MI6 talks to author Seb Harvey about his latest work - controversial "The Final Assignment" novelisation.

The Final Assignment - Author Interview
5th August 2004

Keeping The British End Up forum regular, Moore, interviewed author Seb Harvey on the novelisation of "The Final Assignment" for MI6 this week, and this is what he had to ask…

Can you give us a bit of information on the origins of "The Final Assignment"?
The Final Assignment novelisation is based upon a screenplay with a similar sounding title. It was written – as I gather – in late 1999. It later appeared on one of the leading Bond20 news websites, dubbed as the official screenplay for the twentieth film. Final Assignment as it were called, generated huge world wide media attention, with thousands of people tuning in to get a piece of the next film. Unfortunately, as soon as shooting for the actual film began, people started to realise that the screenplay there were reading was nothing like the official announcements. Soon after, the script was forgotten and replaced in the media with the official articles.

Why write "The Final Assignment"? After writing two original fan fictions, I thought it would be rather interesting to look at other work. Novelisations were what came to mind. The Final Assignment screenplay, despite is being the result of fan writing, is a very well written and thought out story. And as far as I'm aware, there isn’t a website out there with the whole screenplay published. What I did, was take as much as the screenplay as I could find, and create a completed work for it, in dedication for the author. Let's be honest, it will never make the studio and it is really a shame to leave it until everyone has forgotten. In the novel you refer to 007 in many different ways, At times you call him "Bond" and others "Double-O Seven". Why is this? I’ve got three or four ways of referring to him, outside the standard ‘he’ clause. I use ‘Bond’ for the general references, ‘James’ for the more personal parts – which plays a much larger role in this novel compared to anything else I’ve written and finally ‘Double-O Seven’ when he’s doing the typical James Bond stunts - such as killing someone. Referring to him by his number makes him less emotional to the reader. And with this story, it’s a plot of revenge, which makes it even more important for the reader to understand if Bond is doing something for himself, or for his country.

Above: Final cover artwork for "The Final Assignment" novelisation.

How important was it, to keep the script as authentic as possible?
Very, yet I have to make changes to suit my writing style, and correct any unseen problems with the original text. After all, this work is in honour of the original author, so with that in mind, it is very important to keep as much of the dialogue and sequence of events in tune with what was first written. For those reading this plot for the first time, you’ll still be reading a very accurate portrayal of the original work.

How much research was needed for this novelisation?
Quite a lot in terms of piecing together the script. I was unable to find a complete copy of the original text. I had various scenes from a range of sources which I had to then splice together to form as much of the original work as possible. A very interesting task indeed. Notably, I had to research various locations and settings from where parts of the scenes are set. Such as Mont Blanc, finding out what the place is really like, where it is, what the culture is like and so on. But the main focus of research was on trying to find out who originally wrote the story and if they could be contacted. Unfortunately, I was unable to find, so I still have some outstanding questions. I’m hoping that whoever was behind it comes forward in the near future and contacts me.

In the story you reference not only current events such as The War on Terror, but events such as Pearl Harbour. Why did you decide to incorporate that into the story?
They are events in our lives, well the so-called War on Terror anyway. Events which were obviously wrong and caused so much political debate. It was just fitting with the nature of the story to mention my personal opinions on the war, and how they stemmed from the response of Pearl Harbour. People look back at the response in World War II as an historic moment America joined Europe in the fight against the Nazis. Yet more happened that people don’t appreciate. In the American response to Japan, they assassinated a senior Japanese figure, changing the way war is fought for the worse. Look into it!

Cyber Terrorism plays a role in this story, now I understand the author of the screenplay came up with the idea, how did you feel about writing about it and was any research required?
This is the more humorous part of the screenplay. It was really the second story in the plot. The main one involving an emotional battle between Bond and his opponent. There were certain not-so-subtle hints to various leading software organisations which took the seriousness away. So there were some changes in this area. Overall, cyber terrorism is happening and it is a threat. The seriousness of such threats needs to be listened to. Everything in the modern age is computer based, key information on a person can easily be found on someone’s computer. The world really needs to take a firm view on this problem. The Final Assignment takes it to the extremes, but that’s an action fiction, the problems in the real world are just as serious, in different ways.

Above: The teaser poster artwork that got everyone talking again about the controversial script.

There is a scene in the novel where Bond is a lot crueller than he is in the films, what prompted you to write him like that? This novel sees Bond pushed to an extreme, with past history catching up with him. It all forms his build up for the story climax. So if you think Bond is pretty cruel at this stage of the story, wait until you read part II! On the same token, it was an opportunity to explore a different side to our beloved superhero, giving the reader something fresh to read. It was certainly enjoyable to write. And if we’re both thinking of the same scene, what’s been published is toned down more than what was first written! The story has quite a twist with Bond's past. He finds out all he knew about his father was incorrect. Why is this? All part of the original screenplay. In fact, it’s the main story of the plot. But it goes to show a new aspect we haven’t seen before. It’s all about pushing Bond to the limits, and while he has all this on his mind, he’s out there doing his job. In the novel you have a reference to the novel "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" and a reference to how Ian Fleming chose James Bond as his characters name. Why did you decided to include these in the story? To link it in with the world around us. People will be able to relate better to it, and understand its connections with the saga.

In "The Final Assignment" you included a sex scene, although sex is a common subject in the world of 007, do you believe that authors sometimes cross the line?
Everyone can cross the line, depending on who is reading it. What’s acceptable to one person may not be acceptable to another. As the author, you have to make a decision where the taste and decency boundaries lye and then work within those guidelines. On the other hand, James Bond was originally written for adults, so it’s important to bear that in mind. They’re not children’s books. If you do decide to take the path where detailed encounters make part of the plot, it’s always a worthy challenge to write something depictive, inoffensive and leave just enough for the readers imagination. I think The Final Assignment meets all of those points, and still has a positive effect on the reader.

Bond's death in this story is not quick, but prolonged. Bond knows that it is coming and he can't do anything about it. How did you feel about killing off Bond?
Is he dead? There's a Part II, so I’ll have to keep you waiting to read the real answer to this. Although, putting Bond in a position where he is incapable to respond goes to show somewhat that the character is as human as everyone else. Hopefully what you read is enjoyable and understandable. But in regards to what you can expect to see, you will have to wait...

Part II?
Next month! When writing something as anticipated as this, you aim to get it right and deliver in a fully professional manner. With the interest in this building, I decided to delay it for a few months to work and perfect what was written. But part II is in the works, almost nearing completion, so you can expect that towards the end of August without any delay. Again, this was something which influenced the slight delays, getting Part II ready so that you don’t leave a too bigger gap between the two novels.

Thanks to Moore and Seb Harvey.

Related Articles
"The Final Assignment" - Part 1