Just when you thought 2026 couldn’t get bigger for hardcore 007 fans, a newly announced brand-new James Bond book changes everything. In addition to three new James Bond events this year—Kim Sherwood’s Hurricane Room, the video game 007 First Light, and the audio adventures of Young Bond—there’s now another Bond adventure coming. On Tuesday, March 31, it was revealed that Charlie Higson has written a new, brand-new James Bond novel called King Zero, which will be published in late 2026.
Here’s what we know about King Zero, and why, according to Higgson, this Bond adventure will blend two distinct styles of 007.
What is King Zero?
(Photo by James Manning – PA Images on Getty Images)
King Zero is the new James Bond novel from Charlie Higson, who previously wrote a popular series called Young Bond, which began in 2005 with the publication of SilverFin. Though he’s written short fiction about an adult Bond before, this will be his first full-length 007 book. But what’s it about? According to an interview with James Bond afficindao ViewsFromMark on Instagram, Higson said: “I’ve tried to combine the worlds of Fleming, be true to Fleming, and the cinematic Bond…”
In short, Higson will not make King Zero into a continuation of his Young Bond books, which are works of historical fiction, set prior to the 1950s canon of the original Fleming books. Instead, King Zero will be a new take on a 35-year-old version of Bond in the modern day. The title refers to the villain of the book, a tradition that goes back to novels like Goldfinger, The Man With the Golden Gun, and Dr. No.
Higson also said that he was trying to make sure his books appealed to fans of the films, as well as the books, saying, “So many people really only know Bond through the films.” The book covers features sharks, and Higson made it clear that sharks will indeed play a role in the novel.
Charlie Higson’s King Zero will be published by Ian Fleming Publications in September 2026. The next Bond novel, Kim Sherwood’s Hurricane Room, will be published on May 19, 2026.
This story was originally published by Men’s Journal on Apr 1, 2026, where it first appeared in the Entertainment section. Add Men’s Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.