50th Anniversary of Octopussy (Novel)

By: Anders Frejdh

Published:
2016-06-23

On 23rd June 2016, FSWL celebrated the 50th anniversary of the 14th James Bond novel written by Ian Fleming, Octopussy and The Living Daylights. The novel was first published in the UK on this day in 1966 by Jonathan Cape.

Here are the first lines in Ian Fleming's Octopussy and The Living Daylights:

'You know what?' said Major Dexter Smythe to the octopus. 'You're going to have a real threat today if I can manage it.'

He had spoken aloud and his breath had steamed up the glass of his Pirelli mask. He put his feet down to the sand beside the nigger-head and stood up. The water reached to his armpits. He took off the mask and spat into it, rubbed the spit round the glass, rinsed it clean and pulled the rubber band of the mask back over his head. He bent down again.

The James Bond novels:
Since the first novel in 1953, over 50 James Bond novels has been published based on the fictional agent that Ian Fleming created.

Ian Fleming wrote 14 James Bond novels before he sadly passed away - Casino Royale (1953), Live and Let Die (1954), Moonraker (1955), Diamonds Are Forever (1956), From Russia with Love (1957), Doctor No (1958), Goldfinger (1959), For Your Eyes Only (1960), Thunderball (1961), The Spy Who Loved Me (1962), On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1963), You Only Live Twice (1964), The Man with the Golden Gun (1965) and Octopussy and The Living Daylights (1966).

Kingsley Amis, under the pseudonym Robert Markham, wrote Colonel Sun which was published in 1968.

Two novels is written by Christopher Wood based on screenplays, James Bond, The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) and James Bond and Moonraker (1979).

16 novels was written by John Gardner from 1982 to 1996: Licence Renewed (1981), For Special Services (1982), Icebreaker (1983), Role of Honour (1984), Nobody Lives Forever (1986), No Deals, Mr. Bond (1987), Scorpius (1988), Win, Lose or Die (1989), Brokenclaw (1990), Licence to Kill (1990), The Man From Barbarossa (1991), Death is Forever (1992), Never Send Flowers (1993), Seafire (1994), Cold (1996) and GoldenEye (1996).

Nine novels is written by Raymond Benson from 1997 to 2002: Zero Minus Ten (1997), Tomorrow Never Dies (1997), The Facts Of Death (1998), High Time to Kill (1999), The World Is Not Enough (1999), Doubleshot (2000), Never Dream of Dying (2001), Die Another Day (2002) and The Man With the Red Tattoo (2002).

Five novels about the Young Bond was written by Charlie Higson - Silverfin (2005), Blood Fever (2006), Double or Die (2007), Hurricane Gold (2007) and By Royal Command (2008).

One novel is written by Sebastian Faulks, Devil May Care (2008).

One novel is written by Jeffery Deaver, Carte Blanche (2011).

One novel is written by William Boyd, Solo (2013).

Three Young Bond novels written by Steve Cole - Shoot to Kill (2014), Heads You Die (2016) and Strike Lightning (2016). Sadly none of them is translated to Swedish.

The latest James Bond novel (Trigger Mortis) is written by Anthony Horowitz and was first published in the UK on 8th September 2015.

Editor's note:
For literary James Bond news featured on From Sweden with Love, click here.

For other anniversaries featured on From Sweden with Love, click here.

Photo above:
The first edition UK cover of Ian Fleming's Octopussy and The Living Daylights (1966) from FSWL's private collection. Dust jacket designed by Richard Chopping. Copyright © 1966 Glidrose Productions Ltd. All rights reserved.

More information about James Bond novel Octopussy and The Living Daylights by Ian Fleming on the book page:
jamesbond007.se/james-bond-novel.asp?novel=Octopussy_and_The_Living_Daylights

Tags:
#anniversaries
#octopussy

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