stina Persson here.

Read my review of The Moneypenny Diaries: Secret Servant here.

American Moneypenny Art

When it rains, it pours! Bond art, in this case. Just a week after we got our first glimpse of the US Devil May Care cover art, and mere days after seeing the new UK Quantum of Solace artwork, CBN has uncovered the American cover for the long overdue (on these shores) first Moneypenny Diaries book on Amazon. (No "Guardian Angel" subtitle to be found, as with the UK hardcover.) The Moneypenny Diaries is a fantastic trilogy of Sixties-set James Bond novels by Samantha Weinberg (writing under the name Kate Westbrook) told from the point of view of M's secretary Miss Moneypenny, here given the Christian name of Jane. The first volume, Guardian Angel (this one) originally came out in 2005 in the UK, followed by the even better second volume, Secret Servant. The last volume, Final Fling, is due out there in May, just as Americans finally get their first taste of Volume 1. As with Devil May Care, America actually gets infinitely superior artwork on the hardcover! Quite a surprise. (It's still nowhere near as good as the excellent retro Stina Persson artwork found on the paperback of Secret Servant and hardcover of Final Fling, though.)

As I've said before, I urge all Bond fans to try this series. It may not sound like a very intriguing premise, but Weinberg has done a terrific job crafting the first ever adult James Bond novels set in the past.

New Moneypenny Cover Art

Over the weekend, CommanderBond.net exclusively debuted the final cover art for Samantha Weinberg's (writing once again as Kate Westbrook) third book in The Moneypenny Diaries trilogy, Final Fling. As promised in her interview with the Double O Section last summer, Stina Persson once again provides the artwork, and once again it's excellent. (Take a note, Devil May Care!) Head on over to CBN to see the whole cover in all its glory! Personally, I don't like the colors quite as much as on the last one, but it's still a stunning, retro eyecatcher, and a vast improvement over the lame art on the first two hardcovers. And they finally saw fit to mention James Bond on the cover! (Fitting, since it is a James Bond novel, and he is the primary selling point...) Final Fling comes out in the UK on May 1, 2008; the first book in the series, Guardian Angel, finally sees a US release that same month.

And speaking of Ms. Weinberg, The Literary 007 recently posted a link to her new environmental blog, Green Wife, which isn't Bond-related at all, but does make for good reading from an excellent writer - on a subject that might just be even more important than 007... if that's even fathomable!

Random Intelligence Dispatches For November 27, 2007

On DVD Today

Today's the day... TimeLife's long-awaited Complete Series set of The Man From U.N.C.L.E. is officially released! (As a mail-order only item.) However, if you order on their website now, they're listing a ship date of next week. And the 3-Disc Collector's Edition of Hot Fuzz is out today, including the Timothy Dalton commentary track found on the original Region 2 release.

Tradecraft: Chuck Gets A Full Season

The Hollywood Reporter reveals that NBC has picked up the "back 9" episodes for Chuck, giving the new series a whole season's order of 22 episodes total. (Whether that whole season ever actually materializes, of course, depends on the progress of the latest negotiations between the WGA and the AMPTP and a quick resolution of the writers' strike.) Chuck has been getting better and better as it's gone on, and it's definitely one of my favorites of the new TV season. The recent revelation of Alias-like cabals and secret organizations within the CIA could be a bad sign, though, if it means we should expect this show to become as convoluted as that one...

Now let's play catch-up...

Equalizer Artwork

Amazon has now posted artwork for Universal's upcoming DVD release of The Equalizer: Season One. The set is due out Feb. 12, 2008 and costs $49.98. The Equalizer starred Callan star Edward Woodward as a former British intelligence officer who rights wrongs. It kicked off the career of 24 co-creator Joel Surnow, and certainly influenced Matt Nix's summer spy hit Burn Notice.

Moneypenny Diaries Come To America!

Some great news that I failed to report sooner (but later mentioned in passing): CommanderBond.net has reported that Samantha Weinberg's superlative trilogy of James Bond novels, The Moneypenny Diaries (which I've raved about plenty), will at last see a U.S. release! The first novel, Guardian Angel, will be published by Thomas Dunne Books (a division of St. Martin's Press) on May 13, 2008, just a week after Sebastian Faulkes' eagerly awaited new Bond novel, Devil May Care. Amazon doesn't have a cover image yet, but I really hope they hire Stina Persson, who did the cover for the paperback of the second book, and will do the British edition of the third, to do the artwork. I also hope that Thomas Dunne Books does a better job marketing this excellent series than the British publisher did. This could be an opportunity for Weinberg's books to really catch on, and find the vast audience they richly deserve!

John Frankenheimer Collection

MGM has announced a new John Frankenheimer Collection including three of the director's spy classics: The Manchurian Candidate, Ronin (still the largest collection of Bond villains on screen together, I think) and The Train, as well as the DVD debut of The Young Savages. The collection is due out January 22, and will retail for $39.98.

Random Intelligence Dispatches For October 30, 2007

Tradecraft: Bond 22 Script Done

In a story about the impending Writers' Guild strike on the cover of today's Hollywood Reporter, it's revealed that Paul Haggis has delivered his completed draft of the next James Bond movie to anxious Sony Executives. If the writers strike on Thursday, Haggis won't be able to do any further work on the script. But since he's finished, hopefully the movie will be unaffected by any strike and proceed on schedule. If there's still work to be done, I wonder if producer Michael G. Wilson would do it himself? He's got a number of Bond writing credits under his belt, but I doubt he'd want to piss off the Guild. An interesting prospect to consider, nonetheless.

Poor Pierce Goes Direct To DVD

I hope this isn't indicative of where Pierce Brosnan's post-007 career is headed. His latest movie, which he also produced through his Irish Dreamtime production company, is going direct-to-DVD in the United States, courtesy of Lionsgate. Formerly titled Butterfly On A Wheel, the movie has had its title changed to the infinitely more generic (and more direct-to-DVD sounding) Shattered. It's also been given an awful cover that fails to elevate it above the direct-to-DVD status. See the details at DVDActive. That's really too bad. I can't speak for this film because I haven't seen it, but Brosnan deserves better. Based on his recent performances in Seraphim Falls and, particularly, The Matador, I can't imagine he fails to give it his all as a murderous kidnapper. Furthermore, co-star Gerard Butler should have been able to get this movie theatrical bookings on the success of 300! What a shame. The DVD hits stores Christmas Day, and features a director commentary and some deleted scenes. Retail is $26.98.

The Equalizer Finally Comes To DVD

One of the last 80s action shows still unavailable on DVD will finally be released by Universal on February 12, 2008, reports TVShowsOnDVD.com. Callan star Edward Woodward plays McCall, a former British Intelligence operative who goes to work for "The Company," using his unique skill set to right wrongs and generally equalize things. 24 mastermind Joel Surnow contributed a number of scripts, and got his start as a producer on this show. All twenty-two Season One episodes will be included on Universal's 5-disc set, which will cost $49.98.

Dr. No Gets Limited Theatrical Re-Release

As part of United Artists' 90th Anniversary celebration (aren't they jumping the gun by a decade on the festivities?), there will be part a travelling film festival including Dr. No. It will come to twenty cities around the US, playing in arthouse theaters. Other titles on the bill will be A Fistfull of Dollars, Annie Hall and Rocky. Dr. No also features in a recently issued collection of UA titles including Fistfull and The Pink Panther, and may be included in a massive ninety-film collection released this Christmas.

Moneypenny Diaries Plot Revealed

The Literary 007, a fantastic new blog from the creators of the excellent Young Bond Dossier on all things bookish and Bond, has landed a plot description for Samantha Weinberg's third and final novel in the Moneypenny Diaries series. (Minor SPOILERS follow for people who haven't yet read the first two volumes.) Final Fling is set in 1964 and '65, and some major events impact the Bond universe. Apparently Bond gets sacked, Moneypenny demoted, and M forced to resign! I'm glad to see that Weinberg is taking advantage of not being bound to Fleming texts for those years (the last two entries having been closely tied in with Fleming's You Only Live Twice and The Man With the Golden Gun), but I wonder how this will all work with Sebastian Faulkes' Devil May Care, which is set in 1967. Are the series meant to stand entirely on their own? That would be kind of strange, since The Moneypenny Diaries is already tied in with Charlie Higson's Young Bond series. Maybe everything will return to the status quo by the end of Final Fling, but that seems somewhat unlikely based on the build-up involving present-day events in the first two volumes. Curious! I really can't wait for this book.