The Once and Future King

　　他不是一位浪漫的英雄，而是一個盡其所能把事情做到最好的凡人；他不是騎士精神的領袖，而是個不斷思考的孩子，試圖忠於他那位古怪魔法導師；他不是英格蘭王亞瑟，而是個孤獨的人，在命運的齒牙之間，付出大半輩子的時間戴著王冠。
　　
　　身兼學者和作家的懷特，爬梳無數詩歌、散文及史料，改編十五世紀起即為經典的《亞瑟之死》，以前所未見的博學觀點，完整還原亞瑟王及圓桌武士的故事細節；亦人亦神的英格蘭之王，在研究者的犀利和小說家的細膩中，褪下傳奇的軀殼，找回最平凡的肉身。
　　
　　暱稱為「小瓦」的亞瑟，遇上不合時宜的巫師梅林，無意間拔出石中劍，成為一介被卡美洛王朝壓得喘不過氣的凡人。他見證騎士精神的誕生與破滅、信仰的建立和背棄、國家的認同與游離、人性的至情與背叛，試圖力挽狂瀾，卻終究失敗，為後世交織出一齣不朽、壯麗的史詩悲劇。

　　★本書中譯本《永恆之王：亞瑟王傳奇》由繆思出版。

　　A deluxe hardcover edition of the world’s greatest fantasy classic — part of Penguin Galaxy, a collectible series of six sci-fi/fantasy classics, featuring a series introduction by Neil Gaiman

　　T. H. White’s masterful retelling of the saga of King Arthur is a fantasy classic as legendary as the sword Excalibur and city of Camelot that are found within its pages. This magical epic takes Arthur from the glorious lyrical phase of his youth, through the disillusioning early years of his reign, to maturity when his vision of the Round Table develops into the search for the Holy Grail, and finally to his weary old age. With memorable characters like Merlin and Owl and Guinevere, beasts who talk and men who fly, wizardry and war, The Once and Future Kinghas become the fantasy masterpiece against which all others are judged, a poignant story of adventure, romance, and magic that has enchanted readers for generations.

　　Penguin Galaxy

　　Six of our greatest masterworks of science fiction and fantasy, in dazzling collector-worthy hardcover editions, and featuring a series introduction by #1 New York Times bestselling author Neil Gaiman, Penguin Galaxy represents a constellation of achievement in visionary fiction, lighting the way toward our knowledge of the universe, and of ourselves. From historical legends to mythic futures, monuments of world-building to mind-bending dystopias, these touchstones of human invention and storytelling ingenuity have transported millions of readers to distant realms, and will continue for generations to chart the frontiers of the imagination.
 
　　The Once and Future King by T. H. White
　　Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein
　　Dune by Frank Herbert
　　2001: A Space Odyssey by Arthur C. Clarke
　　The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin
　　Neuromancer by William Gibson

　　For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

作者簡介

特倫斯．韓伯瑞．懷特（Terence Hanbury White, 1906-1964）

　 　英國作家。生於印度孟買，後回英國定居，專事研究寫作。鄉間生活傳記《吾身屬英格蘭》（England Have My Bones, 1936）一書，奠定了他在文壇的名聲。之後，他投入研究亞瑟王傳奇，因而有《永恆之王》（The Once And Future King）的誕生，也成為他創作上另一個重要里程碑。

　　懷特喜愛隱居鄉間，遠離塵囂。平日除了寫作，便是從事打獵、釣魚等休閒娛樂，也喜歡豢養寵物。1964年他自美國返家時，在航往希臘的船上過世，享年59歲。他除了小說，還留下大量短篇故事和詩。

　 　T. H. White (1906–1964) was born in Bombay, India. He began to write after graduating with distinction from Queen’s College, Cambridge. In 1938 he published The Sword in the Stone, the first volume in what would become his epic retelling of Arthurian legends,The Once and Future King.
 
　　Neil Gaiman (series introduction) is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of more than twenty books for readers of all ages, including American Gods, The Ocean at the End of the Lane, The Graveyard Book, Coraline, and the Sandman series of graphic novels. He is Professor in the Arts at Bard College.

　　Alex Trochut (cover designer) is an award-winning artist, graphic designer, illustrator, and typographer. He has designed for The New York Times, The Guardian, Nike, Adidas, The Rolling Stones, Coca-Cola, and Pepsi and was nominated for a 2016 Grammy Award for Best Recording Package. Born in Barcelona, Spain, he lives in Brooklyn.