The Crane Pool Forum

The James Bond books are being re-written.

we looked at the instances of several racial terms across the books and removed a number of individual words or else swapped them for terms that are more accepted today but in keeping with the period in which the books were written,” Ian Fleming Publications said in a statement.

The American edition of Live and Let Die also tones down the sex scenes, according to the Telegraph.
“Following Ian’s approach, we looked at the instances of several racial terms across the books and removed a number of individual words or else swapped them for terms that are more accepted today but in keeping with the period in which the books were written,” Ian Fleming Publications said in a statement.

However, Bond’s mocking references to Goldfinger‘s Korean henchman, Oddjob, remain, along with references to homosexuality being described as a “stubborn disability”.

https://www.mystateline.com/news/james- ... niversary/
Sensitivity experts? Really?
Later

MFS62 wrote: ↑Tue Feb 28, 2023 1:18 pm The James Bond books are being re-written.

we looked at the instances of several racial terms across the books and removed a number of individual words or else swapped them for terms that are more accepted today but in keeping with the period in which the books were written,” Ian Fleming Publications said in a statement.

The American edition of Live and Let Die also tones down the sex scenes, according to the Telegraph.
“Following Ian’s approach, we looked at the instances of several racial terms across the books and removed a number of individual words or else swapped them for terms that are more accepted today but in keeping with the period in which the books were written,” Ian Fleming Publications said in a statement.

However, Bond’s mocking references to Goldfinger‘s Korean henchman, Oddjob, remain, along with references to homosexuality being described as a “stubborn disability”.

https://www.mystateline.com/news/james- ... niversary/
Sensitivity experts? Really?
Later

What bullshit. They're doing the same crap with Roald Dahl's books. Dr. Seuss got this treatment a few years ago. Maybe next, they could re-make Gone with the Wind, but without the slavery references. If DeSantis had his way, the Gone with the Wind re-make would have the South winning the war.

Pop literature frequently endures this sort of periodic scrubbing.

Roald Dahl and Ian Fleming aren't exactly the bee's knees to begin with*, but I'm sure folks will be able to find one of the two billion copies of the unscrubbed works. But I certainly can't dismiss it too much, because it makes Mark Twain that much more vulnerable.

I'm not sure where the real loss lies. I think a generation or two down the road, much of this lit will continue to sell on the author's brand and not be allowed to sink or swim on its own merit, being periodically scrubbed to suit public tastes. No matter how bowdlerized it is, it will retain it's market position, and we'll never know what wasn't allowed to penetrate the marketplace. I think it would be culturally healthier if people either stop reading it because X, or continue reading it despite X.

*Fleming, to his credit, made villains out of Nazi-sympathetic UK cultural elites. Dahl, despite being a decorated WWII flyer, ultimately seemed to become one.

It's Pussy Galore. Like one of the best cinematic names ever.

Oh for cripes sake.

Edgy MD wrote: ↑Tue Feb 28, 2023 2:41 pmI think it would be culturally healthier if people either stop reading it because X, or continue reading it despite X.

I totally agree.

kcmets wrote: ↑Tue Feb 28, 2023 3:29 pm It's Pussy Galore. Like one of the best cinematic names ever.

Of course. But with sexual content being changed, I played along and imagined what they might change it to.
Thanks for noticing.
Later

whippoorwill wrote: ↑Tue Feb 28, 2023 3:43 pm Oh for cripes sake.

It was there on the tee and I had my 5 wood out of the bag. (hee hee)

It's not always a bad to take a new look at these types of things. Do you know what the original title for Agatha Christie's "And Then there were None" was?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/And_Then_There_Were_None

The movies all used changed it to "Ten Little Indians," and when we saw it in a theater a few years ago, it was changed to "Ten Little Soldiers."

Nobody is asking for these edits. This seems purely designed to sell more books under the guise of "sensitivity".

Bob Alpacadaca wrote: ↑Tue Feb 28, 2023 4:09 pm It's not always a bad to take a new look at these types of things. Do you know what the original title for Agatha Christie's "And Then there were None" was?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/And_Then_There_Were_None

The movies all used changed it to "Ten Little Indians," and when we saw it in a theater a few years ago, it was changed to "Ten Little Soldiers."

Why? Is it offensive to say "Indians"?

batmagadanleadoff wrote: ↑Tue Feb 28, 2023 4:11 pm

Bob Alpacadaca wrote: ↑Tue Feb 28, 2023 4:09 pm It's not always a bad to take a new look at these types of things. Do you know what the original title for Agatha Christie's "And Then there were None" was?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/And_Then_There_Were_None

The movies all used changed it to "Ten Little Indians," and when we saw it in a theater a few years ago, it was changed to "Ten Little Soldiers."

Why? Is it offensive to say "Indians"?

Maybe some sensitivity expert thought it is.
Later

I suppose they should say "Ten Little Guardians"

TransMonk wrote: ↑Tue Feb 28, 2023 4:10 pm Nobody is asking for these edits. This seems purely designed to sell more books under the guise of "sensitivity".

Well, somebody is probably asking for it. But of course it's to sell more books.

It seems in the cases of Roald Dahl and Ian Fleming (and maybe Dr. Seuss as well?) that it's the authors' estates that are doing this. Hopefully that will shield Mark Twain from having something similar happen. (But he's probably in the public domain by now, so I imagine anyone can do whatever they want with Huckleberry Finn.)

I don't even think it's to sell more books as much as it is an attempt by those selling them to self-innoculate themselves against charges of insensitivity.

Or, perhaps to avoid selling fewer books.

Benjamin Grimm wrote: ↑Tue Feb 28, 2023 4:26 pm I suppose they should say "Ten Little Guardians"

This is funny.

Frayed Knot wrote: ↑Tue Feb 28, 2023 4:42 pm I don't even think it's to sell more books as much as it is an attempt by those selling them to self-innoculate themselves against charges of insensitivity.

Maybe. I'm sure the edited Bond books will come in a shiny new boxset that "true" fans will go out and spend $100 on. $100 they weren't spending before the publishers got sensitive.

Then in 20 years, they will re-package the Original Author's (ANTI-WOKE) Editions - As Ian Fleming TRULY Intended and make millions again.

I read one Fleming/Bond book in my life: GOLDFINGER
Bought a paperback for I think a dime at some school fair when I was maybe 12 y/o. Enjoyed it very much.
Picked it up again a few years later and it seemed more than a bit juvenile and silly.

Those books first got a jolt, at least on this side of the Atlantic, when JFK publicly mentioned enjoying them and I suppose they still have a sizeable number of fans. I'd go with the movie versions instead although haven't watched one of those in years either.

Frayed Knot wrote: ↑Tue Feb 28, 2023 5:45 pm I read one Fleming/Bond book in my life: GOLDFINGER
Bought a paperback for I think a dime at some school fair when I was maybe 12 y/o. Enjoyed it very much.

Just checked. The one I have in my library is MOONRAKER. Haven't read it for many years, but IIRC it had a famous Culbertson Bridge hand and I liked (and still like) playing Bridge.

Later

kcmets wrote: ↑Tue Feb 28, 2023 4:02 pm

whippoorwill wrote: ↑Tue Feb 28, 2023 3:43 pm Oh for cripes sake.

It was there on the tee and I had my 5 wood out of the bag. (hee hee)

Oh I totally agree with you :)

I was cripesing the topic!

Well, being in the publishing biz I can absolutely tell you that it's out of control.

Twenty-somethings who are editors have decided that they're going to fix the world and if you get in their way you're a racist non-ally. Publishing is the poorer for it. Our biggest seller has always been a series of books by an author whose name rhymes with 'Bowling'. She got into a little bit of politically-incorrect trouble (okay, a lot). These kids literally wanted to stop selling her books. Only when it was explained to them that the only reason they had a job was that these books covered the overhead (and had for the last twenty years or so) did they relent. They put books on our list that are too highbrow and super-correct, use all the right pronouns, and then wonder why they don't sell as well as Dog-Man and Captain Underpants. Our friends in other publishing houses are dealing with the same issues.

I can ALMOST see messing with children's books. Kids are young, impressionable and may not take context cues well. But any adult book? That's ridiculous, and as bad as DeSantis banning books because they don't meet HIS standards.

I have a collection of the old Tom Swift adventure books that were written from about 1900 to 1920. What's in them is blatant racism, xenophobia and sexism that would positively curl your hair. But it was the context of the times. I'm sure they're been rewritten more than once, even back in the day.

Great post! I mean, great...

Fouling? Scowling? Toweling?

Don't tell me. Let me figure it out.