Anthony Horowitz, the author of three James Bond continuation novels, has weighed in on the debate over a female 007, stating unequivocally that Bond's flaws are inherently masculine and a woman cannot play the role. 'A woman just can't be Bond,' Horowitz told the Daily Mail, adding that he would never have killed off the character as seen in the latest Daniel Craig film, because it diminishes his mythic quality.
Horowitz, creator of the teenage spy Alex Rider and author of over 50 books, has written three Bond novels at the request of the Ian Fleming estate. His latest, 'With A Mind To Kill', released in paperback this month, serves as a sequel to Fleming's final Bond novel, 'The Man With The Golden Gun'. The story follows an ageing Bond as he ventures into Soviet Moscow to confront his tormentor, Colonel Boris, a character who appears only briefly in Fleming's original works.
Despite the villain's name, Horowitz insists there is no connection to former Prime Minister Boris Johnson. 'Absolutely not. I find Boris Johnson's name so depressing, so destructive and negative generally... I had absolutely no interest in referencing him whatsoever,' he said. Interestingly, Horowitz's own son, Cassian, serves as a special adviser to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
The novel features a strong Russian heroine, psychologist Katya Leonova, who falls in love with Bond and saves his life. Horowitz deliberately avoided the suggestive names typical of Fleming's Bond girls, saying, 'I decided to eschew Ian Fleming's practice of having names like Pussy Galore and Plenty O'Toole, because it's not really of the times.'
Horowitz's Bond books aim to capture the mood and detail of the originals while telling stories in a modern, thrilling way. He noted that while Bond still likes to be on top in relationships, the women in his novels challenge him. The author also drew parallels between the Soviet mindset depicted in his book and modern Russia, though he wrote it before the invasion of Ukraine.
