Going Postal

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Going Postal
Going Postal cover (2014 paperback)
The 2014 paperback edition, with cover art by Paul Kidby
AuthorTerry Pratchett
Audio read byTony Robinson (Corgi);
Stephen Briggs (Isis)
Richard Coyle (Penguin)
Cover artistPaul Kidby
CountryUK
LanguageEnglish
SeriesDiscworld
Release number
33
Sub-seriesMoist von Lipwig/Industrial Revolution
GenreFantasy
PublisherDoubleday
Published in English
2004-09-28
Preceded byA Hat Full of Sky 
Followed byThud! 

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
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”[1] 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

Footnotes