New James Bond novel announced from acclaimed spin-off author with "an extraordinarily timely story"
Young Bond author Charlie Higson is returning to the world of Ian Fleming’s spy in a new novel.
A new novel from Young Bond author Charlie Higson has been announced – and it will be his first full-length book tackling adult 007.
The new novel, titled KING ZERO, will be published in the UK/Commonwealth by Penguin Michael Joseph and is scheduled for release on 24 September 2026.
Higson – who wrote five books featuring a young Bond between 2005 and 2008 – made his first foray into the adventures of an adult 007 in 2023 novella On His Majesty's Secret Service, which was released to mark the coronation of King Charles III and saw Bond tasked with thwarting an attempt to disrupt proceedings.
KING ZERO will continue those adventures. "Beginning with the murder of an agent in Saudi Arabia by a weapon never before seen by the Secret Service and spanning the globe in an epic race against time to avert global catastrophe, the novel brings the literary Bond squarely into the twenty-first century, where the old world that made him is crumbling and a terrifying new order emerges while a dangerous villain – the most distinctive since Goldfinger – moves in the shadows," the official synopsis teases.
Higson said in a statement: “Having warmed up with my Young Bond series, and the short story, On His Majesty’s Secret Service, I’m beyond excited to be writing my first full blown adult Bond adventure. 20 years after first writing The name’s Bond, James Bond,' it still sends shivers down my spine every time I type it."
He continued: "I'm having a blast with this new novel, which is absolutely set in the modern world, and I hope will sit comfortably on the airport bookshelves alongside other contemporary thrillers. It embraces the worlds of both the literary Bond and the cinematic Bond, and my bad guy has all the elements we expect from a classic Bond villain, with a twist that’s not been done before.”
Publisher Joel Richardson acquired rights for the novel from Viola Hayden and Ciara Finan at Curtis Brown, on behalf of Ian Fleming Publications Ltd.
Richardson said: “There’s no character in all of fiction quite like James Bond, and since Ian Fleming’s passing no-one has captured him quite so distinctively as Charlie Higson. We were swept away by Charlie’s vision for Bond which will delight old fans and new, and we can’t wait to make this the coolest, classiest publication of the year.”
Amanda Douglas, Managing Director for Ian Fleming Publications Ltd, added: “We are delighted to be working with Penguin Michael Joseph on the publication of King Zero. Charlie Higson’s return to James Bond follows his outstanding success with On His Majesty’s Secret Service, commissioned for the King’s Coronation, and we are delighted to be working with Charlie again, bringing the next chapter of Bond to fans."
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Molly Moss is a Trends Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest trends across TV, film and more. She has an MA in Newspaper Journalism and has previously written for publications including The Guardian, The Times and The Sun Online.
