30 years of FOREVER

It was 30 years ago that John Gardner's 11th original James Bond novel Death Is Forever arrived in the U.S. bookstores. This was one of handful of titles that was released first in the United States. While not one of my favorite Gardner books, it was a thrill to have a new Bond every year and all the Gardner books remain special to me. 

Here's a review of the book from 30 years ago today. Is 007 forever? I think we know the answer to that!

The Indianapolis Star.

My own copy of Death Is Forever, purchased in 1992, has a sticker on the cover pitching it as a "Super Value!" I normally strip off any stickers to have a clean cover. However, when a sticker says something Bond specific, as this one does ("Bond is Back"), it stays. And this wasn't added later in a clearance sale. I bought all the Gardner books the instant they hit the bookstores and this sticker was there on day one. Would love to know the story behind it and how many books may have it.

You can buy the recent reprint editions of Death Is Forever at Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk.

Cross Cult to release DEATH IS FOREVER

Our friends at Commander Bond.net report that after after a six-year hiatus, German publisher Cross Cult will resume publication of the John Gardner James Bond novels next year. Below is the cover art for Gardner's 1992 novel Death is Forever, due for release on June 3, 2023.

Thanks to @CBn007 on Twitter for the alert. Click here to see more covers.

007 TRAVELERS track down the Book Bond

One of my new favorite James Bond destinations on the web is 007 TRAVELERS. Not only have they been providing up-to-the-minute SPECTRE coverage, but Pirita and Mika also travel around the world searching for 007 locations from both the books and films. The Finnish couple seem to have a special affinity for John Gardner locales, and that's fine by me! Today they've landed at Bond's Berlin hotel room in the Kempinski Hotel Bristol from Death Is Forever.

007travelers.blogspot.fi

In the past, Pirita and Mika have tracked down Paula Vacker's apartment in Helsinki from Icebreaker, the Strada Cucina Italiana Restaurant from For Special Services, and even the various locales inside Disneyland Paris where Bond had his adventures in Never Send Flowers.

Click here for a full list of 007 TRAVELERS book locations.

Keep up the great work Pirita and Mika!

THE MAN FROM BARBAROSSA and DEATH IS FOREVER reprints released in USA

Pegasus has released two more John Gardner James Bond reprints in the USA, The Man From Barbarossa and Death Is Forever. Originally announced for February 8, both titles are available now from Amazon.com.

Pegasus has not announced any more Gardner releases beyond these titles. They also skipped Licence To Kill.

• Purchase The Man From Barbarossa on Amazon
• Purchase Death Is Forever on Amazon

Visit our special Gardner Renewed page for links and release dates for all the Gardner-Bond reprints in the U.S. and UK.

Orion releases five more JOHN GARDNER reprints

Orion Books has released five more John Gardner James Bond paperback reprints in the UK. Scorpius, Win Lose or Die, Licence To Kill, The Man From Barbarossa and Death is Forever are all now shipping from Amazon.co.uk.

The final wave of four Gardner releases will be on November 8. Visit our special Gardner Renewed page for links and release date updates for all the Gardner-James Bond reprints in the U.S. and UK.

Final 2 JOHN GARDNER paperbacks appear on Amazon

Death is Forever ad from 1992

Amazon.co.uk now has listings for The Man From Barbarossa and Death Is Forever, which means ALL the John Gardner James Bond novels are now available to pre-order as new paperbacks from Orion.

These last two holdouts show an August 2, 2012 release date. However, the release dates for the Gardner reprints has been fluid, so this might change. So far Orion has only revealed cover art for the first six books.

Watch out our special Gardner Renewed page for links and the latest release date information on all the Gardner-Bond reprints in the U.S. and UK.