New James Bond book title unveiled as Solo
Upcoming novel's title reflects 007's 'self-appointed mission of his own,' says author
Iconic British spy James Bond's next literary adventure has a short, succinct title denoting his status within its pages: Solo.
Award-winning author William Boyd announced the snappy title of his forthcoming James Bond instalment at the London Book Fair on Monday.
"In my novel, events conspire to make Bond go off on a self-appointed mission of his own, unannounced and without any authorization — and he's fully prepared to take the consequences of his audacity," Boyd said.
"Titles are very important to me and as soon as I wrote down Solo on a sheet of paper I saw its potential. Not only did it fit the theme of the novel perfectly, it's also a great punchy word, instantly and internationally comprehensible, graphically alluring and, as an extra bonus, it's strangely Bondian in the sense that we might be subliminally aware of the 00 of 007 lurking just behind those juxtaposed o's of Solo."
Boyd, a British writer who grew up in Ghana, also shared that in Solo, the globe-trotting typical of any 007 tale includes stops in Africa.
"Ian Fleming had a great aptitude for naming his books and his Bond titles have become true classics. Solo is a simple yet striking title which fits perfectly alongside the other books in the Bond canon," said Corinne Turner, managing director of Ian Fleming Publications.
Boyd, who won the 2006 Costa Book Prize for his novel Restless, is the third novelist invited by Ian Fleming's estate to pen authorized James Bond sequels. He follows in the footsteps of Sebastian Faulks (2008's Devil May Care) and Jeffery Deaver (2011's Carte Blanche).
Solo will be published Sept. 26.
The most recent 007 movie was 2012's Skyfall, although the film — the 23rd instalment of the movie franchise — was not based on a James Bond novel.