Raymond Benson (Born September 6, 1955) is an American author best known for being the most recent author of the official James Bond novels. Benson was born in Texas and graduated from Permian High School in 1973. In primary school Benson took an interest in the piano which would later in his life develop into an interest in composing music. Benson also took part in drama at school and became the Vice President of his high school's drama department an interest that he would later pursue by directing stage productions. His other hobbies extended to films and books and designing computer games.
Benson was introduced to James Bond at the age of nine when he first saw Goldfinger. Like most people he immediately fell in love with the spy series. Another film, 2001: A Space Odyssey, prompted him to want to become a film director.
In 2004 Benson announced that he had written the first book based on the acclaimed video game Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell. Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell (novel) is credited to the pseudonym, David Michaels. Benson will also write second novel in the series.
James Bond works
In 1996, John Gardner resigned from writing Bond books causing Glidrose Publications to promptly choose Benson to replace him. Glidrose changed its name to Ian Fleming Publications commencing with Benson's novel, High Time to Kill.
- Blast from the Past (short story, 1997)
- Zero Minus Ten (1997)
- The Facts of Death (1998)
- Midsummer Night's Doom (short story, 1999)
- High Time to Kill (1999)
- Live at Five (short story, 1999)
- Doubleshot (2000)
- Never Dream of Dying (2001)
- The Man with the Red Tattoo (2002)
(See James Bond uncollected short stories for more information about Benson's short pieces.)
Benson also wrote three novelizations from screenplays:
- Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)
- The World Is Not Enough (1999)
- Die Another Day (2002)
Benson resigned from writing Bond books in 2002, even though he had stated his intention to complete a short story collection. In April 2004, Ian Fleming Publications announced a new series of James Bond books was on its way. Instead of picking up where Raymond Benson left off, however, this new series of books would be about a 13 year old Bond, aiming at the "Harry Potter audience". The new novels will be written by Charlie Higson.
Benson is also the author of the non-fiction The James Bond Bedside Companion (1984; updated 1988) and contributed to the creation of the popular James Bond 007 role-playing game in the 1980s.
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