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James Bond - Extended Series #38, 40-41
James Bond: The Union Trilogy: Three 007 Novels: High Time to Kill, Doubleshot, Never Dream of Dying
"Raymond Benson captures the spirit and pluck of Fleming's 007 in his high-flying spy thrillers." — Chicago Tribune
HIGH TIME TO KILL
This high octane adventure takes 007 from one of England's most exclusive golf clubs to the cosmopolitan city of Brussels, and finally to an expedition up the icy heights of the third tallest peak in the Himalayas.
DOUBLESHOT
The Union has vowed revenge on James Bond and has concocted an ingenious and complex scheme to destroy him. The only way Bond can hold onto his sanity is to embark on a mission that takes him from the seedy underbelly of London's Soho to the souks of Tangier; from a Union training camp in Morocco to the clutches of a deadly Spanish beauty.
NEVER DREAM OF DYING
In the third and final part of the trilogy, James Bond finally comes face to face with the Union's enigmatic leader. The journey eventually takes 007 to a thrilling underwater brush with mortality, a chase through the Corsican wilderness, and a surprise encounter with an old friend.
Plus, the short story "Blast from the Past," never collected in book form before!
HIGH TIME TO KILL
This high octane adventure takes 007 from one of England's most exclusive golf clubs to the cosmopolitan city of Brussels, and finally to an expedition up the icy heights of the third tallest peak in the Himalayas.
DOUBLESHOT
The Union has vowed revenge on James Bond and has concocted an ingenious and complex scheme to destroy him. The only way Bond can hold onto his sanity is to embark on a mission that takes him from the seedy underbelly of London's Soho to the souks of Tangier; from a Union training camp in Morocco to the clutches of a deadly Spanish beauty.
NEVER DREAM OF DYING
In the third and final part of the trilogy, James Bond finally comes face to face with the Union's enigmatic leader. The journey eventually takes 007 to a thrilling underwater brush with mortality, a chase through the Corsican wilderness, and a surprise encounter with an old friend.
Plus, the short story "Blast from the Past," never collected in book form before!
864 pages, Paperback
First published September 30, 2008
18 people are currently reading
219 people want to read
About the author
Raymond Benson
158 books306 followersRaymond Benson is the author of approximately 40 titles. Among his works are the critically-acclaimed and New York Times best-selling serial THE BLACK STILETTO, and he was also the third--and first American--continuation author of the official James Bond 007 novels. His latest novels are HOTEL DESTINY--A GHOST NOIR, BLUES IN THE DARK, IN THE HUSH OF THE NIGHT and THE SECRETS ON CHICORY LANE.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
January 16, 2024
When James Bond creator Ian Fleming died in 1964, his character fell into the hands of several successive authors. Raymond Benson is among the more highly regarded, and THE UNION TRILOGY provides a great introduction to his work. It is the first of two editions that together collect Benson’s six original James Bond novels and three short stories.
Some readers might appreciate further context. THE UNION TRILOGY includes Benson’s first Bond short story, “Blast from the Past” and his third, fourth and fifth novels. The second collection, CHOICE OF WEAPONS, contains Benson’s first, second and sixth novels, along with his remaining two short stories. Collecting them in order would have broken up the trilogy presented in this first volume, and thus, fans wanting to read the materials in chronological order will either have to buy the works individually, as originally published, or buy both volumes at once and be mindful of said order. Completists may also wish to know that the two volumes collect only Benson’s original Bond stories and do not include his novelizations of the last three Pierce Brosnan Bond films.
I wasn’t aware of any of this backstory when I discovered THE UNION TRILOGY at a used book store. I picked it up, though, and upon learning that Benson’s first and second novels were collected elsewhere, I decided to read this volume anyway. Rest assured that the works were perfectly enjoyable on their own, with no sense of anything “missing.”
The short story “Blast from the Past” appears at the end of the book, but I read it first. It was Benson’s first James Bond story, debuting in PLAYBOY magazine in 1997. In his introduction to this book, Benson explains that PLAYBOY published a truncated version and his original story appears here in its full original length. That, then, is a nice bonus for fans. Unfortunately, “Blast from the Past” is easily the weakest story in the book. A direct sequel to Fleming’s YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE, it introduces James Bond’s adult son and references other characters and events from that novel. To me, Benson overdoes the Fleming references and the presence of an adult son brings uncomfortable questions about Bond’s age (It’s one thing to establish the Fleming works as canon and another to establish that YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE literally happened in 1964.). On the plus side, Benson does display a good handle on the character of James Bond, as he would continue to do in the novels.
We then come to the “Union Trilogy” itself. These three novels, entitled HIGH TIME TO KILL (1999), DOUBLESHOT (2000) and NEVER DREAM OF DYING (2001) pit Bond against the titular Union, a criminal organization that, for a substantial fee, offers its mercenary armies and other services to terrorist organizations. The Union is led by the mysterious Le Gerant, a blind man with seemingly mystical abilities who functions eerily well without sight. Le Gerant is not the only villain, of course, and Bond encounters several others before his final confrontation with Le Gerant in NEVER DREAM OF DYING. Bond, being Bond, also has romances and sexual dalliances with a number of beautiful women, and there are gadgets, cool cars and the other usual tropes.
This was my first experience with Benson’s Bond fiction, although I was aware of him and did own a copy of his JAMES BOND BEDSIDE COMPANION. I knew that he was - and is - a huge fan of Fleming’s stories, so it surprised me a bit that he doesn’t write like Fleming. He’s not as descriptive, and he doesn’t quite provide the same sense of immediacy. He also clearly loves the movies as well as the books, as his “Major Boothroyd” (a character in Fleming’s DR. NO novel) is obviously modeled after Desmond Llewelyn’s Q, and his M is a woman reminiscent of Judi Dench, who played the part on screen when Benson wrote these.
None of this bothered me at bit (Heck, I thought that he captured Llewelyn’s Q beautifully!). Ultimately, Benson delivers “the goods,” and I flat out loved these books. It’s not so much about Benson evoking Fleming and more that he just knows how to tell a great story and a great Bond story. As I noted above, he nails the main character’s personality, and as Fleming did, he often puts that character through Hell. His other characters - the villains, the ladies, the allies - are all colorful, interesting and memorable. Then, there’s the fact that Benson just knows how to keep readers engaged. His tales are suspenseful and full of imagination and daring.
Benson seems to know what fans want, and he puts Bond in new, surprising - and yet fitting - locales and situations. There’s Bond climbing a mountain, Bond at a bullfight, Bond at the Cannes Film Festival, and identical twin Bond girls - concepts that are such a good fit for the character that you wonder why no one had thought of them before. What’s more - each novel in the trilogy complements the other two but has its own feel and its own unique identity. Benson’s accomplishment here is even more amazing when you consider that - as I noted above - he also ensures that each novel, while different in many ways, includes the usual tropes that Bond fans love and expect.
I have read some other Bond continuation authors and generally consider them a mixed bag. Kingsley Amis is still my favorite, but alas, he only wrote one book. I never warmed to John Gardner, although I ended up reading half his Bond output, anyway, and Sebastian Ffoulkes’s one novel left me cold. I am so glad now, though, that I finally took a chance on Raymond Benson. I enjoyed his work here a lot, and I definitely plan to find CHOICE OF WEAPONS, the companion volume to this one.
Some readers might appreciate further context. THE UNION TRILOGY includes Benson’s first Bond short story, “Blast from the Past” and his third, fourth and fifth novels. The second collection, CHOICE OF WEAPONS, contains Benson’s first, second and sixth novels, along with his remaining two short stories. Collecting them in order would have broken up the trilogy presented in this first volume, and thus, fans wanting to read the materials in chronological order will either have to buy the works individually, as originally published, or buy both volumes at once and be mindful of said order. Completists may also wish to know that the two volumes collect only Benson’s original Bond stories and do not include his novelizations of the last three Pierce Brosnan Bond films.
I wasn’t aware of any of this backstory when I discovered THE UNION TRILOGY at a used book store. I picked it up, though, and upon learning that Benson’s first and second novels were collected elsewhere, I decided to read this volume anyway. Rest assured that the works were perfectly enjoyable on their own, with no sense of anything “missing.”
The short story “Blast from the Past” appears at the end of the book, but I read it first. It was Benson’s first James Bond story, debuting in PLAYBOY magazine in 1997. In his introduction to this book, Benson explains that PLAYBOY published a truncated version and his original story appears here in its full original length. That, then, is a nice bonus for fans. Unfortunately, “Blast from the Past” is easily the weakest story in the book. A direct sequel to Fleming’s YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE, it introduces James Bond’s adult son and references other characters and events from that novel. To me, Benson overdoes the Fleming references and the presence of an adult son brings uncomfortable questions about Bond’s age (It’s one thing to establish the Fleming works as canon and another to establish that YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE literally happened in 1964.). On the plus side, Benson does display a good handle on the character of James Bond, as he would continue to do in the novels.
We then come to the “Union Trilogy” itself. These three novels, entitled HIGH TIME TO KILL (1999), DOUBLESHOT (2000) and NEVER DREAM OF DYING (2001) pit Bond against the titular Union, a criminal organization that, for a substantial fee, offers its mercenary armies and other services to terrorist organizations. The Union is led by the mysterious Le Gerant, a blind man with seemingly mystical abilities who functions eerily well without sight. Le Gerant is not the only villain, of course, and Bond encounters several others before his final confrontation with Le Gerant in NEVER DREAM OF DYING. Bond, being Bond, also has romances and sexual dalliances with a number of beautiful women, and there are gadgets, cool cars and the other usual tropes.
This was my first experience with Benson’s Bond fiction, although I was aware of him and did own a copy of his JAMES BOND BEDSIDE COMPANION. I knew that he was - and is - a huge fan of Fleming’s stories, so it surprised me a bit that he doesn’t write like Fleming. He’s not as descriptive, and he doesn’t quite provide the same sense of immediacy. He also clearly loves the movies as well as the books, as his “Major Boothroyd” (a character in Fleming’s DR. NO novel) is obviously modeled after Desmond Llewelyn’s Q, and his M is a woman reminiscent of Judi Dench, who played the part on screen when Benson wrote these.
None of this bothered me at bit (Heck, I thought that he captured Llewelyn’s Q beautifully!). Ultimately, Benson delivers “the goods,” and I flat out loved these books. It’s not so much about Benson evoking Fleming and more that he just knows how to tell a great story and a great Bond story. As I noted above, he nails the main character’s personality, and as Fleming did, he often puts that character through Hell. His other characters - the villains, the ladies, the allies - are all colorful, interesting and memorable. Then, there’s the fact that Benson just knows how to keep readers engaged. His tales are suspenseful and full of imagination and daring.
Benson seems to know what fans want, and he puts Bond in new, surprising - and yet fitting - locales and situations. There’s Bond climbing a mountain, Bond at a bullfight, Bond at the Cannes Film Festival, and identical twin Bond girls - concepts that are such a good fit for the character that you wonder why no one had thought of them before. What’s more - each novel in the trilogy complements the other two but has its own feel and its own unique identity. Benson’s accomplishment here is even more amazing when you consider that - as I noted above - he also ensures that each novel, while different in many ways, includes the usual tropes that Bond fans love and expect.
I have read some other Bond continuation authors and generally consider them a mixed bag. Kingsley Amis is still my favorite, but alas, he only wrote one book. I never warmed to John Gardner, although I ended up reading half his Bond output, anyway, and Sebastian Ffoulkes’s one novel left me cold. I am so glad now, though, that I finally took a chance on Raymond Benson. I enjoyed his work here a lot, and I definitely plan to find CHOICE OF WEAPONS, the companion volume to this one.
July 26, 2022
BLAST FROM THE PAST (short story)
⭐️⭐️⭐️
This story was an enjoyable read. It read rather fast I think.
Benson seems to really enjoy giving us Bond’s home life and his particular tastes as well. I enjoy those parts in the older Fleming novels and here just as much. The opening with Bond in bed with Kate, the daughter of a friend of his old Scottish housekeeper May can be off putting. Bond is a womanizer, sure. But it feels strange like crossing a family line in this case. I think the opening sentence even remarks how angry May would be if she found out. It’s a small quibble for me that I didn’t like that.
The most interesting part of the story is the connection to Fleming’s You Only Live Twice with the inclusion of “James Suzuki” James Bond’s son with Kissy Suzuki. In fact I wish this was developed more. It would have been nice to have the father and son interact more.
The least interesting I think is the return of Irma Bunt which feels more like a spoof of the genre and something from one of the movies or an Austin Powers film instead. Overall, the short story is a good intro to this Bond Benson will go on to write more of. The strengths are the characters more than the plot.
HIGH TIME TO KILL
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Benson’s best 007 Novel so far, by a mile or should I say by 28,169 feet. The opening with Bond and Helena Marksbury, his personal secretary, on vacation has a connection to come characters we met previously in Fleming’s “Quantum of Solace” short story. It quickly turns into an adventure with the introduction of the Union and the death of the host of the party.
Following this time spent with Helena the two decide to end things for professional reasons though it’s noted that Bonds more interested in ending things than she is. She becomes an annoyance to Bond for the remainder of the book.
Throughout the story the mysterious Union gives the reader shadows of S.P.E.C.T.R.E from the old novels while succeeding in not just being a simple clone of the old criminal organization.
Roland Marquis is certifiably hate-able from the Moment he’s introduced and serves throughout the novel as a wonderful thorn in Bond’s side. I absolutely loved Bond planning to play Golf with Tanner, who is an underused character in all of the Bond lore. He should be more often shown as Bonds only real friend in England. The Golf match against Marquis and Harding gives Goldfinger vibes for me and I quite enjoyed that.
The plot of the stolen plans for the aircraft skin material, Skin 17 is fine. The thing that’s good is that I usually don’t come to Bond novels to care about a McGuffin. The characters, the villains and the prospect of the mountain climbing excursion is really what drives the story for me. It’s interesting, suspenseful and different than any Bond story I’ve read before.
Even though Bond ultimately completes his mission and saves the day, the end is a down note, and I’m left wanting to get into the remaining two stories in Benson’s Union Trilogy.
DOUBLESHOT
⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Union seem to be fully revealed in this story and their sinister, but down to business style of criminal enterprises is both interesting and exciting to read. There is a coldness to the whole organization that we get to see on display here in Doubleshot. We also see the reach of the organization really explored as well as idea that uninitiated criminals seem to be vying to get into the organization.
I have to say I hate to see Bond behind the eight ball, not acting at 100% of his capacities but on the other hand it makes everything he did to save the day that more adventurous, and heroic. The plot of the Union trying to deliberately embarrass and ruin James Bond was a nice call back to Fleming in From Russia with Love. Espada is disgusting in his keeping of sex slaves but also his ridiculous ambition, and his in ability to give up his old life as a bullfighter. He's only really a pawn for the true villain of the Union but easily is the maniac to hate.
I also like that the idea of the Bond look-alike and double isn't made too much of a joke and is actually believable. The addition of the Taunt twins could take this over an edge but doesn’t, and they both are actually likable characters and not cartoons of sexy twin Bond girls. After the story ended the only thing I wished for was some further scene between Bond and M as well as Tanner, after the whole ordeal of Bond's framing by the villains. There's a disconnect in this story deliberately between MI6 or SIS and Bond and it would have been nice for even a phone call between M and the hero at the end.
NEVER DREAM OF DYING
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I think this was likely my favorite of the Union trilogy. The many moving parts could easily have become hard to follow but Benson crafts interesting and unique characters that are easy to differentiate.
Tylyn seems all the perfection she's described as and Its understandable her and Bond really falling for one another. Still in the end the way they leave it is quite believable and real.
I was spoiled slightly by reading the introduction in this book by Benson, which revealed that Marc-Ange Draco was a part of the Union. I would have liked to have read that revelation myself to be a better judge of what I think of it. The idea is great but I felt the reveal a little lacking. That could very well be my own prior knowledge.
I enjoyed how this book made the large grasp of the Union evident, by how many people were "infected" by it and the mark in members eyes is a great and diabolical Bond villain note. I'll be curious to see whether the remaining Benson stories make any note to the Union in passing now that this Big Bad is vanquished by Bond.
⭐️⭐️⭐️
This story was an enjoyable read. It read rather fast I think.
Benson seems to really enjoy giving us Bond’s home life and his particular tastes as well. I enjoy those parts in the older Fleming novels and here just as much. The opening with Bond in bed with Kate, the daughter of a friend of his old Scottish housekeeper May can be off putting. Bond is a womanizer, sure. But it feels strange like crossing a family line in this case. I think the opening sentence even remarks how angry May would be if she found out. It’s a small quibble for me that I didn’t like that.
The most interesting part of the story is the connection to Fleming’s You Only Live Twice with the inclusion of “James Suzuki” James Bond’s son with Kissy Suzuki. In fact I wish this was developed more. It would have been nice to have the father and son interact more.
The least interesting I think is the return of Irma Bunt which feels more like a spoof of the genre and something from one of the movies or an Austin Powers film instead. Overall, the short story is a good intro to this Bond Benson will go on to write more of. The strengths are the characters more than the plot.
HIGH TIME TO KILL
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Benson’s best 007 Novel so far, by a mile or should I say by 28,169 feet. The opening with Bond and Helena Marksbury, his personal secretary, on vacation has a connection to come characters we met previously in Fleming’s “Quantum of Solace” short story. It quickly turns into an adventure with the introduction of the Union and the death of the host of the party.
Following this time spent with Helena the two decide to end things for professional reasons though it’s noted that Bonds more interested in ending things than she is. She becomes an annoyance to Bond for the remainder of the book.
Throughout the story the mysterious Union gives the reader shadows of S.P.E.C.T.R.E from the old novels while succeeding in not just being a simple clone of the old criminal organization.
Roland Marquis is certifiably hate-able from the Moment he’s introduced and serves throughout the novel as a wonderful thorn in Bond’s side. I absolutely loved Bond planning to play Golf with Tanner, who is an underused character in all of the Bond lore. He should be more often shown as Bonds only real friend in England. The Golf match against Marquis and Harding gives Goldfinger vibes for me and I quite enjoyed that.
The plot of the stolen plans for the aircraft skin material, Skin 17 is fine. The thing that’s good is that I usually don’t come to Bond novels to care about a McGuffin. The characters, the villains and the prospect of the mountain climbing excursion is really what drives the story for me. It’s interesting, suspenseful and different than any Bond story I’ve read before.
Even though Bond ultimately completes his mission and saves the day, the end is a down note, and I’m left wanting to get into the remaining two stories in Benson’s Union Trilogy.
DOUBLESHOT
⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Union seem to be fully revealed in this story and their sinister, but down to business style of criminal enterprises is both interesting and exciting to read. There is a coldness to the whole organization that we get to see on display here in Doubleshot. We also see the reach of the organization really explored as well as idea that uninitiated criminals seem to be vying to get into the organization.
I have to say I hate to see Bond behind the eight ball, not acting at 100% of his capacities but on the other hand it makes everything he did to save the day that more adventurous, and heroic. The plot of the Union trying to deliberately embarrass and ruin James Bond was a nice call back to Fleming in From Russia with Love. Espada is disgusting in his keeping of sex slaves but also his ridiculous ambition, and his in ability to give up his old life as a bullfighter. He's only really a pawn for the true villain of the Union but easily is the maniac to hate.
I also like that the idea of the Bond look-alike and double isn't made too much of a joke and is actually believable. The addition of the Taunt twins could take this over an edge but doesn’t, and they both are actually likable characters and not cartoons of sexy twin Bond girls. After the story ended the only thing I wished for was some further scene between Bond and M as well as Tanner, after the whole ordeal of Bond's framing by the villains. There's a disconnect in this story deliberately between MI6 or SIS and Bond and it would have been nice for even a phone call between M and the hero at the end.
NEVER DREAM OF DYING
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I think this was likely my favorite of the Union trilogy. The many moving parts could easily have become hard to follow but Benson crafts interesting and unique characters that are easy to differentiate.
Tylyn seems all the perfection she's described as and Its understandable her and Bond really falling for one another. Still in the end the way they leave it is quite believable and real.
I was spoiled slightly by reading the introduction in this book by Benson, which revealed that Marc-Ange Draco was a part of the Union. I would have liked to have read that revelation myself to be a better judge of what I think of it. The idea is great but I felt the reveal a little lacking. That could very well be my own prior knowledge.
I enjoyed how this book made the large grasp of the Union evident, by how many people were "infected" by it and the mark in members eyes is a great and diabolical Bond villain note. I'll be curious to see whether the remaining Benson stories make any note to the Union in passing now that this Big Bad is vanquished by Bond.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 30, 2013
Absolutely riveting! Raymond Benson did James Bond justice in this trilogy. I enjoyed how we got a glimpse into the mind and emotions of 007. He's amazing, brave, suave and flawed all at the same time. I can't wait to read the other trilogy CHOICE OF WEAPONS!
August 3, 2020
My Summer read this year. Unlike the recent "celebrity" Bond authors, Benson spends more time crafting an action packed romp than he does trying to pastiche Fleming's style and plotting. Good twists and turns, lots of fun, does contain casual sexism and lots of smoking.
December 8, 2020
This was a HUGE book but each of the stories were wonderfully written!
July 28, 2016
SPOILER ALERT!
For me, the gem in this collection is the short story, "Blast From the Past"! It is a direct sequel to Fleming's book "You Only Live Twice" and reveals more about that storyline. Bond receives a message, apparently from his son James Suzuki (Suzuki's mother is Kissy Suzuki from "You Only Live Twice", now dead) asking him to come to New York City on an urgent matter. When Bond arrives, he finds his son murdered, poisoned by fugu syrup! (again, I hear Homer Simpson shouting "Fugu me!") 007 learns that his son was killed in revenge by Irma Bunt, whom he had thought was already dead! And Bunt is also the one who killed his wife Tracy in "On Her Majesty's Secret Service"! Needless to say Bond is pissed!
So, for me, it was interesting to revisit the plotline of Bond's son, and to have an old villain return, especially one who had done so much damage to 007's life. Boy that Bunt is one bad gal - kills Bond's only wife AND his only offspring. Bitch.
For me, the gem in this collection is the short story, "Blast From the Past"! It is a direct sequel to Fleming's book "You Only Live Twice" and reveals more about that storyline. Bond receives a message, apparently from his son James Suzuki (Suzuki's mother is Kissy Suzuki from "You Only Live Twice", now dead) asking him to come to New York City on an urgent matter. When Bond arrives, he finds his son murdered, poisoned by fugu syrup! (again, I hear Homer Simpson shouting "Fugu me!") 007 learns that his son was killed in revenge by Irma Bunt, whom he had thought was already dead! And Bunt is also the one who killed his wife Tracy in "On Her Majesty's Secret Service"! Needless to say Bond is pissed!
So, for me, it was interesting to revisit the plotline of Bond's son, and to have an old villain return, especially one who had done so much damage to 007's life. Boy that Bunt is one bad gal - kills Bond's only wife AND his only offspring. Bitch.
December 24, 2013
I read (and rated) the novels separately, but I will include this work as well because it's the only place to find "Blast From The Past" in its entirety (in English, at least). The short story was Benson's first effort as the officially-sanctioned James Bond continuation author, and he dives right in
November 23, 2015
The story is interesting enough, but if it wasn't because they are James Bond novels I would not have read them. The style is very much of the cinematic adventure novel type. With very scenic settings and crazy stunts and explosions. As a book they don't work that great because the characters are usually given short-thrift. It is all about bang and boom, and not so much about what is going on in people's heads. Bond is really just an action hero here and does not use his brains all that much. The sifting of clues, the development of a strategy, the setting of a trap, all that comes only from the bad guys. Bond basically just walks around and reacts.
Read
January 19, 2016I only read the short story "Blast From the Past", which is only available in this collection. I have not read any of Benson's Bond novels, but will read them separately if I decide I want to do so. "Blast From the Past" was a good story, but I wish it was a full-length novel because it deals with an open end from Bond's past -- the murder of his wife. Nonetheless, I got the idea from the story that Benson understood more than John Gardner what is needed in Bond's post-Fleming adventures: some connection to the Fleming novels. A good start to Benson's association with James Bond.
August 3, 2010
Raymond Benson so far is the best writer of 007 novels for the current generation of 007 fans. this is a three book set. that is Benson's masterpiece for his 007 career. it mimics that of Ian Fleming's spectre novels. in that you must read these books in order to be able to understand the over arching plot. Awesome!!!!!!!
October 31, 2009
So far, I feel like I'm reading a movie...and I'd much rather watch it! I thought this book would read more like a book, and be better than the movies (as books usually are) but this is a rare case in that a movie would be much preferred.
August 10, 2011
An easy read after a long day of work - nothing philosophical, though.
May 14, 2013
These stories were incredibly well done. I can't remember the last time I had so much fun reading some fiction. I wish these stories were adapted into movies.
November 30, 2018
High Time to Kill - The best of the Benson-Bonds. At least so far. Three down and three to go. Half way there. (yeah, I'm not counting the adaptations). This opened like the other two Benson-Bonds: rather mediocre and almost cliché. It not that they're bad, there just wasn't much in there to make them feel original. But this one hit a nice point where everything shifted and went in an interesting direction. The second half was much more enjoyable and made me really want to jump input the next book in the series. This is what the best Fleming and Gardner-Bonds did. Hopefully the last three original Bonds by Benson will match the quality of the second half of this one. Maybe that would push me to read the adaptations by Benson as well.
Doubleshot - I've always had some trouble with the Raymond Benson Bond novels. It's not that they're bad, they're not, it's just that they don't resonate with me. When I first read the Ian Fleming novels, I was mesmerized by the prose, captivated by the character and enthralled with the action. They may not be great literature, but they were literature. I then moved on to the John Gardner novels and was equally enamored with how the stories developed and the how Gardner approached the character. Unfortunately the Benson novels have not caught my attention in the same way. Case in point, Doubleshot: the pacing seems clunky, the prose is forced and narrative blunders along, instead of being driven toward an inevitable conclusion. I know it may sound like I'm saying this book is terrible, it's not. Unfortunately, it is only mediocre.
Never Dream of Dying - While I don't know if I can say this is the worst Bond novel I've read, it is certainly among them. Benson is pretty much just phoning it in at this point. The plot is fine, some old faces pop up again (which was cool) and it is pretty fast paced. But the problems are rampant. Bond acts like a love-sick school boy, maybe he's having a mid-life crisis. But if that's the case Benson certainly doesn't develop that at all. The writing is terse, but uninspired. Maybe Benson was just hurrying to reach a deadline. If so, it certainly shows. For the culmination of the Union Trilogy this was a big disappointment.
Also included in this volume is the short story Blast from the Past which is nothing special and actually includes some elements that I felt contradicted canon, but then the author said he was building some non-canon material with the story's inspiration anyway - so take it for what you will. In any case, the short story doesn't really add anything to collection. Think of it as tangential bonus feature, not some hidden secret gem.
My conclusion: Had I started reading this volume, I would not have continued with the series of Benson novels.
Doubleshot - I've always had some trouble with the Raymond Benson Bond novels. It's not that they're bad, they're not, it's just that they don't resonate with me. When I first read the Ian Fleming novels, I was mesmerized by the prose, captivated by the character and enthralled with the action. They may not be great literature, but they were literature. I then moved on to the John Gardner novels and was equally enamored with how the stories developed and the how Gardner approached the character. Unfortunately the Benson novels have not caught my attention in the same way. Case in point, Doubleshot: the pacing seems clunky, the prose is forced and narrative blunders along, instead of being driven toward an inevitable conclusion. I know it may sound like I'm saying this book is terrible, it's not. Unfortunately, it is only mediocre.
Never Dream of Dying - While I don't know if I can say this is the worst Bond novel I've read, it is certainly among them. Benson is pretty much just phoning it in at this point. The plot is fine, some old faces pop up again (which was cool) and it is pretty fast paced. But the problems are rampant. Bond acts like a love-sick school boy, maybe he's having a mid-life crisis. But if that's the case Benson certainly doesn't develop that at all. The writing is terse, but uninspired. Maybe Benson was just hurrying to reach a deadline. If so, it certainly shows. For the culmination of the Union Trilogy this was a big disappointment.
Also included in this volume is the short story Blast from the Past which is nothing special and actually includes some elements that I felt contradicted canon, but then the author said he was building some non-canon material with the story's inspiration anyway - so take it for what you will. In any case, the short story doesn't really add anything to collection. Think of it as tangential bonus feature, not some hidden secret gem.
My conclusion: Had I started reading this volume, I would not have continued with the series of Benson novels.
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