John Edmund Gardner
November 20, 1926 – August 3, 2007
John Gardner, the second official James Bond continuation novelist, passed away two years ago today. During his tenure, Gardner penned fourteen Bond novels and two novelizations including 1982’s For Special Services and 1994’s SeaFire, both of which feature Felix Leiter.
In 1982, Gardner created Cedar Leiter, Felix’s daughter. Like her father, Cedar worked for the Central Intelligence Agency and aided Bond in For Special Services.
Two years ago, Gardner died from suspected heart failure. He was a great novelist and will be remembered forever for his Bond work as well as his original creations, including his three Moriarty novels.
I am currently reading his first Bond novel, License Renewed, and I must say that I’m thoroughly enjoying it. As a little tribute to the man who kept the literary James Bond alive throughout the 1980s and early-1990s, I plan on reading all sixteen of his Bond works in order!
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ARB Centenary: A Tribute by Simon Gardner
Robert Adamson
08.03.2009 @ 2:15 pm
Yes, I agree and to join you I plan on re-reading Mr. Gardner’s books in order again also as I have greatly enjoyed his series each time I have read them. I can’t help again to wonder how great it would be to see his series be made into movies, preferably by Eon but if Steven Spielberg can do Matt Helm, maybe there is a producer that will do John Gardners series? If someone knows the reasons why John Gardner’s books are being prevented from being made into movies, I would sure appreciate knowing why. Thanks.
08.19.2009 @ 1:58 am
Danjaq, LLC/Eon Productions own the film rights to all fourteen of John Gardner’s James Bond novels. They have never adapted a continuation novel into a film but they have used bits and pieces from them. This article describes the eerie similarities between the Gardner novels and some of the Bond films.
