This signed first edition hardcover book titled Zero Minus Ten is a must-have for any fan of espionage and thriller novels. Written by Raymond Benson and published by Penguin Publishing Group in 1997, this book is in very good condition. The book measures 6.3 inches in length, 1.2 inches in height, and 9.3 inches in width, with a weight of 19.9 ounces. It contains 288 pages and falls under the genre of fiction, specifically thrillers and suspense. Some of the topics covered in the book include espionage, general thrillers, and suspense. The book has not been personalized or inscribed and does not contain an ex libris. It is a great addition to any book collection.
Just 10 days before the handover of Hong Kong from British to Chinese rule, 007 is sent to investigate the infamous Chinese underworld of Triad. Discovering a diabolical plot of revenge that threatens to derail the return of the former British colony to China, Bond penetrates a deadly high stakes game of intrigue and treachery.
Raymond Benson (born 1955) is an American writer known for his James Bond novels published between 1997 and 2003.
In 1984, Benson wrote The James Bond Bedside Companion,[4] a book dedicated to Ian Fleming, the official novels, and the films. The book was updated in 1988 and has since been re-released digitally without further updating. It was nominated for an Edgar Award by Mystery Writers of America in the Best Biographical/Critical Work category.
In 1985, he worked as a designer and writer on the computer game James Bond 007: A View to a Kill. He followed this in 1986 with work on a computer game version of Goldfinger and co-authoring the You Only Live Twice II module of the popular role-playing game James Bond 007.
In 1996, John Gardner resigned from writing Bond books. Glidrose Publications promptly chose Benson to replace him. As a James Bond novelist, Raymond Benson was initially controversial for being American, and for ignoring much of the continuity established by Gardner. The author did much to placate these concerns, however, and promptly embarked on regular tours to promote his novels in the UK, as well as occasional trips to mainland Europe. Several signing sessions were held at the offices of his UK publisher Hodder & Stoughton, and at London booksellers Murder One and James Bond specialists Adrian Harrington Ltd. In total, Benson wrote six James Bond novels, three novelizations, and three short stories. He was the first Bond author since Ian Fleming to write short stories (published in Playboy and TV Guide magazines and collected in anthologies published in 2008 and 2010).
Glidrose changed its name to Ian Fleming Publications commencing with Benson's novel, High Time to Kill. Benson resigned from writing Bond books in 2003.
Benson's novel The Man with the Red Tattoo inspired the government of Japan's Kagawa Prefecture in 2005 to erect a museum (the "007 Man with the Red Tattoo Museum", dedicated to the book) and honor Benson with the title of Goodwill Ambassador.[5]
In 2008 High Time to Kill, Doubleshot, Never Dream of Dying and an extended version of his 1997 short story "Blast from the Past" (a sequel to Fleming's novel, You Only Live Twice) were grouped and released as an omnibus called The Union Trilogy: Three 007 Novels. A second anthology entitled Choice of Weapons was published in 2010 and contained Zero Minus Ten, The Facts of Death, The Man with the Red Tattoo, and the short stories "Midsummer Night's Doom" and "Live at Five".
In April 2014, Benson and former Bond author Jeffery Deaver collaborated—the first such collaboration between former Bond continuation authors—as co-editors of Ice Cold--Tales of Intrigue from the Cold War, an anthology sponsored by Mystery Writers of America containing short stories about the Cold War.
On August 12, 2023, Ian Fleming Publications announced that Benson's first novel, Zero Minus Ten, would be reprinted in the U.K. along with other continuation authors' works.[6] Subsequently, on January 29, 2024, Ian Fleming Publications announced the publication of an e-book omnibus, James Bond: The Raymond Benson Years, containing his six original 007 novels.[7]