MEME: Book Title Communication

I saw this at THE BROKEN BULLHORN and thought it looked like fun. Tough, though, finding titles that would work.

I AM: The Big Bang(Mickey Spillane and Max Allan Collins)

I WILL NEVER BE: The Thirteenth Immortal(Robert Silverberg)

I FEAR: Dinosaur Park(The Thirteenth Majestral)(Hayford Peirce)

MY BEST FRIEND IS: Davy(Edgar Pangborn)

WHAT”S THE WEATHER LIKE?: Storm Surge(J. D. Rhoades)

BEST ADVICE: Resolution(Robert B. Parker)

I’VE NEVER BEEN TO: The Dark World(Henry Kuttner)

FAVORITE FORM OF TRANSPORT: Time Travelers Never Die(Jack McDevitt)

I’ll NEVER FIT IN AT: Altar of Eden(James Rollins)

HOW I’D LIKE TO DIE: Bad Chili(Joe R. Lansdale)

YOU AND YOUR FRIENDS ARE: Downtown(Ed McBain)

THOUGHT OF THE DAY: Blues For The Prince(Bart Spicer)

YOUR SOUL’S PRESENT CONDITION: Beat To A Pulp(David Cranmer & Elaine Ash)

Danger Man/Secret Agent Book Covers

Tags

Patrick McGoohan, Secret Agent

I’d always been curious about TARGET FOR TONIGHT(U.S. only) by Richard Telfair. Published by Dell in the early sixties, when I read it, I was surprised to find that John Drake was an American agent. Odd. In researching this post, I learned that the first season was apparently American financed and shown here on CBS in 1961 as a summer replacement for Wanted: Dead Or Alive. Popular everywhere else, when they couldn’t get American financing for the second year, it was canceled.

An aside. Research also says McGoohan turned down the roles of James Bond and Simon Templar for moral reasons. He wanted a more family friendly show. John Drake never romanced the woman, never carried a gun, and did get into a few fist fights.

Over the next two years, a few things happened. The shows popularity in the rest of the world continued to grow. Fans were clamoring for new episodes. The Avengers had started and was popular on British television.

And the film Doctor No was released!

When the decision was made for more episodes, Drake morphed into a British agent and the rest is history. It retained the Danger Man title in the U. K., but became Secret Agent in the U. S., Destination Danger in France, and John Drake in other markets.

UPDATE: I should have included this the first time: