Zero Minus Ten [Import] [Hardcover]

R. Benson (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 259 pages
• Publisher: Hodder General Publishing Division; 1St Edition edition (1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0340684488
• ISBN-13: 978-0340684481
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (78 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,327,481 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

As of January 2011, Raymond Benson is the author of twenty-four published books. These include six original JAMES BOND novels (now collected in the recent anthologies THE UNION TRILOGY and CHOICE OF WEAPONS), three 007 film novelizations, and the first two TOM CLANCY'S SPLINTER CELL novels (for the latter he used the pseudonym of "David Michaels"). With John Milius he penned HOMEFRONT: THE VOICE OF FREEDOM. He also wrote the novelizations of the popular videogames--METAL GEAR SOLID and METAL GEAR SOLID 2: SONS OF LIBERTY. Raymond writes his own original suspense books as well--stand alone thrillers such as TORMENT, ARTIFACT OF EVIL, SWEETIE'S DIAMONDS, FACE BLIND, and EVIL HOURS, or his two "Spike Berenger Rock 'n' Roll Hits" featuring a music industry detective--A HARD DAY'S DEATH and DARK SIDE OF THE MORGUE. Coming soon--Raymond's entry in the "Gabriel Hunt" adventures, HUNT THROUGH NAPOLEON'S WEB, and an original thriller, THE BLACK STILETTO. There's a lot more, so if you want the full story visit the author at his website... www.raymondbenson.com!

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Better than Gardner, but still Mediocre compared to Flemmng, August 3, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Zero Minus Ten (007) (Paperback)

Raymond Benson breathes a small bit of life back into a James Bond character that John Gardner had nearly tortured to death in his last few unreadable bits of tripe. Nevertheless, Benson is no Ian Fleming (or Kingsly Amis for that matter). Despite his attempts to return Bond to his hard-edged roots, Benson's book reads more like a Cubby Broccoli movie script than it does a Fleming novel. It's better than no Bond at all, but it's still a shame that Gardner's Bond was so bad that we look upon Benson's mediocrity as some sort of character renaissance.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Benson's James Bond Series Overview, August 25, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Zero Minus Ten (007) (Paperback)

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 becomes more like an "Into Thin Air"-type story. It's authentic spy-stuff amidst an environment that is cruel and harsh. This is a thrilling, un-put-downable book. "DOUBLESHOT": Another departure from the norm, as Benson appears to be experimenting with the structure of a Bond novel with this one. The first chapter is the ending of the book told from the different perspectives of several characters. The rest of the story begins in the past and catches up to the ending, and by then we are hooked. In this story, Bond is not well, he is injured, he is not working at full capacity, and this is what is interesting. "Doubleshot" is the middle book of a loose trilogy (beginning with "High Time to Kill") and it is darker and more introspective than the others. Some fans apparently didn't get it, but in many ways, this is Benson's most courageous book. "NEVER DREAM OF DYING": Another great one, right up there with "High Time to Kill," in terms of glueing a reader to the page. It's an excellent plot, tying up the trilogy that Benson began in HTTK. In this book, one can see the blending of the cinematic and literary Bonds more than in any other entry-- a lot of the action is very movie-like, while the storyline and characterizations are more like the Fleming novels. The moods and settings are the best that Benson has done, and the love interest is perhaps his strongest. The real stroke of brilliance in the book is what the author has done with the character of Bond's father in law. A very engaging book. My five-star review is based on Benson's series as a whole. Each book may not be a 5-star book on its own, but I don't think any of them are less than 4. Benson has put his mark on the Bond literary series. Fans who don't like him tend to focus on one or two aspects of what he does-- his writing style, his dependence on the cinematic elements, whatever... I feel that they're not seeing the forest for the trees. In my humble opinion, Raymond Benson has brought new life to the series and I hope he continues the books a long, long time.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not the Bond of Old, June 16, 2000

By 

Mark Rainey (Greensboro, NC USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Zero Minus Ten (007) (Paperback)

Three stars, but just barely. ZERO MINUS TEN has some intriguing moments, and the plot, in general, is actually pretty solid. It's a step up from John Gardner's inane entries in the series, but this is still a far cry from Ian Fleming's Bond. 007 still has some rough edges, but what ostensibly passes for Bond having "gained wisdom from his experiences" reeks of political correctness. Beyond that, though, the writing often slips into long-winded details that don't naturally flow into the narrative; Fleming had mastered the art of merging minutiae with storytelling like few other writers; Benson isn't there yet. And worst of all, in the action-oriented scenes, Benson's prose becomes sloppy, chock-full of passive phrasing and superficial description. There's no passion or sense of urgency, especially when Bond's life is on the line; you're not -inside- the character... you're simply witnessing events from outside. Sadly, when Benson delves into Bond's psyche, the result is endless lines of internalized questioning--to the point of becoming ludicrous. Hardly the self-confident, arrogant, coldhearted professional who yet somehow remained human that Fleming delivered. The villain has adequate motivation to be believable but is otherwise colorless. The best character here is the Chinese Triad chief, Li Xu Nan, who comes across as a more Fleming-inspired personality, a la Marc Ange Draco. Give it a go if you're a Bond completist...