Ranking the Fleming-era Bond novels (continuation included)

Updated list including the Christopher Wood novelizations. I won’t be including any of the Gardner/Benson novels in a future ranking. They can have their own lists.

  1. On Her Majesty’s Secret Service
  2. Moonraker
  3. Doctor No
  4. From Russia with Love
  5. Casino Royale
  6. James Bond, The Spy Who Loved Me
    A thrilling novelization that actually improves a few things on what is already my favorite Bond film. Bond feels more like Fleming’s Bond than Moore’s Bond. The story is told very well and is very suspenseful, especially the finale on the Lepadus. Cover to cover, the story is engaging and exciting and seemlessly fits itself into the Fleming timeline.
  7. Trigger Mortis
  8. You Only Live Twice
  9. Colonel Sun
  10. Forever and a Day
  11. James Bond and Moonraker
    The only novel on this list that cannot logically fit into Fleming’s timeline. Like JBTSWLM, JBAMR changes certain events to somewhat more realistic. However, the novel more closely follows the film as opposed to JBTSWLM, even some of the dialogue is taken verbatim. Bond’s characterization feels more like Moore’s Bond than Fleming’s. Some events are altered or omitted such as the pheasant shooting in California and (happily) the Bondola. The addition of Bond’s spacewalk is a great touch and especially reading Bond’s terror during it. Drax’s personality is that of the film with the appearance of Drax from the MR novel. Overall, a great adventure Bond not quite as great as Wood’s first effort.
  12. Goldfinger
  13. Thunderball
  14. Solo
  15. Devil May Care
  16. Octopussy and The Living Daylights
    a. The Living Daylights
    b. The Property of a Lady
    c. Octopussy
    d. 007 in New York
  17. For Your Eyes Only
    a. Risico
    b. For Your Eyes Only
    c. The Hildebrand Rarity
    d. From a View to a Kill
    e. Quantum of Solace
  18. Live and Let Die
  19. The Spy Who Loved Me
  20. The Man with the Golden Gun
  21. Diamonds are Forever
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