The James Bond books will also now come with a warning for readers.
Hot on the heels of the news that Roald Dahl’s books are being revised to swap out some words and terms that are offensive and/or problematic, another much-loved British author is having their work somewhat rewritten to match modern sensibilities.
According to The Sunday Telegraph, the works of Ian Fleming are set to have a group of “sensitivity readers” pour over the his works, with the specific task of rewriting some of the more racist passages to be found within.
From 1953 to 1965, Ian Fleming wrote 13 novels telling the stories and adventures of James Bond, and while not all of those novels are problematic, there are some glaring examples, such as 1954’s Live and Let Die. That story features a villain named Mr. Big, a Black Jamaican with ties to the American criminal underworld, who left ‘white people too afraid to go to Harlem’.
Even with the updates to the text, the republished books will still carry the following warning for readers: “This book was written at a time when terms and attitudes which might be considered offensive by modern readers were commonplace. A number of updates have been made in this edition, while keeping as close as possible to the original text and the period in which it is set.”
The new versions of the novels will be released in April this year, while Eon Productions – who own the rights to the James Bond film franchise – are still trying to figure out who will replace Daniel Craig for Bond 26. The current favourites for the role are Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Kick-Ass, Tenet), Henry Cavill (Man Of Steel, The Witcher) and James Norton (Happy Valley, Black Mirror).
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