19. Fleming was approached to create a television series for James Bond
In the late 1950s, Fleming wrote several plot outlines for a television series featuring James Bond. When the series failed to materialize, he adapted some of the outlines into short stories, and in 1960 they were published in a collection titled For Your Eyes Only. One of the stories was based on a tale related to him by a neighbor, Blanche Blackwell, with whom he also conducted an affair. Blackwell was the likely inspiration for Goldfinger’s Pussy Galore, as well as Honey Rider from Dr. No. The story told to Fleming by Blackwell was the basis of the short story Quantum of Solace. Fleming’s marriage had by then become difficult, in part because his wife detested the James Bond character.
Critical commentary was mostly approving of both the new format and the stories themselves. Fleming also thought the short story format was a good way to initiate some changes in the character, and several critics wrote that Bond was apparently mellowing. Fleming did not date his works in that there was no mention in his stories of the year in which Bond had his adventures. As in Bond’s previous adventures, Fleming relied on personal experiences and acquaintances from his days with Naval Intelligence to generate his plots and Bond’s activities, as well as having 007 enjoy his usual distractions.