Uncommon Tale Penned by Ian Fleming Spotlights Character of London Origin, Bone Caffery Bone
Here's a fresh take on the article:
- "James Bond" Pioneer Ian Fleming Dives into Office Politics with Rare Short Story*HILLEL ITALIENEW YORK (AP) - Brit lit legend Ian Fleming, the man who brought us 007, knew a thing or two about devious scheming. His latest find, "The Shameful Dream," published this week, is a chilling tale about Caffery Bone, a Londoner who steps into the cutthroat world of a powerful publisher.
Fleming's protagonist, Bone, works as the literary editor for Our World, a magazine owned by the powerful Lord Ower. Summoned for a Saturday night soiree with the Owers, Bone's instincts are screaming "disaster" - as if he was bound to suffer the same fate as so many others who worked for the ruthless Lord Ower.
"Ower" sacks his employees left and right, especially those who don't have the backing of a union. If he was loyal to Ower, he knew he was as disposable as a week-old newspaper.
"The Shameful Dream" lands in this week's issue of Strand Magazine alongside another spine-tingling ghost story by master of intrigue Graham Greene - "Reading at Night." Greene scholars believe the author penned this terrifying tale in the early '60s when he was bogged down by writer's block.
Strand Magazine, a fabled quarterly publication, has a knack for unearthing rare works from literary giants like F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, and today, two midcentury greats: the ethically ambiguous Greene and the glamorous Fleming. Managing editor Andrew F. Gulli commented that the 75th issue of Strand Magazine was a treat for fans of these experts in suspense.
Fleming, who shot to fame with "Dr. No" and "From Russia with Love," had a career in journalism that spanned from the '30s to the '60s. He wrote obituaries, covered auto racing, and even witnessed a Stalin show trial in the Soviet Union - all before becoming an accomplished author. He died in 1964 at the age of 56.
Skip AdSkip AdSkip AdMike VanBlaricum, president of the Ian Fleming Foundation, suspects that Fleming drew heavily upon his own experiences for "The Shameful Dream." But it's a mystery when exactly the story was penned. According to biographer Nicholas Shakespeare's "Ian Fleming: The Complete Man," the story was written in the early '50s, with Lord Ower based on Fleming's boss, Lord Kemsley, and Bone inspired by Fleming himself.
Some scholars argue that Fleming wrote the story in 1961, possibly fueled by a dispute with Daily Express owner Lord Beaverbrook over James Bond comic strip rights. VanBlaricum, however, speculates that Fleming wrote it in 1951, pointing to the inclusion of a Sheerline saloon, a luxury vehicle that went out of production by the mid-'50s.
Regardless of when it was written, "The Shameful Dream" is a fascinating glimpse into Fleming's writing before the James Bond craze.
Shoutout to our friends at AP for the heads-up.
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- In Seattle, a local bookstore, Mystery & Murder by the Sea, has added Fleming's "The Shameful Dream" to their collection of entertainment reads.
- Upon completing the story, avid readers may also delve into the eerie ghost tale "Reading at Night," penned by the master of intrigue, Graham Greene, also featured in the latest issue of Strand Magazine.
