The Moonraker novelization was penned by the film`s screenwriter Christopher Wood, and was released to coincide with the movie`s premiere in the summer of 1979.
Having previously written the novelization to 1977`s Spy Who Loved Me, Christopher Wood was once again picked to put Bond`s adventures in book form. In his Spy novelization Christopher tried to follow Ian Fleming`s style of writing; deviating on many occasions from the movie`s plotline and dialogue. When this method of novelizing a Bond film did not sit well with the public, on Wood`s next literary venture, James Bond and Moonraker, he adhered more to the movie`s plot and words.
The novel followed Moonraker`s plot of a madman`s scheme to destroy life on earth and repopulate it with his own breed of the perfect human specimen. Like the movie, the book took 007 from Drax`s estate in California, to Venice, to Brazil, and finally to Drax`s orbiting space station. While faithfully following the film, the novelization did contain some differences:
Drax`s pilot, Corinne Du Four in the film was in the book Trudi Parker; the original name of the character which was changed upon the signing of actress Corinne Clery.
The eerie sequence where Corinne is killed by the Dobermans is only referred to as having happened “offscreen.”
The scene where Bond kills the sniper who was aiming at him during the pheasant hunt is omitted from the book.
In Venice Bond`s gondolier is shot instead of stabbed by the living corpse.
Like in the movie, 007`s gondola turns into a motorboat, and the killers chase him through the canals of Venice;however, instead of the gondola transforming into a hovercraft and entering St Mark`s Square, Bond jumps out of the gondola at the last minute before it crashes into the killers` boat. So the infamous double-taking pigeon is nowhere to be found.
During the space finale, the laser guns are called laser torches. In addition to the laser battle between Drax`s men and the space marines, the novel contains a scene that would have added to Moonraker`s excitement; James Bond ends up outside the space station and is momentarily detached from it. 007 must fight to get back to the station before he is sucked into the void of deep space.
Overall Christopher Wood does an admirable job of novelizing Moonraker; even more then his Spy effort. The novel captures the movie nicely, with only minor instances where scenes or dialogue differ; and the new parts not seen in the final film help to make it all the more enjoyable.