BOOKS 
Devil May Care
By Sebastian Faulks (writing as Ian Fleming)
Penguin 2008
Cover by The Partners
In the newest James Bond novel, Devil May Care, Sebastian Faulks emulates Ian Fleming’s wry, sardonic style without lapsing into parody or pastiche. He gets that classic balance of brand-fetishism, travelogue, snobbery and sexism almost spot-on, although the book could do with a dash more of that crucial ingredient – sex.
Faulks makes it clear that Bond belongs to a bygone age. The novel is set in the late 1960s, and Faulks has Bond acknowledge the ageing process and the increasing outmodedness of his own attitudes.
When it came to the jacket, design agency The Partners faced a similar problem as Faulks. The book needed to make the reader think of Bond, without slavishly imitating past glories. As Jack Renwick, the company’s creative director, put it, “Bond is sex, intrigue and violence. We wanted to capture this and give a subtle nod to the familiar, iconic Bond images of old.”
Rather than recall previous Bond covers, the design instead evokes memories of Maurice Binder’s distinctive title sequences for the 007 films. Half-lit naked women in windswept poses were Binder’s gift to cinemagoers from the early 1960s to the late 1980s. Here model Tuuli Shipster carries on the tradition. The outline of her body, lined in green, serves as the stem for a poppy whose petals explode outwards in a wet splash of crimson.
The plot of Devil May Care centres on the opium trade – hence the choice of flower. With blood and a bare breast thrown in, readers instantly know they’re on classic Bond territory. The cover doesn’t tamper with a winning formula but its blackness and embossed silver title also lend a slick, contemporary feel.
As a finishing touch, the Penguin colophon is incorporated into the “007” on the spine. The logo forms the central numeral – the sort of sneaky secret-messaging that is the mark of good spycraft.
