What if

[Hardy Boys UB Fan]

The Hardy Boys Casefiles were being rewritten today or relaunched, with all the terrorism going on today. What do you think they would do plot wise?

[MacGyver]

Well, with a contemporary Hardy Boys Casefiles series, I feel that certainly they would be addressing terrorism all the more. I don't know if real life groups would be used, but it would probably be veiled references, like the Casefiles series already does to some degree. Of course, new technology also changes the feel of the stories and how Frank and Joe operate. It's a lot different world from 1987 for sure.

[tomswift2002]

I don't think the technology would change all that much in the stories.  Just recently when I was reading Perfect Getaway, aside from when the Hardy's intercept the phone call, which might've been changed to a cell phone call rather than a land phone, or even email/text, and later go into a room full of CRT computer monitors, I found the story could've been written in 2015 rather than 1987.  And when I think of some of the other Casefiles, none are really popping to mind about needing a major rewrite to bring them up to today's world, at least from the first 66 books.  Books like The Broderline Case and In Self-Defense I can see getting updates so that the Hardy's were not facing Soviet Union-Cold War Era forces, but maybe Muslim-Taliban/ISIS forces; instead of street gangs beating people up it would be street gangs selling drugs.

[MacGyver]

That's true- I could see some minor updates like that (in the case of In Self-Defense, that is- The Borderline Case would obviously be a rather major update.)
Of course, at the same time, with the continuing advancements in technology, medicine and science, books like The Lazarus Plot don't sound nearly as far-fetched as they might have at the time they were written. Other books, like Cult of Crime and Hostages of Hate, seem timelier than ever, considering their plotlines. (But that's just focusing on the earliest books in the series from the late '80s. The latter end of the series from the late '90s would probably need even less updates.)

[Hardy Boys UB Fan]

I've read those too. About all they might need is smart phones instead of payphones. I can see them getting gangs for selling drugs to minors...now that would be a story!

[SkyWarp]

That's true- I could see some minor updates like that (in the case of In Self-Defense, that is- The Borderline Case would obviously be a rather major update.)
Of course, at the same time, with the continuing advancements in technology, medicine and science, books like The Lazarus Plot don't sound nearly as far-fetched as they might have at the time they were written. Other books, like Cult of Crime and Hostages of Hate, seem timelier than ever, considering their plotlines. (But that's just focusing on the earliest books in the series from the late '80s. The latter end of the series from the late '90s would probably need even less updates.)

The tv show Alias did the Lazarus Plot idea a couple times.

[MacGyver]

Did it? That's cool! (I hope they credited The Hardy Boys book for the idea. )

[Hardy Boys UB Fan]

Why would The Borderline Case need a major update?

[MacGyver]

Well, the back cover of the book mentions the Hardy Boys being near Yugoslavia, for starters. 
As tomswift2002 mentioned, Frank and Joe are fighting Soviet forces in the books- which was very fitting for the Cold War era that America and the USSR were still in, even up through 1989. But something significant happened in November 1989- the Berlin Wall in Germany came down and brought unification between East and West Germany (which had been divided since 1961.) This helped lead the way to the fall of Communism and the USSR, which eventually disbanded in 1991, at which point that land mass became again what we know as Russia, along with some new countries formed at that time, like Kazakhstan and others. Also, countries like Yugoslavia ceased to exist around then.

[tomswift2002]

Well I only mentioned up to 66 because that is where a lot of people think the quality in the Casefiles really started dropping off, not to mention the action that helped to define the series in earlier books was toned down quite a bit, to the point where you essentially had two Mystery Stories series running at the same time.  You still had the odd early-Casefiles-esque book between 67 and 127, but that was few and far between.

But for updates, in the early books it would mostly be minor updates, like Frank, unless it was specifically said that he needed to, not having to connect a separate modem to his desktop or laptop computer in order to talk to the Network.  Or even having to search for a phone to use to connect to the internet.  But these are minor edits, they would not be major plot edits.   

[Hardy Boys UB Fan]

Well, the back cover of the book mentions the Hardy Boys being near Yugoslavia, for starters. 
As tomswift2002 mentioned, Frank and Joe are fighting Soviet forces in the books- which was very fitting for the Cold War era that America and the USSR were still in, even up through 1989. But something significant happened in November 1989- the Berlin Wall in Germany came down and brought unification between East and West Germany (which had been divided since 1961.) This helped lead the way to the fall of Communism and the USSR, which eventually disbanded in 1991, at which point that land mass became again what we know as Russia, along with some new countries formed at that time, like Kazakhstan and others. Also, countries like Yugoslavia ceased to exist around then.

Yeah, and the book Castle Fear, talks a lot about the USSR. I wasn't even born when this series came out, and it ended when I was like seven! So that explains my knowledge or to be more exact, lack thereof.

Well I only mentioned up to 66 because that is where a lot of people think the quality in the Casefiles really started dropping off, not to mention the action that helped to define the series in earlier books was toned down quite a bit, to the point where you essentially had two Mystery Stories series running at the same time.  You still had the odd early-Casefiles-esque book between 67 and 127, but that was few and far between.

But for updates, in the early books it would mostly be minor updates, like Frank, unless it was specifically said that he needed to, not having to connect a separate modem to his desktop or laptop computer in order to talk to the Network.  Or even having to search for a phone to use to connect to the internet.  But these are minor edits, they would not be major plot edits.   

Why would anyone search for a phone to use for the internet? A lot of people I know don't have phones like that anymore with an actual phone line!

[SkyWarp]

Why would anyone search for a phone to use for the internet? A lot of people I know don't have phones like that anymore with an actual phone line!

I still have a landline.    But only for in-bound calls (it has no long distance for me).  I like it for a couple reasons. 

1) If you have a cheap enough phone you do not need electricity to use the phone or need to worry about batteries needing recharged.   
2) I get a lot more political poll calls that way.  A LOT MORE.  I get none on my cell phone.  And believe it or not, I love getting poll calls.   
3) I can give out a phone number and not worry about my cell phone getting all the marketing calls.

[Hardy Boys UB Fan]

I hope the Adventures series does do more advance (ie: terrorism) plots then the UB series did.

[MacGyver]

Yeah, and the book Castle Fear, talks a lot about the USSR. I wasn't even born when this series came out, and it ended when I was like seven! So that explains my knowledge or to be more exact, lack thereof.

By comparison, it's kinda funny and sad at the same time that my childhood is now history for younger generations- lol.

[Hardy Boys UB Fan]

By comparison, it's kinda funny and sad at the same time that my childhood is now history for younger generations- lol.

Yeah, and now I've started to read them again. Up to 59.