Our series For Your Shelf Only has given us a chance to hear from a number of collectors about their prized treasures and their history with Ian Fleming and 007. We've talked with Bond continuation author Raymond Benson, spy novelist Jeremy Duns, and many others. I always enjoy connecting with our guests over our mutual love of spy adventure, and today I had the rare opportunity to sit in the interview seat myself! Artistic License Renewed, a wonderful website that focusses on Ian Fleming, Richard Chopping, and the Bond novels, invited me in for a virtual chat about my collection. Here's a sneak preview of my answers: "The editions I tend to collect more actively now are books
about Fleming or Fleming’s non-Bond work. Some gems include early (sometimes
first) work serialized in magazines, early collection catalogs, The London
Magazine in the 1950s, Horizon in the 1940s, contributions to Room 3603,
Counterpoint, Motor Car, To Catch a Spy, and Jonathan Cape Publisher. Books
about Fleming, like Ivar Bryce,
the memorial address, Letters of
Ann Fleming, and reference books like SMERSH. I was able to add a
couple of rare Fleming appearances to Jon Gilbert’s
Bibliography." When did I start reading Fleming and what's my favorite Bond story? Read the full interview here. For Your Shelf Only links on Spy Vibe: Jon Gilbert, Raymond Benson, Jeremy Duns, Peter Lorenz, David Foster, Rob Mallows, Roger Langley, Craig Arthur, Fleming Short, Matt Sherman, Alan Stephenson, rare Ian Fleming, rare Fleming short.
Spy Vibe is having a spring sale on eBay. New items added very few days and include rare Beatles autographs, James Bond, rare books, music, and comics. Details here.
Recent Ian Fleming posts on Spy Vibe: Ian Fleming: Mt. Demon Hell Japan, new poster announced, 007 Audio Books Update, Appropriating Bond Exhibit, Fleming Letters Mystery, Double 007 Book Designs, Double 007 designs II, rare Ian Fleming edition, Book Design Dopplegangers, Turkish Bond design, Ian Fleming Letters, Erno Goldfinger, Noel Coward, Whispering Jack Smith, Hawaiian Guitar, Joe Fingers Carr, new Ian Fleming Catalog, Jon Gilbert interview, Double 007 Designs, Bond audio book reissues, discovery of one of Ian Fleming's WWII Commandos, James Bond book covers, Ian Fleming's Playboy interview for Kindle, Spy Vibe's discovery of a rare Ian Fleming serialization, rare View to a Kill, Fleming's Royal gold typewriter, Ian Fleming's memorial address, Spy Vibe's Ian Fleming image archive.
Recent Spy Vibe posts: Spy exhibit at the Pacific Science Center, Ian Fleming: Mt. Demon Hell Japan, 007 Audio Books Update, Sylvia Anderson, Appropriating Bond Exhibit, Trina Robbins Interview, Catsuits, Batman '66 Green Hornet Interview: Ralph Garman Ty Templeton, Solar & Bionic Man Return, The Saint Library Released, DC Fontana Prisoner Video, James Bond Comic Event, Turkish James Bond Design, Edward Gorey's 1960s, Ipcress File cinematography, 007 SOLO cover designs, Gloria Steinem and Denny O'Neil on MOD Wonder Woman, Win Scott Eckert interview, Siegel and Shuster's SPY, David McCallum: Son of Batman, Wonderwall comes to Blu-ray, Kevin Dart talks Ringo & Powerpuff Girls, Sherlock Exhibit, Fu Manchu history panel, Striped Light Nude, Buckminster Fuller, Jane and Serge, The Goldfinger Variations, Mod Tales Interview, David Tennant's Ian Fleming audio books, Atomic Art, Shane Glines Batman.
Ian Fleming's niece, Lucy, did a short interview with GQ back in the Fall. She talked about the new 007 audiobooks that were just produced in England (I just finished David Tennant's reading of OHMSS- excellent!), the Bond actors, book and movie plots, and the continuation novels. On the subject of letters, she mentioned that her cousin was currently writing a book based on Ian Fleming's letters. I'm very interested to see that! There have been previous books inspired by Fleming letters, including The Letters of Ann Fleming and Yours Ever, Ian Fleming. As always, I was most interested to hear her thoughts on uncle Ian:
From GQ: "Do you think that when your uncle was writing the
books he could have imagined their success?
I think he would have been very
pleased. The books did incredibly well in their time - he became as much of a
celebrity as a writer could in those days. He loved the films and saw two of
them being made into films: Dr No and From Russia With Love. He loved the
detail of filmmaking and all the excitement that comes along with it. He would
have perhaps turned his nose up at some of the continuation novels that have
come out, but I don't know. I think he would have been thrilled. He was
always quite ambitious for them. When he wrote the first one he was really
nervous about it, he didn't show it to anyone at first. He was nervous about
people mocking him. Once the publisher had given him the go ahead, that gave
him a great boost and he wrote one book a year for the last twelve years of his
life. Which is a hell of a lot of books - you don't see that nowadays. He wrote
very quickly - he'd been trained as a journalist. He said 'I never look
back, otherwise you never get a book written. Just write it, write it, write
it.' He went out to Jamaica to write them and had a very strict routine.
Then he'd come back to England and edit it, look up facts and details. He was
very into getting things right." More at GQ. First Edition of Casino Royale below available from James Bond First Editions.
Congratulations again to all of the Spy Vibers who won vintage prizes in our birthday give-away contest! What else is new here in the lair? Scroll down for posts about Ian Fleming's desert island interview, new Fleming book designs, Fantomas on Kindle, Spy Smasher cliffhanger serial, the new Barbarella tv show, Man From U.N.C.L.E. illustration, British spy comics in the 1960s, Piper Gates retro spy designs, Cinema Retro celebrates James Bond, and Spy Vibe's 2012 top ten, including my review of Skyfall. Want to support Spy Vibe? Please make a small donation with our secure Paypal tip-jar link at the top left of the main page. Nothing is too small to help cover the increasing bills for the domain, web-forwarding and other costs to maintain the site. Thank you!
