Going Postal
 The 2014 paperback edition, with cover art by Paul Kidby | |
| Author | Terry Pratchett |
|---|---|
| Audio read by | Tony Robinson (Corgi); Stephen Briggs (Isis) Richard Coyle (Penguin) |
| Cover artist | Paul Kidby |
| Country | UK |
| Language | English |
| Series | Discworld |
Release number | 33 |
| Sub-series | Moist von Lipwig/Industrial Revolution |
| Genre | Fantasy |
| Publisher | Doubleday |
Published in English | 2004-09-28 |
| Preceded by | A Hat Full of Sky |
| Followed by | Thud! |
Going Postal is the thirty-third Discworld novel, and the first to star reformed con-man Moist von Lipwig. It is set primarily in Ankh-Morpork and heavily features the Clacks system of semaphore towers. The book also contributed the concept of “GNU”, a code in the Clacks system that causes its attached message to be sent back and forth through the system forever. In the novel, it’s used as a way of immortalising the names of those who have died. This is all explained at the end of chapter four, which also introduces the phrase, “a man’s not dead while his name’s still spoken.” This sentiment has become hugely popular with Pratchett fans, who often use “GNU” with the name of a deceased loved one; “GNU Terry Pratchett” has also become a thing on the Roundworld Internet. For more, see the L-Space wiki entry for “GNU Terry Pratchett”.
Blurb
2014 paperback
The post was an old thing, of course, but it was so old that it had magically become new again.
Moist von Lipwig is a con artist and a fraud and a man faced with a life choice: be hanged, or put the ailing postal service of Ankh-Morpork – the Discworld’s city-state – back on its feet.
It’s a tough decision.
The post is a creaking old institution, overshadowed by new technology. But there are people who still believe in it, and Moist must become one of them if he's going to see that the mail gets through, come rain, hail, sleet, dogs, the Post Office Workers Friendly and Benevolent Society, an evil chairman...and a midnight killer.
Getting a date with Adora Bell Dearheart would be nice, too.
Perhaps there's a shot at redemption in the mad world of the mail, waiting for a man who's prepared to push the envelope...
Podcast episodes
Major appearances
These are episodes primarily devoted to discussing this book.
| Date | Show | Episode | External link |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-05-10 | Radio Morpork | “The Conman Always Rings Twice” | radiomorpork.wordpress.com |
| 2020-12-08 | Pratchat | “Moisten to Steal” | pratchatpodcast.com |
| 2021-05-15 | The Death of Podcasts | “Going Postal” | aalgar.com |
| 2021-11-28 | Wyrd Sisters | “Going Postal” | wyrdsisters.podbean.com |
| 2022-09-27 | The Compleat Discography | “Going Postal” | compleatdiscography.page |
| 2023-09-10 | The Truth Shall Make Ye Fret | “Die of the Gnats” (1/3) | thetruthshallmakeyefret.com |
| 2023-09-17 | The Truth Shall Make Ye Fret | “Redemption Addict” (2/3) | thetruthshallmakeyefret.com |
| 2023-09-25 | The Truth Shall Make Ye Fret | “Story-Shaped Story” (3/3) | thetruthshallmakeyefret.com |
| 2023-10-21 | Fireside Book Club | “Going Postal - Part 1” (1/?) | spreaker.com |
| 2023-10-24 | Fireside Book Club | “Going Postal - Part 2” (2/?) | spreaker.com |
| 2023-11-16 | The Graham Norton Book Club | “Terry Pratchett and Nicola Coughlan” | art19.com |
| 2023-12-03 | Nanny Ogg's Book Club | “Going Postal” | fireside.fm |
| 2024-05-22 | Fiction Fans | “Going Postal by Terry Pratchett” | fictionfanspodcast.com |
Other appearances
Episodes where there's significant discussion of the book, but it's not the focus of the episode.
| Date | Show | Episode | External link |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014-10-01 | No Deodorant in Outer Space | “Going Postal (book/movie) Terry Pratchett - Jon Jones”[1] | libsyn.com |
| 2018-10-04 | The Pratchett Podcast | “Ep61” | app.talkshoe.com |
| 2023-11-29 | In Her Good Books | “Matthew Perry, Terry Pratchett and Crying Real Tears From Our Eyes”[2] | goodbookspodcast.com |
Adaptations
- Going Postal was the third and final live-action Discworld adaptation made by The Mob for Sky Television in 2010. It starred Richard Coyle as Moist von Lipwig, with Charles Dance as the Patrician, Claire Foy as Adora Belle Dearheart, Andrew Sachs as Tolliver Groat and David Suchet as Reacher Gilt, plus some other famous faces in supporting roles and a cameo from Terry Pratchett as a postman.
- As well as the abridged Corgi audiobook read by Tony Robinson, there are two unabridged audiobooks: one from Isis Books, read by Stephen Briggs, and the Penguin audiobook read by Richard Coyle (reprising his televison role), which also features Bill Nighy reading the footnotes and Peter Serafinowicz as the voice of Death.
External links
- Going Postal at the L-Space Wiki
- Going Postal on Wikipedia
Footnotes
- ↑ Discusses both the novel and Going Postal. This show has also done episodes about The Colour of Magic/Terry Pratchett's The Colour of Magic and Hogfather/Terry Pratchett's Hogfather.
- ↑ Also discusses Terry Pratchett: A Life With Footnotes.