Zero Minus Ten

I am a sixth grader. I have recently read Raymond Benson's ingenious James Bond novel, Zero Minus Ten. The book chiefly focuses on immensely sophisticated Agent James Bond 007, who is dispatched to the exotic streets of Hong Kong in order to get to the bottom of a series of explosions and lethal attacks on numerous prominent associates of Hong Kong's elite business organizations, namely the incredibly wealthy, influential Western trading company EurAsia Enterprises. Born into a long history of dominating eastern trade, Mr. Guy Thackeray, the powerful businessman and owner of EurAsia is determined to expand his organization globally, making the enterprise the most internationally renowned, most esteemed trading establishment in the world. His sophisticated, elegant exterior proves to be quite deceiving! While in Hong Kong, Bond confronts merciless Triad group leaders, beautiful women and faithful allies who aid him in his ultimate quest for global peace. From the towering skyscrapers of Beijing and Hong Kong to the elegant casinos of Macau and the sandy dunes of Australia, James Bond attempts to prevent Hong Kong from experiencing a most perilous, devastating fate. As a die-hard James Bond fan, I thoroughly enjoyed reading Zero Minus Ten. The story was jammed with pulse-pounding action, including a desperate struggle to escape Tianamen Square, an intense fight scene in a Hong Kong nightclub and a fantastic chase on junks in Victoria Harbor. I also enjoyed the fascinating details of ancient Chinese rituals and history provided by Benson. Benson's James Bond is as daring and suave as ever and contains remnants of Ian Fleming's cold war spy! Zero Minus Ten, as well as other Benson novels, including Double Shot, The Facts of Death and The Man With the Red Tattoo prove to be excellent adventures that any Bond fan will admire!

As a long time 007 fan, I have just re-read all of Raymond Benson's Bond novels in the proper order and have some reflections on his entire series through "Never Dream of Dying." First of all, Benson is not Ian Fleming and readers should get past that expectation before beginning. He's not John Gardner, either (thank goodness!). That said, I believe Benson has come the closest to Ian Fleming of all the post-Fleming writers in that he has truly captured the essence of Bond's character and the universe in which 007 operates. It is a fantasy spy world, not based in reality, just as Fleming's was, but like Bond's creator, Benson keeps the main character very human. Benson's Bond makes mistakes, shows fear, feels pain, and is melancholy much of the time. At the same time, Benson has brought in many elements of the Bond film series (I have read an interview with him that states that he and the Ian Fleming Estate agreed that this would be the approach to take). Therefore, Benson's Bond is a mixture of the cinematic and literary Bonds, and for me, this works splendidly. I have seen some fans object to this or that but it seems to me that these fans are not getting past personal expectations. Bond is many things to many people. Benson, a long time Bond scholar and author of the excellent "James Bond Bedside Companion" knows his stuff. He has nailed the Bond character. Some have complained about his writing style. Benson is no Fleming, as stated earlier, but his style is succinct and easy to read. His books flow quickly and are highly entertaining. "ZERO MINUS TEN": Benson's first book has one of his best plots, but it suffers slightly from being a "first novel." His writing is at its weakest here, but that said, ZMT is a wonderful Bond story. It is very Fleming-esque with its Hong Kong location, characters like Guy Thackeray and T. Y. Woo and Li Xu Nan, and its descriptions of food, mahjong, and Triads. When reading ZMT, one is immediately aware that this is a harder-edged and darker Bond than perhaps what we are used to. For a first effort, it is very, very good. "THE FACTS OF DEATH": Benson's second book is more film-like, it feels like an EON Productions movie story. The plot is more "fantastic" in that it deals with a secret criminal organization called the Decada that is run by a crazy mastermind. The writing is improved, though, and in many ways this is a more entertaining book than ZMT. What is especially interesting is Benson's development of the "M" character and her relationship with Bond. "HIGH TIME TO KILL": My personal favorite of the bunch. This is a classic Bond novel in every sense of the word. The first half is fairly predictable cinematic-Bond stuff, except for a very Fleming-esque opening and 2nd chapter golf match. The second half, however, shows Benson hitting his stride and finding his own voice with a truly original departure from what is expected. As Bond and companions climb one of the highest peaks in the Himalayas, the action be

This book is Raymond Benson's gift to James Bond fans. Long time expert and James Bond scholar, Raymond Benson produces and exciting novel that has at it's heart a richly drawn character study of the real James Bond, as created and developed by Ian Fleming. James Bond lives and breathes again. The plot is first rate too, set mostly in Hong Kong just days before the British handover of the colony to the Chinese. Mr. Benson takes us from the elite of Hong Kong society to HK's steamy underbelly and fascinatingly depicts the triad and tong societies. Though Mr. Benson puts his own stamp on the series, this is a novel I feel Ian Fleming would have been proud of.

Benson's first Bond novel is a welcome return to the character and style familiar to readers of Ian Fleming's original novels. This approach had been abandoned by John Gardner in his last several 007 books, which were mediocre at best. Gardner seemed bored with the character. Benson is just the opposite. He obviously cares deeply about James Bond, and treats him with the reverence he deserves. Zero Minus Ten is a fun, fast-moving adventure with a complex Bond, in the spirit of From Russia With Love or Casino Royale. Highlights include a very Flemingesque gambling sequence and a thrilling shoot-out at a Chinese military installation. Bond fans who gave up on the character during Gardner's tenure should DEFINITELY check out Benson's books.

In "Zero Minus Ten" we finally have a post-Fleming Bond novel that almost makes you feel you are reading the real thing. Reading John Gardner's James Bond novels, I got the impression that I was reading a caricature of Ian Fleming's master spy -- almost a Bond in name only. But now we have a new Bond author -- Raymond Benson, a James Bond expert (a director of the Ian Fleming Foundation and author of "The James Bond Bedside Companion"); and in this new Bond thriller one can almost imagine Ian Fleming's hand guiding Benson in telling this timely story revolving around Britain's returning of Hong Kong to the Chinese, and a villain's attempt to keep it from happening. Benson makes Bond come alive again (finally!) -- those passages in Fleming's novels providing interesting historical information and giving Bond the opportunity to reveal his vast knowledge are back in Benson's tale, and they are as refreshing as the ample action scenes. Make no mistake: this is a modern-day 007, but he retains so many of the old James Bond's characteristics that I got the feeling Bond has "grown" rather than "changed." By the way -- the story itself is a good one, but what I enjoyed most about this novel is that I could really imagine Ian Fleming having written it. For that alone, thank you, Mr. Benson, and I hope you will continue to add to the 007 experience