Jasper Fforde (born 11 January 1961) is a British novelist. Fforde's first novel, The Eyre Affair, was published in 2001. Fforde is mainly known for his Thursday Next novels, although he has written several books in the loosely connected Nursery Crime series and has begun two more independent series, The Last Dragonslayer and Shades of Grey. Fforde was born in London on 11 January 1961, the son of John Standish Fforde, the 24th Chief Cashier for the Bank of England (whose signature appeared on sterling banknotes during his time in office). He is the cousin, by her marriage to Desmond Fforde, of the author Katie Fforde, the grandson of Polish political adviser Joseph Retinger, and a great-grandson of journalist E. D. Morel. Fforde was educated at the progressive Dartington Hall School, and his early career was spent as a focus puller in the film industry, where he worked on a number of films, including The Trial, Quills, GoldenEye, and Entrapment. Fforde published his first novel, The Eyre Affair, in 2001. His published books include a series of novels starring the literary detective Thursday Next: The Eyre Affair, Lost in a Good Book, The Well of Lost Plots, Something Rotten, First Among Sequels, One of our Thursdays Is Missing and The Woman Who Died a Lot. The Eyre Affair had received 76 publisher rejections before its eventual acceptance for publication. Fforde won the Wodehouse prize for comic fiction in 2004 for The Well of Lost Plots. The Big Over Easy (2005), set in the same alternative universe as the Next novels, is a reworking of his first written novel, which initially failed to find a publisher. Its original title was Who Killed Humpty Dumpty?, and later had the working title of Nursery Crime, which is the title now used to refer to this series of books. These books describe the investigations of DCI Jack Spratt. The follow-up to The Big Over Easy, The Fourth Bear, was published in July 2006 and focuses on Goldilocks and the Three Bears. Fforde's books are noted for their profusion of literary allusions and wordplay, tightly scripted plots, and playfulness with the conventions of traditional genres. His works usually contain elements of metafiction, parody, and fantasy. None of his books has a chapter 13 except in the table of contents where there is a title of the chapter and a page number. In many of the books the page number is, in fact, the page right before the first page of chapter 14. However, in some the page number is just a page somewhere in chapter 12. Shades of Grey, the first novel in a new series, was published December 2009 in the United States and January 2010 in the United Kingdom. The sixth Thursday Next novel One of our Thursdays is Missing was published in February 2011. Fforde also plans a third Nursery Crime novel, The Last Great Tortoise Race: The Last Great Tortoise Race will be the third and final instalment of the NCD series. It is scheduled for 2014. In November 2010 he produced The Last Dragonslayer, unconnected with his other works but in a similar though simplified style, a young-adult fantasy novel about a teenage orphan. The book is the first in a trilogy. The second book in the series, The Song of the Quarkbeast, was released in November 2011. In 2009, Fforde published a story in the Welsh edition of Big Issue magazine (a magazine distributed by the homeless) called "We are all alike" (previously called "The Man with no face". He also published "The Locked Room Mystery mystery" in the The Guardian newspaper in 2007 and this story remains online. The U.S. version of Well of Lost Plots features a bonus chapter called "Heavy Weather", a complete story in itself, featuring Thursday Next in her position as Bellman. Fforde has an interest in aviation and owns and flies a Rearwin Skyranger. CONTENT: 1.The Last Dragonslayer (read by Elizabeth Jasicki)2.The Song Of The Quarkbeast (read by Elizabeth Jasicki)3.The Eye Of Zoltar (read by Jane Collingwood)4.The Great Troll War (read by Jane Collingwood)5.The Big Over Easy (read by Simon Prebble)6.The Fourth Bear (read by Simon Vance)7.Shades Of Grey (read by John Lee)8.The Constant Rabbit (read by Andrew Wincott)9.Early Riser (read by Thomas Hunt) Audio-DVD format: It can be used on DVD and DVD-Rom players, also on devices such as Playstation, Xbox or portable DVD players. In addition, the tracks can be taken to any mp3 player, such as portable mp3 player, tablets, smartphones, etc. through the computer. - The tracks are handled in the same way that you would handle the songs through iTunes. - The number of discs varies by each title, although generally it goes in a single disc. - The AudioDVD format is not the same as traditional CDs and does not work on CD players. Please be sure to use one of the players mentioned above. - The format of the tracks is MP3; This is the extension of better handling and of more quality. - Kbps vary by title. - Audiobooks are read by professional narrators. MP3-CD format: This audio CD-MP3 works on your computer. It also works on CD and DVD players with mp3 capacity, including car stereos. - The number of discs varies by each title. Each disc can contain one or several audiobooks. - The mp3 tracks can be taken to different mp3 players or smartphones and iphone or ipad. Make sure your device is compatible with this technology before making your purchase. - The format of the tracks is MP3; This is the extension of better handling and of more quality. - Kbps vary by title. - Audiobooks are read by professional narrators. SHIPPING: All audiobooks are sent through USPS First Class and will arrive at your hands between 7 and 10 days after your purchase (usually much sooner than later). A link will be sent so you can track your product online. We ship worldwide through USPS. RETURNS: If the product presents any problem, we will send you another one immediately! Any disagreement will always be resolved. You will also have the PayPal purchase protection against any problem that occurs with your purchase. Original case is not included with your purchase. Pictures Of Disc covers/cases in this listing are for illustrative purposes only.
