CommanderBond.net

Hi folks,

For those interested, I have a new Bond story up over at Fanfiction.net. It is located here:

Deathstyles of the Rich and Blameless

I guess you could call it shades of Fleming with a Royal twist Lots of drinking, violence, sex, and beautiful people doing horrible things to one another. I hope those so inclined enjoy it.

Once I manage to knock out any bugs, and stray Americanisms, I'll post it to The Rough and the Smooth if Evan and Chris will allow.

Thanks,
clinkeroo

That's a very innovative title. I'll check it out right away.

Excellent.

I will read it today.

Wow, terrific work! You set the mood for thing's very well, I'm going to have to read it over again!

Thanks Chris,

One of the things I always loved about Fleming's shorts was that he always attempted to maintain the same ambiance throughout the entire piece. I especially love the personality stories such as Octopussy where we see Bond through Major Smythe's eyes for the majority of the story, and then switch to Bond's perspective for the finish.

Something I was worried about was the prospect of putting Bond into a historical situation. Fleming and Gardner both allude to Bond's roles in WWII and Gardner mentions the Falkland Islands conflict, but they never directly detail the action involved. Pearson attempted this on a larger scale, but I never really liked his take on Bond much. I guess I took a lead from William F. Buckley's Blackford Oakes novels here, injecting an established character into a well-documented incident attempting to lend a new perspective and atmosphere to the events.

I would have normally not approached reality cross-over fiction, but this tale started life as one of Dr. Niles Crane's 15-minute stories, and when the timer started, the first few graphs jumped out of my fingers and I went from there.

It's rare that I see Bond's aspect as a "Blunt instrument" of the crown put to such good use. And you deftly showed his humanity as well.

Very well done.

-- Xenobia

I've not started this one yet, although I have downloaded it. My progress on FDD has been halted of late because of readings for University and because i don't actually like reading stories on screen. I'm going to print out FDD and bind it like a paperback novel asap, i'm just waiting for some advice from Mr * on what programs to use and setting page sizes etc (and on how to print with 2 pages on each side of an A4 sheet). Still, i'm enjoying FDD and I know i'm going to be itching for you to finish the next novel when i've read this one.

One thing I wanted to ask you Clinkeroo; is have you ever sent your Bond work to the Ian Fleming Foundation's publishing side? I know they say they send back unsolicited Bond stuff unread, but i wondered if you'd ever tried anyway? Or have you ever sent FDD to Gardner or Benson, or have either of them posted feedback in the forum regarding your work?

I know i'd be curious to hear the thoughts of one of the Bond authors if i'd written anything for Bond. (Although now i think of it, perhaps they get inundated and wouldn't be able to offer feedback anyway, nor have the time to).

Hawkeye.

Thanks for the kind words, Xen.

The old "Blunt Instrument" again, eh? Maybe as a lark, one of us should write a James Bond erotica story and use "Blunt Instrument" as the title .

Hawkeye,

Have you ever read Richard Hooker's M*A*S*H* novels? Very different from the television show, but one of the few authors that could make me laugh out loud on a consistent basis (Douglas Addams, Gregory McDonald, and John Irving being the others).

I know what you mean when it comes to attempting to read for pleasure at University. I had a dual major in English Lit. and History, and a minor in journalism. There was so much reading and writing involved it was difficult for me to pick up a book and enjoy it for years. And back then the computer screens were even more unforgiving on the old retinas .

To your first question: No. I was always worried that Glidrose (IFP) would force me to stop. Since I first started FDD they've become more tolerant, but I wouldn't want to put it to the test. It's time consuming, but I really love being able to write these stories, and to share them with people who feel the same way I do about Fleming's work.

And to your second: No. I used to correspond some with Mr. Benson, but I never discussed my own work, just his, and Bond in general. He is a very friendly and approachable person, but when he was official, he would not have been able to comment on, or admit to reading, fan fiction due to liability issues. I'm just assuming this from other author's comments, but it does make sense. I am tempted to contact him now that he's hung things up, just to hear his thoughts, and hopefully get some input (many here question Raymond's writing, but very few of us would dispute that he is one of the more knowledgeable Bondophiles around) but once again, I'd hate to get a cease and desist from the IFP, and I don't want to take the chance. He loves all things Bond, and I'm pretty sure he's seen the story.

Approaching Gardner would be nearly impossible for me. I could see myself interviewing him about his own work, but I could never ask him to read mine. I never liked his Bond stories much, but I respect the Hell out of much of his other work. He is one of the living greats of English literature, in my book, and I would be mortified to have him potentially brush me off.

I'm happy to be doing what I'm doing, and to let these stories promote themselves through word of mouth. Much like JIM, or Xen, or Evan, or Ross, or any of the others, I'd probably pop a few arteries if the IFP were to approach me and ask me to contribute a story, or something along those lines. But in the everyday world, I keep that little dream in the back of my head next to the one about winning a lottery.

By the way, let me know when you get to THE part of FDD (you'll know it when you read it). I'd like to know what your reaction is.

Thanks for the interest.

Bravo.

Once again you've captured the Fleming Bond and splattered him on the pages (or in this case the screen) for me to enjoy. Although not quite as special as FDD, the single greatest piece of unofficial Bond... ever (how's that to boost the ego Clinkeroo?), this short story is one not to miss. I recommend it to anyone currently in need of a little "Fleming-like fix".

When I finally get a chance to update my Fan Fiction Review site, I'm going to add a section for short stories. You can bet that DOTRAB will have the highest rating of them all... unless of course you have another all inked out and ready to share.

By the way, if Mr. Benson does scan through this site, then I sure hope he takes a look at FDD. I've enjoyed Benson's Bond work for years and I'm sure that you would agree that he deserves to enjoy a good Bond adventure from one of us fans. I vote for Mr. Clink to be that fan.

Once again, good job. I look forward to more.

Head swelling....can't breathe...

Thanks, again, Matt Helm. I love your review site, and not just because it gushes on FDD. It gives the fan fiction Bond authors a level of credibility and criticism that was sorely missing before, and all this in a pretty slick package. The feedback sections of Fanfiction.net, or even these forums, are always healthy and constructive, but you never really know if it is someone's sister that's writing them a rave review.

Hmmmmmm... I wonder if I could get my sister to write a review...?

Nothing down on the paper yet for the next story, just quite a few notes for the next book, and the next two shorts. The first one to hit will probably be "Before I Wake," it's a complicated short story, and I'll have to read up a little bit more on tse tse flies and drink about a gallon of absinthe before I can put it down.

Will sure write in when i get to THE bit.

Haven't read Richard Hooker's M*A*S*H novels, although i've been considering picking them up from somewhere for the Creative Writing element of my studies. I'm a fan of the TV show and the film (hey that's where my forumname hails from) and so will read them at some point, just to see the roots of the series if for nothing else. I have a list of contempory fiction authors to check out, many of which i'm already familiar with (John Irving being one, a favourite of mine that was introduced to me by my English/Drama teacher at school - I actually did my A-Level lit coursework on THE WORLD ACCORDING TO GARP and i've got OWEN MEANY on my 'to read' list of books), that I plan on plunging into. Irving makes me role with laughter and cry with sadness in the space of a chapter. The man's a literary genius in my opinion.

Ah... the tse tse fly. I recall doing an essay on that little fellow a few years back during my humanities GCSE, along with some other nasty conditions. I remember one being a parasitic organism that swims up trails of urine and lodges itself in the unmentionables of unwitting travelers when relieving themselves on route down certain river regions. The things we learn eh?

I hope Benson had read FDD, partly because i'd like to think he would have some sway in suggesting a new author for the series, and wouldn't it be nice if it were someone from these forums. It'd show that IFP aren't afraid to take a few chances. I mean, who knew Benson would really make a good Bond author before he wrote ZMT. There must have been a risk element there. He certainly didn't have the kind of credentials Gardner had behind him when he was asked.

PS. Even though i am going to print and bind FDD, i'd still buy it if it were released officially. I wonder if IFP folk ever peruse these forums...?

Hawkeye.

ill give it a read now.

Fantastic to see this story posted at CBn.

I read this a while back, and—Bad Evan! Bad Evan!—never got around to posting my review. It was excellent, of course, but I think I’ll give it another read before I say something any little more specific.