Friday, September 7, 2012

Amazon reveals their new IAN FLEMING reprints and launches online store

In April it was reported that Amazon had closed a deal to publish the 14 classic Ian Fleming James Bond titles in the U.S. as both print editions and eBooks.

Today Amazon has revealed their promised "new look" series and have also launched a special online store where you can pre-order the books for an October 16, 2012 release.

The print versions will be paperbacks published under Amazon's Thomas & Mercer imprint and will be available to all retailers. The eBooks will initially only be available via Amazon's Kindle store.

Here are all the covers with thanks to our friends at Amazon Publishing and IFP. Certainly these are the most avant-garde Bond covers ever!

11 comments:

  1. I predict a riot. There is a charm to these designs in a Polish film poster kind of way, but, like those, you have to know the subject of the film/book to be able to even begin to fathom what the heckings it's supposed to be. It's a step up from Saul Bass Lite but a long way from Raymond Hawkey. In fact these designs may even alienate potential (less open minded) readers.

    ReplyDelete
  2. These aren't my cuppa tea at all. I really like those new Vintage paperbacks though.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I really like the Vintage paperbacks better. I wish there was a way I could order them without paying all the shipping from the UK to the USA.

    As for these, they're fine although a little too abstract. I just now figured out that TMWTGG is a railroad switch, and I still can't figure out GOLDFINGER.

    My major frustration is that the Amazon deal locks the Fleming novels into Amazon, to the exclusion of BN or Apple.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I'm kind of surprised that the reaction to this line is negative again. Personally, I like these a lot more than either UK line. Well, a LOT more than the Vintage ones, but maybe just a bit more than the contemporary line. But the point is, I DO like these covers. I think they're the best of the new batch.

    As far as exclusion from BN, my understanding is that that's their decision, not Amazon's. I'm wondering if they'll stand fast on that when it comes to Bond. I think this is the highest profile line that Amazon has yet published, so it will be a test. I really hope they don't let corporate rivalry keep Bond books off their shelves. And if they do, when people ask for them, will they tell them that they have to go to Amazon? I can't see that. So will they lie and tell people they're not in print?

    ReplyDelete
  5. I can see a dartboard (?) or CR (possibly a roulette wheel or a casino chip), waves for LALD, a fairly obvious targeting scope for MR, DAF has a (card suit) diamond shape in there but the outward waves disguise it a little too much. FRWL is a generic graphical flourish with not much relevance, DN is, with the UK Vintage Saul Bass series, completely without any thought or design what so ever (could someone PLEASE design a cover with a giant squid, the most bizarre and yet under celebrated sequence in the entire book...just once?!). GF seems to be prison bars (could this be an in-house misunderstanding, the designer interpretting 'bars' as prison, not 'of gold'.?) The others are pretty easy to guess although what FYEO and OHMSS are supposed to be is anyone's guess.
    They're growing on me but they're very 'out there' and not at all welcoming or enticing.

    ReplyDelete
  6. i love the designs! maybe my favorite since hawkey! but i do have a taste for the avant-garde and minimal. the use of red to accent the b&w is stunning. Moonraker and OHMSS are so cool. i wasn't moved to collect any of the new editions, but i will likely collect this set. beautiful!
    -Jason (Spy Vibe)

    ReplyDelete
  7. Here's my take - some of these repeat earlier comments

    Casino Royale - It is evocative of a casino - Either spinning roulette wheel or a casino chip.
    Live and Let Die - Waves in water
    Moonraker - It looks like a target. It also looks like the cone at the top of a rocket, from immediately above.
    Diamonds are Forever - As said, a diamond pattern, not unlike on a playing card
    FRWL - Just a decorative flourish - maybe it evokes the luxury of the Orient Express, or the hotel at the very end?
    Dr. No - Just a lazy design. Maybe they forgot to make a cover for this one. Funny because as someone said, the Uk Vintage covers are the same way - Dr. No seems to be an oversight. (BTW I'd love it if they would title it "Doctor No" rather than abbreviating Dr. as the earlier covers did
    Goldfinger - No idea. It reminds me of the cage bars in Ft. Knox in the movie.
    FYEO - I think it looks like a woman's hair but really I'm at a loss.
    Thunderball - obviously a submarine
    TSWLM - A fire
    OHMSS - Pretty sure that's supposed to look like the Alps.
    YOLT is water
    TMWTGG - Railroad switch
    Octopussy - of course an octopus tentacles.

    What bothers me about these is they are inconsistent. Some of them are abstract geometric patterns that evoke the book (CR, MR, OHMSS). Others are more definite pictures (Octopussy, Thunderball, TSWLM). And then Dr. No is just the words written out. No consistency.

    ReplyDelete
  8. So they did hire some sort of 1970 Czech graphic designer to manage this ?
    :)

    ReplyDelete
  9. Is there any word on whether or not these editions contain new forwards, type-settings or the like? Curious I am...

    ReplyDelete
  10. IAN FLAMING > FRIEND OF ALISTER CROWLEY AND EX SECRET AGENT > THE BOOKS ARE BASED ON HIS REAL STORIES > HE PICKS THE CODE 007 CUZ THIS IS HOW BRITAIN'S GREATEST BLACK MAGICIAN AND FOUNDER OF THE INTELIGENCE SERVICES DOCTOR JOHN DEE'S SIGNATURE WAS ! ARE U BLIND OR U JUST LIKE BEING CONTROLLED , U R SHEEPS!

    ReplyDelete

Legal Disclosure

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Translate