Tweeting the Bond Novels

Tuesday, 23 October 2012

With the premiere of Skyfall taking place tonight at London’s Royal Albert Hall (@RoyalAlbertHall), Bond fever has hit the UK. In fact, there have been more than one million Bond-related Tweets in the last month alone.

Comedian and author Charlie Higson (@Monstroso) is a huge Bond fan and the author of the Young Bond series of novels. He took to Twitter today to undertake a challenge that would help introduce modern-day 007 fans to Ian Fleming’s original 12 Bond novels.

Higson tweeted a description of each of the books, crafting each novel into 140 characters. He used Twitter to bring a whole new audience to the series, which started his love affair with Bond.

The novels were tweeted in chronological order, starting with Casino Royale, the first novel to feature Bond.

Here are the Tweets as they appeared:

Casino Royale

007 burns SMERSH paymaster in casino who takes revenge with carpet beater to manhood. Double agent Vesper gives Bond TLC & walks into ocean
— charlie higson ( @monstroso) October 23, 2012

Live And Let Die

Bond wins Solitaire & takes on Mr Big, black Napoleon of crime & SMERSH agent. Leiter loses arm & leg in shark tank but Big is eaten whole
— charlie higson ( @monstroso) October 23, 2012

Moonraker

Hugo Drax. Card cheat. Maybe worse? Missile site. Sexy cop. Gala Brand. Both caught. Tied up. Launch pad. Get away. Save London. Kill Drax.
— charlie higson ( @monstroso) October 23, 2012

Diamonds Are Forever

With the help of Tiffany Case Bond follows diamond smuggling route from Africa to Las Vegas & The Spangled Mob. Guns, girls, gambling & gays
— charlie higson ( @monstroso) October 23, 2012

From Russia With Love

007 lured to honey trap in Istanbul. Is killer Red the better agent? No. Murder on the Orient Express but 007 stabbed by Klebb’s deadly shoe
— charlie higson ( @monstroso) October 23, 2012

Dr. No

Jamaica? Yes. Dead agent? Yes. Honeychile Rider like a naked Venus from the sea? Yes? Steel hands? Yes. Radioactive pool? No. Death by guano
— charlie higson ( @monstroso) October 23, 2012

Goldfinger

1 007 beats card cheat Goldfinger at his own game. 2 Beats golf cheat ditto. 3 Foils plan to rob Fort Knox. An odd job with pussy galore.
— charlie higson ( @monstroso) October 23, 2012

Thunderball

SPECTRE. NATO. Domino. Largo. Oh-oh, it’s 007! Subs, scuba, spies & stolen nukes. Hi-tech plot but lo-tech end for Largo - harpoon in chest.
— charlie higson ( @monstroso) October 23, 2012

The Spy Who Loved Me

Me- Hi I’m Viv & this is my story. Unhappy lovelife now work in a motel. Them- 2 gangsters with dirty minds. Him- The name’s Bond. Job done.
— charlie higson ( @monstroso) October 23, 2012

On Her Majesty’s Secret Service

007’s rule. Never fall in love. But Tracy’s different. 1st mess up Blofeld in Alps then we have all the time in the world. Blofeld disagrees
— charlie higson ( @monstroso) October 23, 2012

You Only Live Twice

007 follows semi-naked diving girl to volcanic island. Who is the tall samurai in his garden of death? Blofeld again. Apocalypse now.
— charlie higson ( @monstroso) October 23, 2012

The Man With The Golden Gun

Bond brainwashed! Back from the dead he tries to kill M. Punishment? Mission Impossible to kill 3-nippled assassin Scaramanga. Bye-bye Bond.
— charlie higson ( @monstroso) October 23, 2012

Charlie also too part in a Twitter Q&A answering a host of Bond-related questions. Here he is at Twitter’s London HQ:

Join Charlie Higson (@ monstroso) for a #007 themed Twitter Q&A today from 1-2pm. Send your questions using #BondTweets twitter.com/TwitterUK/stat…
— Twitter UK ( @TwitterUK) October 23, 2012

Follow #BondTweets to catch up on his answers, or to suggest your own 140-character synopses. And finally, here is a selection of the original book covers, which also appeared in Charlie’s Tweets today: