Fictional Chronologies
Independent scholar John Griswold constructed a "high-level chronology of James Bond's life", based on the logic of depicted events and actual time periods referred to in the books. This chronology differs from the publication sequence. Griswold also deliberately discounts the chronological significance of actual historic events mentioned in the novels and stories, arguing that Fleming made such references for effect without synchronising them accurately to his fiction. Fellow Bond-scholar Henry Chancellor also worked through the Bond chronology, which broadly agrees with Griswold, although there are differences. Chancellor noted that "Fleming was always vague about dates", although the novels are supposed to be set in order of publication.
| Episode | Griswold chronology | Chancellor chronology |
|---|---|---|
| Casino Royale | 1.1 !May to July 1951, or May to July 1952 | 01951-01-011951 |
| Live and Let Die | 1.2 !January to February 1952 | 01952-01-011952 |
| Moonraker | 1.3 !May 1953 | 01953-01-011953 |
| Diamonds Are Forever | 1.4 !July to 1 August 1953 | 01954-01-011954 |
| From Russia, with Love | 1.5 !June to August 1954 | 01955-01-011955 |
| Dr. No | 1.6 !February to March 1956 | 01956-01-011956 |
| Goldfinger | 1.7 !April to June 1957 | 01957-01-011957 |
| "Risico" | 1.8 !October 1957 | 01957-10-01October 1957 |
| "Quantum of Solace" | 1.9 !February 1958 | 01957-10-01October 1957 |
| "The Hildebrand Rarity" | 2.1 !April 1958 | 01958-04-01April 1958 |
| "From a View to a Kill" | 2.2 !May 1958 | 01958-05-01May 1958 |
| "For Your Eyes Only" | 2.3 !September to October 1958 | 01958-10-01October 1958 |
| Thunderball | 2.4 !May to June 1959 | 01959-01-011959 |
| "Octopussy" | 2.5 !June 1960 | 01960-01-011960 |
| "The Living Daylights" | 2.6 !September to October 1960 | 01959-10-01October 1959 |
| "The Property of a Lady" | 2.7 !June 1961 | 01961-06-01June 1961 |
| Chapters 1–5 of On Her Majesty's Secret Service | 2.8 !September 1961 | 01961-01-011961 |
| "007 in New York" | 2.9 !end of September 1961 | 01961-01-011961 |
| Chapters 10–15 of The Spy Who Loved Me | 3.1 !October 1961 | 01960-01-011960 |
| Chapters 6–20 of On Her Majesty's Secret Service | 3.2 !November 1961 to 1 January 1962 | 01961-01-011961 to 1 January 1962 |
| You Only Live Twice | 3.3 !August 1962 to April 1963 | 01962-01-011962–1963 |
| The Man With the Golden Gun | 3.4 !November 1963 to February 1964 | 01963-01-011963 |
Read more about this topic: List Of James Bond Novels, Ian Fleming
Famous quotes containing the word fictional:
“One of the proud joys of the man of letters—if that man of letters is an artist—is to feel within himself the power to immortalize at will anything he chooses to immortalize. Insignificant though he may be, he is conscious of possessing a creative divinity. God creates lives; the man of imagination creates fictional lives which may make a profound and as it were more living impression on the world’s memory.”
—Edmond De Goncourt (1822–1896)