A birthday tribute to the writer who gave us 007… By JIM BEARD I was born right smack-dab in the middle of the famed “three Bs” of the 1960s: Batman, the Beatles, and, of course, James Bond. Lucky for me, my dad was a big fan of all three, because I picked up those three torches and ran with them. People who know me have heard me talk excessively about Batman and the Beatles, but I’ve never pontificated much on Bond. On the occasion of his creator Ian Fleming’s birthday — he was born 115 years ago on May 28, 1908 — I’d like to rectify that right here and now. The original James Bond novels are the very height of spy fiction for me, delicious in their construction and filling in the satisfaction they leave you with. I love everything about them, even all the stuff—machismo, misogyny, meal planning—that others hold up as everything that’s wrong with them. I don’t support those things IRL (OK, maybe the meal planning), but I can’t imagine the Bond books without them. The novels are such a sign of their times, a window into a bygone mindset that can be illuminating and interesting if you just let them be. I wish more fans of the films would go back to the source material. They can both be enjoyed on their own merits and as their own things. The James Bond of the books is the progenitor of the guy in the films—and there is still a connection between them that when seen and identified can make both worlds richer. Anyway, here’s my look into Ian Fleming’s world. In order to fit into 13th Dimension’s schtick, I’m limiting my observations to the first 13 books of the original 14, which means poor little Octopussy and The Living Daylights will just have to wait for some other time. — Bond Gives It Up (Casino Royale, 1953). We’ve seen it in the films more than once, but the fascinating thing about Bond’s resignation from the Secret Service here is that it happens in the first novel, at the very beginning of his literary career. Beyond that, the book also sets in motion an incredible long-term character arc of self-destruction that permeates the canon. — Bond Pays With an Arm and a Leg (Live and Let...
Columnist JIM BEARD has dice on the brain. After all, he’s got a new book out: D20 or Die!, a collection of essays from a variety of contributors that recall the heady days of role-playing games in the ’70s and ’80s. The book was just released through Amazon — click here to order. “In D20 or Die! writer-editor Jim Beard acts as a game-playing guru as he expands his “Memories from Today’s Grown-Up Kids” series of pop-culture reminiscences to crack the covers of all the classic, old-school, tabletop role-playing games of legend and lore! Just watch those hit points, adventurers!” reads the book’s description. Anyway, to mark the occasion, Jim has put together a trio of columns that celebrate those RPGs of yore. The first is below and the other two will “roll” out in the coming days. Dig it. — By JIM BEARD I get it, I really do—Dungeons & Dragons has always dominated the tabletop role-playing game field, practically created it in fact, but I’m here to tell you there’s something more. A lot of somethings, actually. Back when I gamed regularly, when I had a lot more hair but was still nearsighted, D&D was my go-to, but while my friends experimented with other, uh, medicinal concoctions, I chose to expand my mind into other games. When I did, I found there was life beyond the Beholders and Bugbears. Settle in for a brief celebration of a whole passel of RPGs that, just because they weren’t D&D, had to try harder and fly farther. — Boot Hill (TSR, 1975). Did you know Boot Hill was only the third game TSR published? Interestingly, it’s supposedly the first RPG to use percentile dice rolls and had a huge focus on gunplay as opposed to more peaceful means of solving problems. Go figure. — Bunnies & Burrows (Fantasy Games Unlimited, 1976). Hey, I actually played this one, so hear me out. Inspired by Watership Down, B&B was not only one of the first games to feature non-human player characters, but also the first to kick up interest in martial arts for role-playing use. — Traveller (GDW, 1977). I suppose it’s a coincidence it hit the same year as Star Wars, but it was probably pretty significant for an SF game to be available when everyone was going gaga for anything...
A delicious BIRTHDAY SALUTE…
An ANNIVERSARY SALUTE: The sci-fi classic premiered 55 years ago on Feb. 8, 1968…
A BIRTHDAY TRIBUTE: The two-time Jervis Tetch was born 109 years ago on Jan. 30, 1914…
