Ian Fleming

Many years ago, I heard that Ian Fleming sold the titles of the James Bond novels to the movies, but not the plotlines. I never really had any reason to doubt it, but I always wanted to check. When I started looking around for free eBooks, I found that none of his titles were available, which isn't too surprising, they were only written 50 years ago...roughly speaking. So, I started to look around for copies to buy, and to my surprise that was harder than it ought to be. Well, I could buy them, but in hardback. It seems that the copyrights have been renewed despite the fact that the man died in 1964. But, my local library came to my rescue, and debunked the myth that I have repeated over and over again since I first heard it some decades ago.

First I found the collection of short stories, Quantum of Solace (Penguin Books, 2008). This collection includes Titles that have been used in 5 of the movies, From a View to a Kill, For Your Eyes Only, Quantum of Solace, Octopussy, The Living Daylights. Based on these five short stories, you could almost believe that the titles had been used without the plotlines, but even that would not be entirely correct.

From a View to a Kill, Octopussy and Quantum of Solace are nothing like the movies, and Quantum of Solace is barely a James Bond story at all. It is a story being told to James Bond while waiting for a boring party to end.

But, For Your Eyes Only and Risico together pretty much cover the plot of the movie, For Your Eyes Only. There are some added elements, but it is basically the same plot line.

Also, in a funny twist, the story Property of a Lady is used during the movie Octopussy, though it is only really one scene.

Now, all this made my suspicious, so I went looking for more. First, I read Thunderball (MJF Books, copyright 1961). Well, I definitely was lied to long ago. The plot of Thunderball the novel is pretty much identical to Thunderball the movie. I would have to watch the movie again to be sure, but it is very much like I remember it.

Also, despite being 50 years old, the novel stands up very well. It is fast paced, as one would expect, and gets just a little confusing at the end, which also matches my memories of the movie. The underwater fight scene is very confusing. It also has a rather touching ending that seems a little out of place for James Bond, but that is because so much of my concept of Bond is based on the movies. Also, there is an unlikely heroine, in Domino, who basically saves Bond at the end. This is much like the movie, except that the final scenes in the novel are underwater, not on the hydrofoil.

It was good, and well worth the read. I am looking forward to Goldfinger next.

And props to the Austin Public Library for carrying them.