While I’ve been wanting literary Bond to return to modern times (despite loving Horowitz’s works), it does feel kind of strange to have a contemporary Bond novel explore a “new generation” with “all of Bond’s contemporaries gone” – it almost sounds like this would be a perfect cap to Fleming’s timeline (taking place after CS, DMC, Solo, and Horowitz #3). Jumping to a contemporary setting with this type of storyline, having not had a contemporary Bond novel in two decades, feels a bit… sudden. Not sure if I’m making much sense. Regardless, I’ve enjoyed the continuation authors (especially Horowitz and Benson) more than most fans seem to, so I am very much looking forward to this.
I’d also like a bit of clarity on the timelines. In my head, there are three “canons” of Bond novel continuity:
- Fleming - Amis - Gardner - Benson
- Higson - Fleming - Horowitz - Amis - Faulks - Boyd (maybe Weinberg too?)
- Deaver
I don’t really include Wood and / or Pearson, given the overt continuity issues they would engender.