James Bond Created During World War 1?

What if James Bond was created earlier, during World War 1? How would the franchise evolve if it survived into present day? Bonus points if Fleming still writes some of the books and films are still made.
 

Driftless

Donor
A grittier Richard Hannay? From John Buchan's thriller/espionage tales - "The 39 Steps" etal. Hannay was supposedly inspired by Edmund Ironside
 
A grittier Richard Hannay? From John Buchan's thriller/espionage tales - "The 39 Steps" etal. Hannay was supposedly inspired by Edmund Ironside
It's possible it would be more undercover work, behind enemy lines; in the 1910s, that would've made sense.
 

Kaze

Banned
As for during the war - expect him to intercept the Zimmerman Telegram and having a threesome with Mata Hari and Hemingway.
He would likely be a good friend with Sidney Reilly (who is listed as an inspiration for Bond) and maybe one of the killers of Rasputin.

Or you might go with Biggles.
 

DougM

Donor
Are we saying the books are from WW1 time and the movies started in the 50s or later or that the movies started back then also?
 
I'd say the films would be first made around WWII, what with the whole 'Suave secret agent bravely putting his life before Queen and Country' thing coming back into popularity, but that's just my opinion.
 
There are a lot of stories you could tell with Bond in the 20s and 30s. Soviet Union, Germany, Ireland, anywhere really during the Great Depression.
 
What if James Bond was created earlier, during World War 1? How would the franchise evolve if it survived into present day? Bonus points if Fleming still writes some of the books and films are still made.
Not possible. Birds of the West Indies wasn't published until 1936 ;)
OK, your agent could have a different name. And be written by a different author.
Hmmm.. so, Richard Hannay it is!
 
A grittier Richard Hannay? From John Buchan's thriller/espionage tales - "The 39 Steps" etal. Hannay was supposedly inspired by Edmund Ironside
The first thing that came to mind when I saw this topci was John Buchan's "Greenmantle".
Hanny get involved in World War One as he goes under cover in Turkey.

In addition to the Buchan novels, I would also recommend checking out Peter Hopkins nonfiction series on the Great Game.
"The Great Game" cover British clashes with Russia and others nation up to WW1
"Like Hidden Fire: the Secret Plot to bring down the British Empire" the full story of the conspiracy between the Germans and the Turks to unleash a Muslim holy war against the British in India and the Russians in the Caucasus.
And "Setting the East Ablaze" the story of the Post World War One Bolshevik attempt to set the East ablaze with the heady new gospel of Marxism. Lenin's dream was to liberate the whole of Asia, but his starting point was British India.

These are all great book about the true adventure of real spies, many of whom inspired Fleming.
 
I was going to say something about having to change the fizzy pop, but it got me thinking. Do you need those innocent Boys Own type stories to lay the ground work for a Bond when the boys grow up?
 
Quite a lot of spy fiction written before and during WWI beside John Buchan. E. Phillips Oppenheim and William Le Queux are writing spy thrillers during the period (many of which can be downloaded for free from Project Gutenberg).
 
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