James Bond uncollected short stories
Encyclopedia
In the 1950s and 1960s, Ian Fleming
, creator of the fictional secret agent
, James Bond
, wrote a number of short stories
featuring his creation that appeared in the collections For Your Eyes Only and Octopussy and The Living Daylights
. Since 1997, several more short stories featuring Bond or set within the official James Bond universe have been published by authors who continued chronicling the world of Fleming's creation. The majority of these stories have, as of 2008, never been collected in book form, unlike the Fleming works. There are five exceptions: "Blast from the Past", "Midsummer Night's Doom" & "Live at Five" by Raymond Benson
, "Your Deal, Mr. Bond" by Phillip and Robert King, and "Bond Strikes Camp" by Cyril Connolly
which are discussed below.
literary franchise, became the first author since Bond's creator, Ian Fleming
, to write officially sanctioned short stories
featuring the superspy.
Just before his sudden departure from writing Bond novels at the start of 2003, Benson had indicated his intention to write more short pieces and publish a short story collection along the lines of Fleming's For Your Eyes Only and Octopussy and The Living Daylights. This, however, has yet to occur as of 2008.
To date these three stories remain the only pieces of James Bond literature that have never officially been published in Great Britain
. Additionally, between 2001 and 2002, Benson wrote a fourth short story he planned to title "The Heart of Erzulie", however, it was never published.
, January 1997 issue. In publication order, this follows COLD
and precedes Zero Minus Ten
. Benson has stated that Playboy cut 1/3 of the story for space reasons.
The first Bond story published by Benson, "Blast from the Past" is a direct sequel to Fleming's You Only Live Twice and appears to exist outside the timeline of either Benson's or John Gardner
's other Bond stories.
Bond receives a message, apparently from James Suzuki, his son (Suzuki's mother is Kissy Suzuki from You Only Live Twice, now dead from ovarian cancer) asking him to come to New York City
on a matter of urgency. When Bond arrives, he finds his son murdered. With the aid of an SIS
agent, he learns that James was killed in revenge by Irma Bunt for the murder of Ernst Stavro Blofeld
, and a woman who Bond assumed had died alongside Blofeld (again in You Only Live Twice). James' death was by way of being force fed fugu
syrup, akin to a murder in You Only Live Twice. Bond's victory over Bunt is hollow, due to him having to come to grips with his absentee fathering and not spending time with the only remaining blood relative.
The name of Bond's son, James Suzuki, is taken from the John Pearson
faux biography, James Bond: The Authorised Biography of 007
.
Blast from the Past is included in the 2008 omnibus release, The Union Trilogy, which includes three additional Benson Bond novels. This makes "Blast from the Past" the first non-Fleming short story to be published in book form.
, January 1999 issue. In publication order, this follows The Facts of Death
and precedes High Time to Kill
.
"Midsummer Night's Doom" is a special story commissioned to help celebrate Playboys 45th anniversary. By Benson's own admission, the short story is a joke piece.
In the story, Bond is assigned to attend a party at Playboy founder Hugh Hefner
's Playboy Mansion
in Beverly Hills, California
where Ministry of Defence
secrets are expected to be sold to a representative of the Russian Mafia
.
While there, Bond meets Hefner who is aware of his mission and who actually provides Bond with several gadgets a la Q
. Bond also has time to enjoy a quick romance with real-life Playmate Lisa Dergan, flirt with other Playmates including Victoria Zdrok
, and rub elbows with the likes of actor Robert Culp
and singer Mel Tormé
.
Dergan has the distinction of being, to date, the only real person ever to be awarded the status of Bond Girl. (Several other Playmates are referenced by name in this story, but Dergan is clearly Bond's girl of choice on this adventure.)
Some sources give this story the erroneous title "A Midsummer Night's Doom", since the title is a play on William Shakespeare
's A Midsummer Night's Dream
. Midsummer's Night's Doom is included in the 2010 omnibus release, Choice of Weapons, which includes three additional Benson Bond novels.
(American edition), November 13–19, 1999. In publication order, this follows the novelization of The World is Not Enough and precedes Doubleshot
.
Published the week The World Is Not Enough
arrived in movie theatres in America, "Live at Five" is the shortest of all James Bond stories, even shorter than Fleming's previous record-holder "007 in New York". Running only a couple of thousand words, if that, it is a brief episode that sees Bond, en route to a date with a female TV news reporter, recalling how he once helped a Russia
n figure skating
champion defect in full view of TV cameras. The reporter, Janet Davies, becomes the second real person to be a Bond girl, seen daily on Chicago's local ABC station Channel 7 WLS.
Because this issue of TV Guide was only available in the United States
for a short period of time, and the story was not reprinted elsewhere, "Live at Five" was one of the hardest-to-find Bond stories. (By comparison, the two issues of Playboy listed above are readily available through the collector's market and in used book stores, and the magazine has distribution in Britain, although that's not the same as the stories being published in that country. There is a collectors' market for back issues of TV Guide, and the Bond issue is considered particularly collectable, but this market rarely extends beyond the U.S.
However, Live at Five was finally reprinted in the 2010 omnibus release, Choice of Weapons, which includes three additional Benson Bond novels.
" was written by Raymond Benson in-between Never Dream of Dying
and The Man with the Red Tattoo
, however, it was never published because Ian Fleming Publications
felt it was "too much of a Fleming pastiche
." Benson, himself, acknowledges that it was little more than a time-killer in the interim between the two book projects.
In 2006, two additional short stories were written and published by Samantha Weinberg
under the pseudonym "Kate Westbrook". These stories are part of The Moneypenny Diaries
series, an officially licensed spin-off from the Bond novels series focusing on the character of Miss Moneypenny
. It has not yet been announced whether these stories are intended for republication in book form. As of 2008 neither story has been published in North America.
(November 2006).
Set in September 1956, the story tells of a weekend James Bond and Moneypenny share at Royale-les-Eaux
.
, November 11, 2006.
This story, set just after Bond's assignment to the 00 Section and before the events of Casino Royale, tells of Bond and Moneypenny's first meeting.
, which was released by Puffin Books on October 29, 2009. An extract from the story appears in the paperback edition of By Royal Command. It is the longest James Bond short story yet written.
entitled Your Deal, Mr. Bond was published by B. T. Batsford
(ISBN 0-7134-8247-8). The title piece is a short story featuring James Bond, who is assigned by M to defeat a villain named Saladin who is threatening to explode nuclear bombs in several major cities. Bond impersonates real-life bridge expert Zia Mahmood
in order to combat Saladin at the bridge table. The short story includes bridge game charts in a similar fashion to that used by Ian Fleming in Moonraker, in which Bond similarly plays a high-stakes game of bridge against that novel's villain. The book, despite being issued by a major publisher and containing undisguised references to the Bond characters, contains no reference to Ian Fleming Publications
, suggesting the use of Bond, M and Miss Moneypenny is unofficial, and rendering this story likely apocryphal. Its placement in the Bond canon, therefore, is unknown. The story contains a cultural reference to Star Trek
, however, which sets it outside of Fleming's timeline. It should not be confused with the 1987 John Gardner
Bond novel, No Deals, Mr. Bond
.
's story "Licence to Hug" appeared in the November 1995 issue of Esquire Magazine. This story, part thriller, part satire on modern life, also mentions Bond by name and code number. Both stories were published without sanction from Glidrose.
Ian Fleming
Ian Lancaster Fleming was a British author, journalist and Naval Intelligence Officer.Fleming is best known for creating the fictional British spy James Bond and for a series of twelve novels and nine short stories about the character, one of the biggest-selling series of fictional books of...
, creator of the fictional secret agent
Secret Agent
Secret Agent is a British film directed by Alfred Hitchcock, loosely based on two stories in Ashenden: Or the British Agent by W. Somerset Maugham. The film starred John Gielgud, Peter Lorre, Madeleine Carroll, and Robert Young...
, James Bond
James Bond
James Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...
, wrote a number of short stories
Short story
A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...
featuring his creation that appeared in the collections For Your Eyes Only and Octopussy and The Living Daylights
Octopussy and The Living Daylights
Octopussy and The Living Daylights is the fourteenth and final James Bond book written by Ian Fleming in the Bond series...
. Since 1997, several more short stories featuring Bond or set within the official James Bond universe have been published by authors who continued chronicling the world of Fleming's creation. The majority of these stories have, as of 2008, never been collected in book form, unlike the Fleming works. There are five exceptions: "Blast from the Past", "Midsummer Night's Doom" & "Live at Five" by Raymond Benson
Raymond Benson
Raymond Benson is an American author best known for being the official author of the adult James Bond novels from 1997 to 2003. Benson was born in Midland, Texas and graduated from Permian High School in Odessa in 1973...
, "Your Deal, Mr. Bond" by Phillip and Robert King, and "Bond Strikes Camp" by Cyril Connolly
Cyril Connolly
Cyril Vernon Connolly was an English intellectual, literary critic and writer. He was the editor of the influential literary magazine Horizon and wrote Enemies of Promise , which combined literary criticism with an autobiographical exploration of why he failed to become the successful author of...
which are discussed below.
Raymond Benson short stories
In the late 1990s, Raymond Benson, who at the time was the official novelist of the James BondJames Bond
James Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...
literary franchise, became the first author since Bond's creator, Ian Fleming
Ian Fleming
Ian Lancaster Fleming was a British author, journalist and Naval Intelligence Officer.Fleming is best known for creating the fictional British spy James Bond and for a series of twelve novels and nine short stories about the character, one of the biggest-selling series of fictional books of...
, to write officially sanctioned short stories
Short story
A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...
featuring the superspy.
Just before his sudden departure from writing Bond novels at the start of 2003, Benson had indicated his intention to write more short pieces and publish a short story collection along the lines of Fleming's For Your Eyes Only and Octopussy and The Living Daylights. This, however, has yet to occur as of 2008.
To date these three stories remain the only pieces of James Bond literature that have never officially been published in Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
. Additionally, between 2001 and 2002, Benson wrote a fourth short story he planned to title "The Heart of Erzulie", however, it was never published.
"Blast from the Past"
First publication: PlayboyPlayboy
Playboy is an American men's magazine that features photographs of nude women as well as journalism and fiction. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. The magazine has grown into Playboy Enterprises, Inc., with...
, January 1997 issue. In publication order, this follows COLD
COLD (novel)
COLD, first published in 1996, was the sixteenth and final novel by John Gardner featuring Ian Fleming's secret agent, James Bond...
and precedes Zero Minus Ten
Zero Minus Ten
Zero Minus Ten, published in 1997, is the first novel by Raymond Benson featuring Ian Fleming's James Bond following John Gardner's departure in 1996...
. Benson has stated that Playboy cut 1/3 of the story for space reasons.
The first Bond story published by Benson, "Blast from the Past" is a direct sequel to Fleming's You Only Live Twice and appears to exist outside the timeline of either Benson's or John Gardner
John Gardner (thriller writer)
John Edmund Gardner was an English spy novelist, most notably for the James Bond series.-Early life:Gardner was born in Seaton Delaval, Northumberland. He graduated from St John's College, Cambridge and did postgraduate study at Oxford...
's other Bond stories.
Bond receives a message, apparently from James Suzuki, his son (Suzuki's mother is Kissy Suzuki from You Only Live Twice, now dead from ovarian cancer) asking him to come to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
on a matter of urgency. When Bond arrives, he finds his son murdered. With the aid of an SIS
Secret Intelligence Service
The Secret Intelligence Service is responsible for supplying the British Government with foreign intelligence. Alongside the internal Security Service , the Government Communications Headquarters and the Defence Intelligence , it operates under the formal direction of the Joint Intelligence...
agent, he learns that James was killed in revenge by Irma Bunt for the murder of Ernst Stavro Blofeld
Ernst Stavro Blofeld
Ernst Stavro Blofeld is a fictional character and a supervillain from the James Bond series of novels and films, who was created by Ian Fleming and Kevin McClory. An evil genius with aspirations of world domination, he is the archenemy of the British Secret Service agent James Bond and is arguably...
, and a woman who Bond assumed had died alongside Blofeld (again in You Only Live Twice). James' death was by way of being force fed fugu
Fugu
is the Japanese word for pufferfish and the dish prepared from it, normally species of genus Takifugu, Lagocephalus, or Sphoeroides, or porcupinefish of the genus Diodon. Fugu can be lethally poisonous due to its tetrodotoxin; therefore, it must be carefully prepared to remove toxic parts and to...
syrup, akin to a murder in You Only Live Twice. Bond's victory over Bunt is hollow, due to him having to come to grips with his absentee fathering and not spending time with the only remaining blood relative.
The name of Bond's son, James Suzuki, is taken from the John Pearson
John Pearson (author)
John Pearson is a writer best associated with James Bond creator Ian Fleming.Pearson was Fleming's assistant at the London Sunday Times and would go on to write the first biography of Ian Fleming, 1966's The Life of Ian Fleming....
faux biography, James Bond: The Authorised Biography of 007
James Bond: The Authorised Biography of 007
James Bond: The Authorised Biography of 007 , by John Pearson, is a fictional biography of James Bond; Pearson also wrote the biography The Life of Ian Fleming ....
.
Blast from the Past is included in the 2008 omnibus release, The Union Trilogy, which includes three additional Benson Bond novels. This makes "Blast from the Past" the first non-Fleming short story to be published in book form.
"Midsummer Night's Doom"
First publication: PlayboyPlayboy
Playboy is an American men's magazine that features photographs of nude women as well as journalism and fiction. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. The magazine has grown into Playboy Enterprises, Inc., with...
, January 1999 issue. In publication order, this follows The Facts of Death
The Facts of Death
The Facts of Death, first published in 1998, was the third novel by Raymond Benson featuring Ian Fleming's secret agent, James Bond...
and precedes High Time to Kill
High Time to Kill
High Time to Kill, published in 1999, is the fourth novel by Raymond Benson featuring Ian Fleming’s secret agent, James Bond . This is the first James Bond novel copyrighted by Ian Fleming Publications...
.
"Midsummer Night's Doom" is a special story commissioned to help celebrate Playboys 45th anniversary. By Benson's own admission, the short story is a joke piece.
In the story, Bond is assigned to attend a party at Playboy founder Hugh Hefner
Hugh Hefner
Hugh Marston "Hef" Hefner is an American magazine publisher, founder and Chief Creative Officer of Playboy Enterprises.-Early life:...
's Playboy Mansion
Playboy Mansion
The Playboy Mansion is the home of Playboy magazine founder Hugh Hefner. Located in the Holmby Hills area of Los Angeles, California, the mansion became famous during the 1970s through media reports of Hefner's lavish parties.-History:The house is described as being in the "Gothic-Tudor" style...
in Beverly Hills, California
Beverly Hills, California
Beverly Hills is an affluent city located in Los Angeles County, California, United States. With a population of 34,109 at the 2010 census, up from 33,784 as of the 2000 census, it is home to numerous Hollywood celebrities. Beverly Hills and the neighboring city of West Hollywood are together...
where Ministry of Defence
Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)
The Ministry of Defence is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces....
secrets are expected to be sold to a representative of the Russian Mafia
Russian Mafia
The Russian Mafia is a name applied to organized crime syndicates in Russia and Ukraine. The mafia in various countries take the name of the country, as for example the Ukrainian mafia....
.
While there, Bond meets Hefner who is aware of his mission and who actually provides Bond with several gadgets a la Q
Q (James Bond)
Q is a fictional character in the James Bond novels and films. Q , like M, is a job title rather than a name. He is the head of Q Branch , the fictional research and development division of the British Secret Service...
. Bond also has time to enjoy a quick romance with real-life Playmate Lisa Dergan, flirt with other Playmates including Victoria Zdrok
Victoria Zdrok
Victoria Nika Zdrok is a pornographic actress, author, and model of Ukrainian origin. She was chosen as a Playboy Playmate in October 1994. In June 2002 she became Penthouse magazine's Pet of the Month, later being chosen as their 2004 Penthouse Pet of the Year...
, and rub elbows with the likes of actor Robert Culp
Robert Culp
Robert Martin Culp was an American actor, scriptwriter, voice actor and director, widely known for his work in television. Culp first earned an international reputation for his role as Kelly Robinson on I Spy , the espionage series in which he and co-star Bill Cosby played a pair of secret agents...
and singer Mel Tormé
Mel Tormé
Melvin Howard Tormé , nicknamed The Velvet Fog, was an American musician, known for his jazz singing. He was also a jazz composer and arranger, a drummer, an actor in radio, film, and television, and the author of five books...
.
Dergan has the distinction of being, to date, the only real person ever to be awarded the status of Bond Girl. (Several other Playmates are referenced by name in this story, but Dergan is clearly Bond's girl of choice on this adventure.)
Some sources give this story the erroneous title "A Midsummer Night's Doom", since the title is a play on William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
's A Midsummer Night's Dream
A Midsummer Night's Dream
A Midsummer Night's Dream is a play that was written by William Shakespeare. It is believed to have been written between 1590 and 1596. It portrays the events surrounding the marriage of the Duke of Athens, Theseus, and the Queen of the Amazons, Hippolyta...
. Midsummer's Night's Doom is included in the 2010 omnibus release, Choice of Weapons, which includes three additional Benson Bond novels.
"Live at Five"
First publication: TV GuideTV Guide
TV Guide is a weekly American magazine with listings of TV shows.In addition to TV listings, the publication features television-related news, celebrity interviews, gossip and film reviews and crossword puzzles...
(American edition), November 13–19, 1999. In publication order, this follows the novelization of The World is Not Enough and precedes Doubleshot
Doubleshot
DoubleShot, first published in 2000, was the sixth novel by Raymond Benson featuring Ian Fleming's secret agent, James Bond . Carrying the Ian Fleming Publications copyright, it was first published in the United Kingdom by Hodder & Stoughton and in the United States by Putnam...
.
Published the week The World Is Not Enough
The World Is Not Enough
The World Is Not Enough is the nineteenth spy film in the James Bond film series, and the third to star Pierce Brosnan as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. The film was directed by Michael Apted, with the original story and screenplay written by Neal Purvis, Robert Wade and Bruce Feirstein. It...
arrived in movie theatres in America, "Live at Five" is the shortest of all James Bond stories, even shorter than Fleming's previous record-holder "007 in New York". Running only a couple of thousand words, if that, it is a brief episode that sees Bond, en route to a date with a female TV news reporter, recalling how he once helped a Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n figure skating
Figure skating
Figure skating is an Olympic sport in which individuals, pairs, or groups perform spins, jumps, footwork and other intricate and challenging moves on ice skates. Figure skaters compete at various levels from beginner up to the Olympic level , and at local, national, and international competitions...
champion defect in full view of TV cameras. The reporter, Janet Davies, becomes the second real person to be a Bond girl, seen daily on Chicago's local ABC station Channel 7 WLS.
Because this issue of TV Guide was only available in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
for a short period of time, and the story was not reprinted elsewhere, "Live at Five" was one of the hardest-to-find Bond stories. (By comparison, the two issues of Playboy listed above are readily available through the collector's market and in used book stores, and the magazine has distribution in Britain, although that's not the same as the stories being published in that country. There is a collectors' market for back issues of TV Guide, and the Bond issue is considered particularly collectable, but this market rarely extends beyond the U.S.
However, Live at Five was finally reprinted in the 2010 omnibus release, Choice of Weapons, which includes three additional Benson Bond novels.
"The Heart of Erzulie" (unpublished)
A fourth short story titled "The Heart of ErzulieErzulie
In Haitian Vodou or Vodou, Erzulie is a family of lwa, or spirits.-Maîtresse Mambo Erzulie Fréda Dahomey:Erzulie Fréda Dahomey, the Rada aspect of Erzulie, is the spirit of love, beauty, jewelry, dancing, luxury, and flowers. Gay men are considered to be under her particular patronage...
" was written by Raymond Benson in-between Never Dream of Dying
Never Dream of Dying
Never Dream of Dying, first published in 2001, was the seventh novel by Raymond Benson featuring Ian Fleming's secret agent, James Bond...
and The Man with the Red Tattoo
The Man with the Red Tattoo
The Man with the Red Tattoo, first published in 2002, was the sixth and final original novel by Raymond Benson featuring Ian Fleming's secret agent, James Bond. Carrying the Ian Fleming Publications copyright, it was first published in the United Kingdom by Hodder & Stoughton and in the United...
, however, it was never published because Ian Fleming Publications
Ian Fleming Publications
Ian Fleming Publications is the production company formerly known as both Glidrose Productions Limited and Glidrose Publications Limited, named after its founders John Gliddon and Norman Rose...
felt it was "too much of a Fleming pastiche
Pastiche
A pastiche is a literary or other artistic genre or technique that is a "hodge-podge" or imitation. The word is also a linguistic term used to describe an early stage in the development of a pidgin language.-Hodge-podge:...
." Benson, himself, acknowledges that it was little more than a time-killer in the interim between the two book projects.
Samantha Weinberg/Kate Westbrook short stories
- Main article: The Moneypenny DiariesThe Moneypenny DiariesThe Moneypenny Diaries is a series of novels and short stories chronicling the life of Miss Moneypenny, M's personal secretary in Ian Fleming's James Bond series; it is considered an official spin-off of the Bond books...
In 2006, two additional short stories were written and published by Samantha Weinberg
Samantha Weinberg
Samantha Fletcher is a British Green politician, and under her maiden name of Samantha Weinberg, a novelist, journalist and travel writer. Educated at St Paul's Girls' School and Trinity College, Cambridge, she is the author of books such as A Fish Caught in Time: The Search for the Coelacanth and...
under the pseudonym "Kate Westbrook". These stories are part of The Moneypenny Diaries
The Moneypenny Diaries
The Moneypenny Diaries is a series of novels and short stories chronicling the life of Miss Moneypenny, M's personal secretary in Ian Fleming's James Bond series; it is considered an official spin-off of the Bond books...
series, an officially licensed spin-off from the Bond novels series focusing on the character of Miss Moneypenny
Miss Moneypenny
Jane Moneypenny, better known as Miss Moneypenny, is a fictional character in the James Bond novels and films. She is secretary to M, who is Bond's boss and head of the British Secret Service...
. It has not yet been announced whether these stories are intended for republication in book form. As of 2008 neither story has been published in North America.
"For Your Eyes Only, James"
First publication: TatlerTatler
Tatler has been the name of several British journals and magazines, each of which has viewed itself as the successor of the original literary and society journal founded by Richard Steele in 1709. The current incarnation, founded in 1901, is a glossy magazine published by Condé Nast Publications...
(November 2006).
Set in September 1956, the story tells of a weekend James Bond and Moneypenny share at Royale-les-Eaux
Royale-les-Eaux
Royale-les-Eaux is a fictional town in Northern France. It features in the James Bond novels of Ian Fleming and others, particularly Casino Royale and On Her Majesty's Secret Service.-Location:...
.
"Moneypenny's First Date with Bond"
First publication: The SpectatorThe Spectator
The Spectator is a weekly British magazine first published on 6 July 1828. It is currently owned by David and Frederick Barclay, who also owns The Daily Telegraph. Its principal subject areas are politics and culture...
, November 11, 2006.
This story, set just after Bond's assignment to the 00 Section and before the events of Casino Royale, tells of Bond and Moneypenny's first meeting.
"A Hard Man to Kill"
The original Young Bond short story "A Hard Man to Kill" written by Charlie Higson, is included in the companion book, Danger Society: The Young Bond DossierDanger Society: The Young Bond Dossier
Danger Society: The Young Bond Dossier is a non-fiction companion to the Young Bond series of novels written by Charlie Higson. The book contains in-depth character profiles to the cars, the weapons and the exotic locations, plus facts, statistics, photographs, maps, and illustrations by Kev Walker...
, which was released by Puffin Books on October 29, 2009. An extract from the story appears in the paperback edition of By Royal Command. It is the longest James Bond short story yet written.
"Your Deal, Mr. Bond"
In 1997 a collection of bridge-related short storiesShort story
A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...
entitled Your Deal, Mr. Bond was published by B. T. Batsford
Anova Books
Anova Books is a UK-based publishing company founded in 2005, with the acquisition of the Chrysalis Books Group from the Chrysalis Group. Since its inception, the firm has acquired or created several other imprints...
(ISBN 0-7134-8247-8). The title piece is a short story featuring James Bond, who is assigned by M to defeat a villain named Saladin who is threatening to explode nuclear bombs in several major cities. Bond impersonates real-life bridge expert Zia Mahmood
Zia Mahmood
Zia Mahmood is a Pakistani professional bridge player. He is a World Bridge Federation and American Contract Bridge League Grand Life Master. He has a knack for bringing out the best in his partners and is regarded as one of the greatest players of the game...
in order to combat Saladin at the bridge table. The short story includes bridge game charts in a similar fashion to that used by Ian Fleming in Moonraker, in which Bond similarly plays a high-stakes game of bridge against that novel's villain. The book, despite being issued by a major publisher and containing undisguised references to the Bond characters, contains no reference to Ian Fleming Publications
Ian Fleming Publications
Ian Fleming Publications is the production company formerly known as both Glidrose Productions Limited and Glidrose Publications Limited, named after its founders John Gliddon and Norman Rose...
, suggesting the use of Bond, M and Miss Moneypenny is unofficial, and rendering this story likely apocryphal. Its placement in the Bond canon, therefore, is unknown. The story contains a cultural reference to Star Trek
Star Trek
Star Trek is an American science fiction entertainment franchise created by Gene Roddenberry. The core of Star Trek is its six television series: The Original Series, The Animated Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise...
, however, which sets it outside of Fleming's timeline. It should not be confused with the 1987 John Gardner
John Gardner (thriller writer)
John Edmund Gardner was an English spy novelist, most notably for the James Bond series.-Early life:Gardner was born in Seaton Delaval, Northumberland. He graduated from St John's College, Cambridge and did postgraduate study at Oxford...
Bond novel, No Deals, Mr. Bond
No Deals, Mr. Bond
No Deals, Mr. Bond, first published in 1987, was the sixth novel by John Gardner featuring Ian Fleming's secret agent, James Bond. Carrying the Glidrose Publications copyright, it was first published in the United Kingdom by Jonathan Cape and in the United States by Putnam...
.
Other authors
Cyril Connolly's short story "Bond Strikes Camp" was first published in the collection "Previous Collections". Although a parody, the story clearly mentions Bond by name and code number. Will SelfWill Self
William Woodard "Will" Self is an English novelist and short story writer. His fictional style is known for being satirical, grotesque, and fantastical. He is a prolific commentator on contemporary British life, with regular appearances on Newsnight and Question Time...
's story "Licence to Hug" appeared in the November 1995 issue of Esquire Magazine. This story, part thriller, part satire on modern life, also mentions Bond by name and code number. Both stories were published without sanction from Glidrose.