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Secret History is a fantasy/science fiction series by Simon R. Green. This book series was supposed to be a trilogy, but due to the great popularity of the books Simon R. Green has decided to continue with the series.
These books are the adventures of Edwin Drood, AKA Shaman Bond (his field name; it is a parody of James Bond's name) and he is a part of the Droods, an ancient family that purportedly watches over the world and protects it from various threats, including supernatural and magical ones. Needless to say, they are wholeheartedly despised by criminals. Each Drood is entrusted with a golden (and, for some time, silver) torc, which bestows a certain "living armour" upon the wearer, giving them nearly unlimited strength, speed, durability and stealth, which can be called up or dispelled at will. The torc also grants the wearer the Sight, allowing him to see through most magical and scientific disguises, translates any language, prevents the user from appearing in any kind of photography, videotaping, or tracking of any kind (including tracking by other Droods), prevents the user's soul from being taken away (by daemons or other creatures of the sort), and a whole host of other abilities.
Edwin (he is usually referred to as "Eddie") is a field agent of the Droods who operates in the London area. During his early childhood in the Hall, the Droods' base of operations, Eddie came to hate the family due to its strict discipline and the lack of freedom given to him. At some point, the Matriarch agreed with Eddie to have him leave the Hall and base his operations outside of it. He still owed allegiance to the family and did missions for them, but was able to avoid living in the Hall and thus had much more freedom in his living.
The series acts as a framing story of sorts, with references to characters and settings within the Nightside, Hawk and Fisher, and Deathstalker stories; Giles Deathstalker plays a prominent role in the second book, Nightside agent Walker plays a large part in the third, and throughout the series many Nightside characters (e.g. Merlin Satanspawn, Leo Morn, Harry Fabulous, Janissary Jane, and even Nightside protagonist John Taylor) are referenced or appear briefly.
Simon R. Green stated that Night Fall is the final novel in the series, and features the first meeting between John Taylor and Eddie Drood, culminating in a Drood invasion of the Nightside.
All of the titles of this book series are parodies of James Bond book, short story titles, or films:
The James Bond series focuses on a fictional British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short-story collections. Since Fleming's death in 1964, eight other authors have written authorised Bond novels or novelisations: Kingsley Amis, Christopher Wood, John Gardner, Raymond Benson, Sebastian Faulks, Jeffery Deaver, William Boyd, and Anthony Horowitz. The latest novel is Forever and a Day by Anthony Horowitz, published in May 2018. Additionally Charlie Higson wrote a series on a young James Bond, and Kate Westbrook wrote three novels based on the diaries of a recurring series character, Moneypenny.
Q is a fictional character in the James Bond films and film novelisations. Q, like M, is a job title rather than a name. He is the head of Q Branch, the fictional research and development division of the British Secret Service. The use of letters as pseudonyms for senior officers in the British Secret Intelligence Service was started by its first director Captain Sir Mansfield George Smith-Cumming (1859–1923) who signed himself with a C written in green ink.
Miss Moneypenny, later assigned the first names of Eve or Jane, is a fictional character in the James Bond novels and films. She is secretary to M, who is Bond's superior officer and head of the British Secret Intelligence Service (MI6).
A Bond girl is a character who is a love interest or female companion of James Bond in a novel, film or video game. Bond girls occasionally have names that are double entendres or puns, such as Pussy Galore, Plenty O'Toole, Xenia Onatopp, or Holly Goodhead.
Simon Richard Green is a British science fiction and fantasy author.
Lois Ruth Maxwell was a Canadian actress, best known for her portrayal of Miss Moneypenny in all the first fourteen Eon-produced James Bond films (1962–1985). She was the first actress to play the part. The films in which she played Miss Moneypenny were Dr. No (1962), From Russia with Love (1963), Goldfinger (1964), Thunderball (1965), You Only Live Twice (1967), On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969), Diamonds Are Forever (1971), Live and Let Die (1973), The Man with the Golden Gun (1974), The Spy Who Loved Me (1977), Moonraker (1979), For Your Eyes Only (1981), Octopussy (1983), and A View to a Kill (1985). She did not appear in the 1967 adaptations of Casino Royale, nor in the 1983 remake of Thunderball, Never Say Never Again, as the production was not Eon's, though she did, as a similar character, in the spoof O.K. Connery.
Ian Fleming Publications is the production company formerly known as both Glidrose Productions Limited and Glidrose Publications Limited, named after its founders John Gliddon and Norman Rose. In 1952, author Ian Fleming bought it after completing his first James Bond novel, Casino Royale; he assigned most of his rights in Casino Royale, and the works which followed it to Glidrose.
The James Bond film series from Eon Productions features numerous musical compositions since its inception in 1962, many of which are now considered classic pieces of British film music. The best known of these pieces is the "James Bond Theme" by Monty Norman. Other instrumentals, such as "On Her Majesty's Secret Service", and various songs performed by several notable British or American artists, such as Shirley Bassey's "Goldfinger", Paul McCartney's "Live and Let Die", Carly Simon's "Nobody Does It Better", Sheena Easton's "For Your Eyes Only", Duran Duran's "A View to a Kill" and Tina Turner's "Goldeneye" also become identified with the series. Two Bond songs have won the Academy Award for Best Original Song: "Skyfall" by Adele and "Writing's on the Wall" by Sam Smith, with the latter also becoming the first Bond theme to reach number one on the UK music charts.
Peter Curtis Lamont was a British set decorator, art director, and production designer most noted for working on eighteen James Bond films, from Goldfinger (1964) to Casino Royale (2006). The only Bond film that he did not work on during that period was Tomorrow Never Dies (1997). He also worked extensively as a set dresser on the Carry On series in the 1960s.
James Bond was a comic strip that was based on the eponymous, fictional character created by author Ian Fleming. Starting in 1958 and continuing to 1983, it consisted of 52 story arcs that were syndicated in British newspapers, seven of which were initially published abroad.
Spy High is an English book series by English writer A. J. Butcher about a high school for secret agents in training. It is divided into two series of six books each. Series One, first published in 2003 and 2004, is about Bond Team as a whole. Series Two, first published in 2004 and 2005, follows each member of Bond Team on a mission, taking place two years after graduation.
Nightside is a series of twelve fantasy novels by author Simon R. Green. Green states on his site, regarding The Bride Wore Black Leather, "This is the last Nightside novel featuring John Taylor and friends and the last Nightside novel for the time being." At the end of the Secret Histories novel, Moon Breaker, the final page says "Shaman Bond and John Taylor Will Return in Night Fall."
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to James Bond:
The series of theatrical feature films about James Bond have been filmed since the 1960s; in each decade at least three movies have been filmed. Before the films there was an episode of the television series Climax! which was produced that adapted the novel Casino Royale into a one-hour TV movie.
This is a complete bibliography by English space opera and fantasy author Simon R. Green