Mod note: topics merged
At this point, IFP should just pack it in.
I’m fully expecting an announcement soon about a new literary trilogy that depicts the rise of Blofeld’s cat into the true mastermind behind SPECTRE.
I mean…I’ll never say no to more Bond in any form, especially when we’re currently in the middle of a drought on the film side…
BUT it seems like lately we’ve had pretty much every kind of Bond project other than an actual honest-to-God Bond story.
The Kim Sherwood books are about the Double O Section after Bond’s disappeared. The Q book is about, well, Q. The new Bond game by IOI is about Bond as a 20-something rookie agent in training. Now this book is about a retired Bond running a spy school.
When are we going to get another book (or another anything) with James Bond 007, licensed to kill, on a traditional mission?
Well I suppose the comics might be delivering on that, though I don’t really follow them…
It does sound a bit tepid, and the title is especially naff, but it’ll put food on the table for someone, so hey ho.
I’ve said it before: it’s all about staking IP claims and setting up flagpoles for any possible idea that Amazon might have. IFP are making sure that they’ll get their share of the dough, no matter what the Bezoes come up with.
I’m all for attracting new fans but this ain’t it.
On point as ever.
A better strategy for doing this would be to actually put out some quality material for a change.
And, for that matter, quality material that actually features James Bond.
Having Bond be the leader of some Hogwarts-like school for spies isn’t the way to get new fans in the door. They’re just going to read it and negatively compare it to Harry Potter and then move on.
Also, a serial novel about Felix Leiter sure isn’t going to get anyone interested in Bond.
And here’s the missing IFP announcement to SISwards Bond…
View this email in your browser
Memorandum sent 9/6/2025
Classification: Gold level (For Your Eyes Only)
To our agents in the field,
Some of you may have noted a certain Double O’s absence from HQ as of late. Whilst you’d be forgiven for assuming that he was simply out on an extended mission, I’m afraid the truth is rather more… complicated. It’s too much for me to go into here, but we have a new recruit – Agent M.W. Craven – whose first assignment has been to transcribe all of the (frankly astounding) details, and our colleagues over at Ian Fleming Publications have just announced the result: James Bond and the Secret Agent Academy.
Kicking off an action-packed new series for readers aged 8-12 (although judging by the reaction when it passed by M’s desk for approval ((he dropped his pipe)), it promises to appeal to more than just children), James Bond and the Secret Agent Academy is a major new 007 literary adventure. One that leads me to believe that Craven has been fully committing to his cover alias as a bestselling and award-winning thriller writer.
Agents are reminded that the next episode in the digital serialisation of Raymond Benson’s Felix Leiter adventure The Hook and the Eye is released tomorrow. Benson has also been working on a series of videos that recap the events of the latest episode, and delve into plenty of behind-the-scenes details about the writing process for the story. You can watch the first one here – perfect for refreshing your memory of what happened in the tantalising and propulsive Episode 1.
I also understand that more of the coveted Ian Fleming Notebooks will be released later this week, and I deciphered one communique that hinted at some new cover tones… Colour me intrigued. Keep an eye on Ian Fleming Publications’ social media channels for news of when they’re available.
Sincerely,
Miss Moneypenny
Wow.
Still very nervous about all this.
What would Ian Fleming have thought about that idea?
Depends how bored he was
Perhaps the sequel to this novel will feature James Bond as an instructor at the DMV, helping people get their licenses back after they take his driver improvement course.
And then the final book in the trilogy, James Bond teams up with Gordon Ramsay for a new cooking show, where they teach aspiring spies how to win the affections of beautiful women with the perfect quiche recipe.
I keep saying and saying not to give them any silly ideas, and now this…
Craven was told he had free licence with the story, but he could not contradict previous works. “So any character who Ian Fleming killed off, like say Goldfinger or Blofeld, you can’t resurrect,” he told BBC Radio Cumbria.
I think it’s quite commendable Craven wants to help with kids/youth literacy with his effort. But it’s baffling beyond belief he’s not allowed to contradict the canon. Nobody in their right mind would read Casino Royale and think: this is the guy we ought to get to train our junior spies. Or kick off a program to turn 12 to 13-year-olds into licenced-to-kill 00-agents (unless Britain intends to learn from the Taliban and any number of warlords using kid soldiers for their dirty work).
It’s just a bonkers idea and if you absolutely have to have DumbleBond it at least ought to be with the young adult spies. He’s probably no good with that set either, but then we’re at least not turning Bond into some Mallory Towers/St. Clare’s headmaster.
That may come, too.
It’s of course all part of the initiative to branch Bond out and hopefully create IP-related ‘original’ characters (read: the usual generic action character pulp) that may be able to carry the 00 torch once the Bond copyright runs out and everybody can do their own version.
However, if you cannot prevent others from cashing in with your former monopoly, the most promising strategy would still be to deliver, if not the only Bond, then at least the best Bond on the market. In my view that would be vital for any medium, film, game and bookBond.
Not being allowed to contradict the canon:
Proper
or
Slopper
Hoping for a stunner - likely just getting a smarmy old groper.
I never would have thought it would come to Bondlebore - but cooler heads apparently did not prevail.
This would make a great Adult Swim comedy series, with Bond teaching easily offended kids how to smoke 70 cigarettes a day, sleep with the villain’s girlfriend, and fight a giant squid (not all of the students pass, or even survive), but I can’t take it seriously.