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  1. Raymond Benson's Bond Novels Now Out Of Print

    By johncox on 2005-04-21

    The James Bond continuation novels by Raymond Benson are now all officially out of print, according to the author himself. The Benson novels join the other out of print 007 adventures by Kingsley Amis, John Pearson, Christopher Wood, and John Gardner. Despite performing to expecations, Ian Fleming Publications has no plans to issue reprints.

    High Time to Kill

    Striking cover art was a hallmark of the Benson era

    Currently the only in print James Bond novels are the original 14 books by Ian Fleming and the first Young Bond novel, SilverFin, by Charlie Higson.

    However, Bond fans can still find the Raymond Benson continuation novels (as well as the other continuation novels) on eBay or via online book search engines like Bookfinder.com. Also, second hand copies can be found on the shelves of some used bookstores. Because of very low print runs, the UK hardcover first editions are becoming increasingly rare and expensive. The hardcover first edition of Tomorrow Never Dies, for example, sells for $300 and up.

    The Benson short stories appeared exclusively in Playboy and TV Guide. Seeking out back issues of these magazines is the only way to read these 007 adventures.

    Raymond Benson has gone on to pen the bestselling series of books based on Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell. His second book, tentatively titled Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell – Barracuda, is due for publication in Fall ’05.

    Below is a checklist of the Raymond Benson James Bond adventures. Happy hunting!

    • “Blast From The Past” – short story – Playboy, Jan. 1997
    • Zero Minus Ten – novel – Hodder & Stoughton (UK), Putnam (U.S.), 1997
    • Tomorrow Never Dies – novelization – Hodder & Stoughton (UK), Boulevard Paperback Books (U.S.), 1997
    • The Facts of Death – novel – Hodder & Stoughton (UK), Putnam (U.S.), 1998
    • “Midsummer Night’s Doom” – short story – Playboy, Jan. 1999
    • High Time to Kill – novel – Hodder & Stoughton (UK), Putnam (U.S.), 1999
    • “Live At Five” – short story – TV Guide, Nov. 1999
    • The World Is Not Enough – novelization – Hodder & Stoughton (UK), Boulevard Paperback Books (U.S.), 1999
    • DoubleShot – novel – Hodder & Stoughton (UK), Putnam (U.S.), 2000
    • Never Dream of Dying – novel – Hodder & Stoughton (UK), Putnam (U.S.), 2001
    • The Man With The Red Tattoo – novel – Hodder & Stoughton (UK), Putnam (U.S.), 2002
    • Die Another Day – novelization – Hodder & Stoughton (UK), Boulevard Paperback Books (U.S.), 2002
    • “The Heart of Erzulie” – short story – unpublished

    To keep up with Raymond’s latest work, future appearances, and to purchase his books, visit Raymond Benson.com.

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