Editing James Bond (section)

===2023 changes===
In February 2023, Ian Fleming Publications (which administers all Fleming's literary works), edited the Bond series as part of a sensitivity review. The April 2023 re-releases of the series are planned to tie into the 70th anniversary of ''Casino Royale''. The new editions remove a number of references to race, including some slurs, along with some disparagements of women and homosexuality.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Simpson |first1=Craig |date=25 February 2023 |title=James Bond books edited to remove racist references |work=[[The Sunday Telegraph]] |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/02/25/james-bond-books-edited-remove-racist-references/ |access-date=27 February 2023 |archive-date=27 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230227084310/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/02/25/james-bond-books-edited-remove-racist-references/ |url-status=live }}</ref> They include a disclaimer added at the beginning of each book, reading:

<blockquote>This book was written at a time when terms and attitudes which might be considered offensive by modern readers were commonplace. A number of updates have been made in this edition, while keeping as close as possible to the original text and the period in which it is set.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Haring |first1=Bruce |title=James Bond Books Edited To Avoid Offense To Modern Audiences – Report |url=https://deadline.com/2023/02/james-bond-books-rewritten-to-avoid-offense-to-modern-audiences-1235271892/ |website=[[Deadline Hollywood|Deadline]] |date=26 February 2023 |access-date=27 February 2023 |archive-date=28 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230228050958/https://deadline.com/2023/02/james-bond-books-rewritten-to-avoid-offense-to-modern-audiences-1235271892/ |url-status=live }}</ref></blockquote> 

The decision was met with strong criticism by media outlets and public commentators, who condemned the changes as [[book censorship|literary censorship]].{{refn|<ref>{{cite news|last=Kerridge|first=Jake|title='Sensitivity' be damned – James Bond is a killer|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/books/authors/james-bond-cold-blooded-killer-should-never-written-sensitivity/|work=[[The Daily Telegraph]]|date=27 February 2023|access-date=2 March 2023|archive-date=2 March 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230302231553/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/books/authors/james-bond-cold-blooded-killer-should-never-written-sensitivity/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Lowry|first=Rich|url=https://www.nationalreview.com/2023/02/dont-rewrite-books/|title=Don't Rewrite Books|work=[[National Review]]|date=28 February 2023|access-date=1 March 2023|archive-date=1 March 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230301012405/https://www.nationalreview.com/2023/02/dont-rewrite-books/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Crow|first=David|title=Rewriting Ian Fleming's James Bond Books: What Is Even the Point?|url=https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/rewriting-ian-fleming-james-bond-books-what-is-the-point/|work=[[Den of Geek]]|date=28 February 2023|access-date=2 March 2023|archive-date=2 March 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230302231554/https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/rewriting-ian-fleming-james-bond-books-what-is-the-point/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Chilton|first=Louis|title=Censoring Roald Dahl and Ian Fleming has nothing to do with 'sensitivity'|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/features/james-bond-censored-offensive-roald-dahl-b2290856.html|work=[[The Independent]]|date=27 February 2023|access-date=1 March 2023|archive-date=1 March 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230301012401/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/features/james-bond-censored-offensive-roald-dahl-b2290856.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Ladan|first=Luke|title=I've read all the James Bond books and write for a living. Censoring them is just plain wrong|url=https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/read-james-bond-books-write-living-censoring-wrong|work=[[Fox News]]|date=2 March 2023|access-date=2 March 2023|archive-date=2 March 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230302231553/https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/read-james-bond-books-write-living-censoring-wrong|url-status=live}}</ref>}} ''[[The View (talk show)|The View]]'' host [[Whoopi Goldberg]] expressed her opposition, arguing that offensive historical literature should be left unaltered;<ref>{{cite news|last=Nungesser|first=Samantha|title=Whoopi Goldberg Says She's Against Editing Offensive Books on 'The View': "Kids Should Have the Right to Read How People Thought"|url=https://decider.com/2023/02/27/the-view-whoopi-goldberg-sunny-hostin-clash-censorship/|work=[[New York Post#Decider|Decider]]|date=27 February 2023|access-date=27 February 2023|archive-date=27 February 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230227225524/https://decider.com/2023/02/27/the-view-whoopi-goldberg-sunny-hostin-clash-censorship/|url-status=live}}</ref> while ''[[National Review]]'' contributors [[Charles C. W. Cooke]] and [[Douglas Murray (author)|Douglas Murray]] attacked the changes as excessive [[political correctness]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Cooke|first=Charles C. W.|title=Why Not Censor Shakespeare Next?|url=https://www.nationalreview.com/2023/02/why-not-censor-shakespeare-next/|work=[[National Review]]|date=27 February 2023|access-date=27 February 2023|archive-date=27 February 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230227230528/https://www.nationalreview.com/2023/02/why-not-censor-shakespeare-next/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Murray|first=Douglas|title=Sensitivity Readers Are Distorting the Pages of the Past|url=https://www.nationalreview.com/magazine/2023/05/01/sensitivity-readers-are-distorting-the-pages-of-the-past/|work=[[National Review]]|date=13 April 2023|access-date=19 April 2023|archive-date=19 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230419032424/https://www.nationalreview.com/magazine/2023/05/01/sensitivity-readers-are-distorting-the-pages-of-the-past/|url-status=live}}</ref> Fleming biographer [[Andrew Lycett]] also opposed the changes, writing that "what an author commits to paper is sacrosanct and shouldn't be altered...The only changes to the text should come from the author."<ref>{{cite news|author=[[Andrew Lycett|Lycett, Andrew]]|title=I'm Ian Fleming's biographer – there's no way James Bond can be made 'PC'|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/james-bond-ian-fleming-books-edited-b2290563.html|work=[[The Independent]]|date=27 February 2023|access-date=1 March 2023|archive-date=1 March 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230301012405/https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/james-bond-ian-fleming-books-edited-b2290563.html|url-status=live}}</ref>