Bond author's unstirring words on Idris Elba leave him shaken

FIRST OF ALL, Anthony Horowitz may be a best-selling author in England, but he's not Ian Fleming.

Fleming created James Bond, who made his first appearance in the 1953 novel Casino Royale and immediately became a hit. Fleming had served in British naval intelligence during World War II and began his career as a novelist while living in Jamaica.

He continued to write the wildly popular Bond stories at a rate of about a book a year until his death in 1964, living to see Sean Connery portray the spy in the first two films, "Dr. No" and "To Russia with Love."

Horowitz, known for his teen spy Alex Rider series, has been brought on by the Fleming estate to write the newest Bond book, Trigger Mortis. He's one of several writers to have continued the Bond series, including Sebastian Faulks, Wiliam Boyd, Jeffrey Deaver, John Gardner, Raymond Benson, and Kingsley Amis writing as Robert Markham.

Horowitz had something to say about the casting of the next Bond. He made a well-covered statement saying that Idris Elba, rumored to be a strong contender for the role, is "too street."

And then, perhaps under some pressure, and certainly knowing he'd be asked about it while promoting his book, Horowitz quickly retracted,

"For me, Idris Elba is a bit too rough to play the part," Horowitz had told the Daily Mail. "It's not a color issue. I think he is probably a bit too 'street' for Bond. Is it a question of being suave? Yeah."

But in his apology, Horowitz said that he "clumsily" chose his words, and that he was "mortified to have caused offense."

He added: "I'm a writer, not a casting director, so what do I know?"

A mistake . . . or a good publicity stunt?

- Daily News wire services