Scorpius

by John Gardner

Book Overview

Bond finds himself in the middle of a deadly game of terrorism and arms dealing, a game that pits him against one of the most ruthless and sinister villains that he has ever encountered. Special... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 039913347X
• ISBN13: 9780399133473
• Release Date: May 1988
• Publisher: Putnam Adult
• Length: 319 Pages
• Weight: 0.75 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.5" x 8.5" x 5.9"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 12 and higher

Customer Reviews

Scorpius: An ode to Fleming's originals

--Back in the late 1950's, author Ian Fleming created a unique character, one that would have all the style and charisma to live on through different storytellers. This character, James Bond, is most known for being the quintessential `spy' or `secret agent', and even considering the character's dangerous occupation and sometimes-questionable lifestyle, has become a sort of fictional role model for many people. But even though Mr. Bond originated from the world of literature, in a way, he is most known for his flamboyant and action-packed films, which are both light on the intellectual stimuli, and heavy on the one-liners. Throughout the years, though, Bond's adventures have not only been continued on the silver screen. His outings also lived on through the literature world, being passed on to new authors, who each portray Bond in various ways, while still retaining all the charm and sophistication of Mr. Fleming's original Bond. But, as is usually commonplace, the novel adaptations of Mr. Bond's exploits have been much more detailed and thorough in describing the art of a covert spy, than just showing off by killing as many people and sleeping with as many women as possible like many of the films, particularly the most recent ones, have been doing. This is not to say that the films are essentially no-brainers, it's just that imagining what is happening in a particular scene through very descriptive and detailed words, is much more enjoyable than seeing it being played out in front of you on a screen. This particular author, James Gardner, has written over eleven books based on the character in the last two decades, and by past examples of previous authors, he would have had a lot to live up to when he wrote his first bond novel. His seventh, Scorpius, is very true to both the novel-style Bond and the movie-style Bond. Landing somewhere in between, Gardner's Scorpius has all the detail and description of the books set out against the interesting plot and outrageous scenarios and villains of the films. It's an interesting mixture, and combined with his articulate use of words, makes for an enjoyable experience. The story sees Bond start off partway through an intense training weekend at a British army base and receiving orders from his chief `M' to return to the headquarters of MI6, a British intelligence outfit. The pace of the story is greatly increased when he learns he is being followed on his journey back. Gardner's use of this method to heighten the suspense and pace of the story is accomplished very well, and makes the reader want to keep reading on. Bond is then thrown into a mission to investigate a religious cult called the Meek Ones, founded by a mysterious man called Father Valentine. The Meek Ones are also believed to be behind a multitude of terrorist bombings on numerous British politicians. Further down the track, in typical Bond style, Father Valentine turns out to be none other than exiled arms dealer Vladimir Scorpius. T

Bond vs. Religious Fanaticism

John Gardner turns in a solid Bond thriller that manages to be a little different than usual but still solid. This time, he goes up against the head of a fanatical cult bent on destroying England's political system. The book works well because the threat feels very real and imminent throughout the book. Bond does a little more detecting than usual, and despite what could be done with the premise, Gardner reigns it in and keeps it mostly down to earth. Not one to start with, but another underrated Gardner entry.