Under the microscope

Only days after a British publisher came under fire for edits made to Roald Dahl’s children’s books, the Telegraph revealed Feb. 25 that James Bond was getting the same treatment. Just as Dahl’s books would be adjusted to remove language that today’s readers deem offensive, the estate of Bond author Ian Fleming has conducted a sensitivity review before an upcoming reissue of the spy novels.

It’s hard for anyone to argue in favor of the language in question—in Dahl’s case, offensive terms relating to race, gender, weight, and mental health have been rewritten; in Fleming’s, language describing Black people has particularly come under the microscope, though Bond’s notorious attitude toward women will reportedly remain. The reaction to the news is a case study in both why such a decision would draw scrutiny, and why publishers and authors’ estates may see it as in their best interest regardless.