James Bond 007 is a fictional British agent created in 1952 by writer Ian Fleming,featured in twelve novels,two anthologies,and a film series.After Fleming's death in 1964,subsequent James Bond novels were written by Kingsley Amis (as Robert Markham),John Pearson,John Gardner and Raymond Benson.In addition Charlie Higson has begun to write a series of books detailing the "Young James Bond".In July 2007,it was announced that Sebastian Faulks has been commissioned to write a Bond novel for publication in 2008.Moreover,Christopher Wood novelised two screenplays,while other writers have authored unofficial versions of the secret-agent character.
Initially famed through the best-selling novels,James Bond is best known from the EON Productions film series,twenty-one of which have been made as of 2007.The 22nd EON-produced Bond adventure is currently in production.In addition there have been two independent feature productions (a 1967 spoof and 1983's Never Say Never Again) and one Fleming-licenced American television adaptation of the first novel,aired in 1954.The EON Productions films are generally described as the "official" films originating with the purchase of the James Bond film rights by eventual producer Harry Saltzman in the late 1950s when Bond was a popular novel series; this term is used throughout this article.