YB companion book gets new release date and not-so-short story

We have a few updates on the new Young Bond companion book, Danger Society: The Young Bond Dossier.

First up, the release date has been pulled forward to October 29, 2009. The book had been announced as a November release.

Next, it appears the original short story by Charlie Higson contained in the book will be quite lengthy. The Young Bond Dossier reports that the story will actually be the longest James Bond short story yet written, beating out Ian Fleming's For Your Eyes Only. The story will be previewed in the upcoming paperback edition of By Royal Command.

Danger Society: The Young Bond Dossier will be published by Puffin Books in the UK.

'Casino Royale' is a Popular Penguin

CommanderBond.net reports that Ian Fleming’s first James Bond novel, Casino Royale, will be reprinted as a Popular Penguin paperback this June.

The Popular Penguin series was created to celebrate the publisher’s literary legacy. Each book in the series is adorned with artwork that recreates the style of the publisher’s earliest reprints.

Casino Royale is one of 50 classic Penguin titles to be reprinted in the second wave of the Popular Penguin series. Fleming joins other celebrated authors including Ernest Hemingway, Roald Dahl, Anthony Burgess, Raymond Chandler, F Scott Fitzgerald and Truman Capote.

LINK: The best Bond car ever

"James Bond is back in a Saab Turbo."

Say what?

That's right. When James Bond returned in 1980 in the first John Gardner novel License Renewed, the author gave 007 a "fuel efficient" Saab Turbo 900. The car was nicknamed "the Silver Beast" and it appeared in the next two books, For Special Services and Icebreaker. Most younger fans now balk at the idea of James Bond driving such a "common" car, but for my money the Saab was the greatest Bond spy car of them all precisely because it was a common car. But oh the secrets it hid under its hood.

Click here for my look back at Bond's Beast.

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New Young Bond story preview in BRC paperback

The Young Bond Dossier reports that Puffin’s paperback edition of By Royal Command, due for release in the UK on May 28, will contain a preview extract of the all-new Young Bond story by Charlie Higson.

The story will be published in the new Young Bond companion book, Danger Society: The Young Bond Dossier, due for release in October. The title is being kept Top Secret.

By Royal Command can be pre-ordered now at Amazon.co.uk.

Richie Fahey exhibition in Miami

The work of artist Richie Fahey is on show at Miami's Harold Golen Gallery from April 11 to May 2. Fahey created the spectacular "retro" Bond covers for the 2002 Penguin reissues, as well as the art for the 2006 US edition of Quantum of Solace.


CLICK HERE to read an interview with Fahey at CommanderBond.net.