Ex-Bond author Raymond Benson is back with a new spy novel

29-Nov-2004 • Literary

There is some good news for fans of Raymond Benson's James Bond novels today. The author, who stepped down from 007 duties in February 2003, is back with a new spy novel - and new identity!

The popular "Splinter Cell" videogame series by Tom Clancy has created a spin-off novel series, and Raymond Benson is the man writing under the pen-name of David Michaels. This is inline with other Tom Clancy continuation projects, where various writers have worked under pseudonyms. Unlike Benson's 007 novels, "Splinter Cell" is written in the first person.

"Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell" is the first book in a possible series about the central character Sam Fisher. The four-hundred page paperback is due out on December 4th 2004.

USA: Click here to pre-order
UK: Click here to pre-order

The latest video game in the series, "Pandora Tomorrow", was released earlier this year. "Deployed by a top secret wing of the NSA known as Third Echelon, Sam Fisher is a lone field operative supported by a remote team. Fisher must defend and assist the U.S. military, both locally and from remote locations, until Suhadi's terror-driven policies can be subverted and the guerrilla faction eradicated. Charged with saving the world, itâs a high stakes game. If he fails, the U.S. will deny any knowledge of his existence."

Raymond Benson departed from writing the James Bond continuation novels in February 2003. Since then Ian Fleming Publications have hired Charlie Higson to write a new series of five "Young Bond" books. The first title, "Silverfin", is released in March 2005, and the second title is due in November 2005.

Thanks to `CA` for the alert.