CommanderBond.net

From CBn's Main Page...

Looking Back: Cold
John Gardner's fourteenth James Bond 007 novel

I just never went crazy over this one personally, but it's basically required reading if you've read this far. Some nice parts.

And a hell of a book to collect.

Think I'm going to give it a re-read. Maybe the 3rd time will be the charm.

Great read, it was neat to be included. Seem to be the only one that really liked the book. Intreting article. I have always liked the "looking back".

Glad you like these articles.

They'll be continuing with the Raymond Benson series next.

900 copies? Wow. That's like being self-published.

Wonderful job, as always.

I have always liked Cold. I like the structure and the continuity. Yes it is a break from typical Gardner (whom I generally like) and he was very ill when he "wrote" this book.

Two observations about (potential) inaccuracies in the round up:

1) HALO jump used in TND was an idea deleted in a different form from Goldeneye. In the way it is written, there may be an inference that one medium begat the other, which could be misleading. Of course, it is fine if it is just pointing out eventual similarities.
2) Elektra King did NOT suffer from Stockhom Syndrome. In fact, Victor Zokas fell for Elektra. This is not the same as what occurs in Cold.

This post has been edited by ACE: 7 September 2005 - 13:06

I find it astonishing that a full-length James Bond novel by an established author was given a UK print run of just 900 copies. Irrespective of the quality of the book, it seems like a slap in the face to the author; IFP may as well have photocopied the manuscript and given it to friends and family instead of going to the trouble of producing a hardback. Poor Mr Gardner.

Spynovelfan, is such a low figure the norm in situations like this?

Quite. The prices those firsts reach on eBay is also evident.

I've no idea, Hitch - I'm not in publishing. But I wouldn't have thought so, no. Suppose IFP didn't really want to publish it, but had to contractually, or something.

I think you'll find that 900 copies, while surprisingly low, is slightly less than a number of the previous Gardner printings.

At some point, it can take sales of 400 copies in a week to make the Sunday Times Fiction Hardback bestseller lists.

Get 'em while you can...

ACE

Yes, and I think Bond novels live forever (sounds like a Gardner title, that). Or, if not forever, have a much larger impact than, say, a magazine article, even if the circulation for that tops 100,000. It's all but erased from history by the next month. Gardner's 900 copies are still being discussed, though, right here.