William Boyd (writer) The book, "Solo", is set in 1969; it was published in the UK by Jonathan Cape in September 2013. Boyd used Bond creator Ian Fleming as a character in his novel "Any Human Heart". Fleming recruits the book's protagonist, Logan Mountstuart, to British Naval Intelligence during World War Two. Boyd has also worked with three of the actors who have portrayed Bond in the film series: Sean Connery, Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig. Several collections of short stories by Boyd have been published, including "On the Yankee Station" (1981), "The Destiny of Nathalie 'X'" (1995), "Fascination" (2004) and "The Dreams
Solo (Boyd novel) Ian Fleming. He told reporters that he was interested in Bond as a human being. "Bond is not just a superhero. He has flaws, he has weaknesses, he makes mistakes. ... That was Fleming's genius." The novel is set in 1969 when Bond is 45; Boyd intentionally picked the year, further adding that "there are no gimmicks, it's a real spy story." Boyd criticised how the filmmakers have portrayed Bond onscreen as a "cartoon character"; he also believes that Bond should be "troubled and a massive boozer." The novel reflects Boyd's view, where Bond "drinks enough to float a boat.