Young Bond SHORT STORY a possibility

During his appearance at the Hurricane Gold launch party last month, Charlie Higson revealed an exciting piece of Young Bond news that has gone unreported...until now.

During the Q&A session, Charlie let slip that he is “toying” with the idea of writing a Young Bond short story set between Hurricane Gold and Young Bond 5.

The story would take place aboard an ocean liner bringing Bond and Aunt Charmain back to England from Mexico. Aboard ship, James would encounter Wilder Lawless (the heroine of SilverFin) who is transporting horses.

Charlie didn’t elaborate beyond that and he did caution that it was “something that might happen or might not”...but it sure sounds like a good idea to me!

Bond to drive a Bentley in Devil May Care

The Telegraph reports that James Bond will drive a Bentley in the new adult centenary Bond novel Devil May Care by Sebastian Faulks.

"Despite many of the films portraying him with an Aston Martin, Bond's first choice of car was a Bentley, so that is what he will be driving in my book," says Faulks.

"He also spends quite a lot of time abroad on his adventure, so in want of a hire car, which wouldn't really befit James, he will also have a driver at his disposal."

While Faulks revealed the color (battleship grey), he didn’t reveal the exact make of Bentley Bond would drive. James Rosenstein, Bentley's global director of external affairs, suggested it could be the 1967 T-series Bentley (pictured above), a popular model the year in which the novel is set.

"It is wonderful that somebody has decided to go back to the roots of the original book, to Ian Fleming's own tastes and to James Bond's passion for the cars," said Rosenstein.

Of course, Charlie Higson returned Bond to his automotive roots in his third Young Bond novel, Double or Die. In this book Bond acquires his classic Bentley 5.1 that sees him through Casino Royale.

The U.S. hardcover edition of Devil May Care is now available for pre-order on Amazon.com. The book will be released in May 2008 by Doubleday in the U.S. and Penguin in the UK.

Thanks to CBn.

Double or Die COLLECTOR'S EDITION in stores

The Double or Die Limited Collector’s Edition is available at participating Waterstone’s bookstores now. Limited to 999 copies, this Collector’s Edition is a slipcased hardcover signed and numbered by author Charlie Higson.

There has been a little confusion about availability and different versions of the book, so I’ve clarified the details with IFP and Puffin Books.

Despite it being listed on the Waterstone’s website and Amazon, the Double or Die Limited Collector’s Edition is a Waterstone’s in-store exclusive. That means you can only buy the book at a Waterstone’s bookstore. The online listings have been removed and pre-orders cancelled.

We also got a report from a fan who bought a copy that was unsigned and unnumbered. Turns out this was simply an anomaly (and a collectible one at that). All copies of Double or Die Limited Collector’s Edition should be signed and numbered.

Happy hunting!

James Bond The Authorised Biography re-released

The hardcover reprint of of James Bond The Authorised Biography by John Pearson is now shipping from Amazon.co.uk.

This most curious (and largely forgotten) James Bond continuation novel was first published in 1973 and purports to tell the “true” life story of James Bond up to and including the Fleming stories. Interestingly, the book covers some of the same territory now being explored in the bestselling Young Bond series by Charlie Higson.

A paperback reprint will be published in May next year.

Avenue of Death is #2 most viewed game online

According to Viralchart.com (a service that tracks over 200 million viral game views across the web) the official Young Bond tie-in game “Avenue of Death” is the #2 most viewed viral game online.

Avenue of Death was created by TAMBA Internet and is available to play on the official Young Bond website www.youngbond.com. In it, players help Young Bond navigate deadly obstacles in the Avenida de la Muerte, which features in the latest Young Bond bestseller Hurricane Gold.