内容简介
Suddenly,condemnedarch-swindlerMoistvonLipwigfoundhimselfwithanoosearoundhisneckanddroppingthroughatrapdoorinto...agovernmentjob?Byallrights,MoistshouldbemeetinghismakerratherthanbeingofferedapositionasPostmasterbyLordVetinari,supremerulerofAnkh-Morpork.GettingthemoribundPostalServiceupandrunningagain,however,mayproveanimpossibletask,whatwithliterallymountainsofdecades-oldundeliveredmailcloggingeverynookandcrannyofthebroken-downpostoffice.Worsestill,Moistcouldswearthemailistalkingtohim.Worstofall,itmeanstakingonthegargantuan,greedyGrandTrunkclackscommunicationmonopolyanditsbloodthirstypiraticalheadman.Butiftheboldandundoablearewhat'scalledfor,Moist'sthemanforthejob--tomovethemail,continuebreathing,getthegirl,andspeciallydeliverthatinvaluablecommoditythateverybeing,humanorotherwise,requires:hope.
作者简介
TerryPratchettwasbornApril28,1948inBeaconsfield,BucksCounty.In1959,heattendedHighWycombeTechnicalHighSchoolratherthanthelocalschoolbecausehefelt'woodworkwouldbemorefunthanLatin.'Hisshortstory"TheHadesBusiness"waspublishedintheschoolmagazinewhenhewasthirteen,andcommerciallywhenhewasfifteen.HavinggotfiveO-levelsandstartedA-levelcoursesinArt,HistoryandEnglish,hedecidedafterthefirstyeartotryjournalism.ButthenajobopportunitypresenteditselfwiththeBucksFreePress,andPratchettleftschoolin1965.WhilewiththePresshetooktheNationalCouncilfortheTrainingofJournalistsproficiencyclassandalsopassedanAlevelinEnglishwhileondayrelease.Pratchetthadwrittenabookcalled"TheCarpetPeople"whichwaspublishedin1971."TheCarpetPeople"wasfollowedby"TheDarkSideoftheSun"in1976and"Strata"in1981.HelefttheBucksFreePressandstartedworkfortheWesternDailyPressonSeptember28,1970,hereturnedtothePressin1972asasub-editor,andonSeptember3,1973joinedtheBathChronicle.Atthistime,hehadalsoproducedaseriesofcartoonsforthemonthlyjournal,PsychicResearcher,describingthegoings-onatthegovernment'sfictionalparanormalresearchestablishment,'WarlockHall'.In1980PratchettwasappointedpublicityofficerfortheCentralElectricityGeneratingBoardwithresponsibilityforthreenuclearpowerstations,wherehewasworkingwhenthefirstoftheDiscworldnovels"TheColourofMagic,"waspublished,in1983.Pratchett'spaperbackpublisheratthetimewasNewEnglishLibrary,whohadpublished"TheDarkSideoftheSunandSourcery.""TheLightFantastic"waspublishedin1986,andPratchettdecidedthathehadtomovetoamajorpublishinghouse.HechoseGollancz,andtheyconsideredtakingPratchettontotheirSFlist,althoughtheyhadneverpublishedfantasybefore,onlytraditionalSF,andstruckaco-publishingdealforthreetitles,"EqualRites","Mort"and"Sourcery."InSeptember1987,soonafterhehadfinishedwriting"Mort,"Pratchettdecidedthathecouldaffordtodevotehimselftofull-timewriting.Hisbooksforyoungreaders,Truckers,thefirstvolumeofwhatisknownintheUSAastheBromeliadTrilogy,wasalandmarkpublication,becomingthefirstchildren'sbooktoappearintheBritishadultpaperbackfictionbest-sellerlists.Itwasfollowedby"Diggers,""Wings,"therevisedversionof"TheCarpetPeople,"andallthreeJohnnyMaxwellbooks.Pratchetthasalsowrittenanumberofshortstories,threeofwhichhaveDiscworldthemes.HewasappointedasanOfficeroftheOrderoftheBritishEmpireintheQueen's1998BirthdayHonoursListinJune,'forservicestoliterature'.InJuly1999hereceivedanhonoraryDoctorateofLiterature(D.Litt.)fromtheUniversityofWarwickandgranteddoctoratesoftheUnseenUniversitytoIanStewartandJackCohen,co-authorsof"TheScienceofDiscworld,"whichhadbeenpublishedthepreviousmonth,andin2001,onefromtheUniversityofPortsmouth.
