The Making of Another Major Motion Picture Masterpiece

　　湯姆．漢克斯首部長篇小說作品問世
 
　　「一部狂野，極具野心、趣味之作。」－暢銷作家麥特．海格
 
　　關於一部超級英雄大片的製作⋯⋯
 
　　時間先暫時拉回到1947年：一位參與二戰的大兵Bob Falls發現自己回到家鄉後，很難再過上正常生活。某日他與五歲的外甥Robby Anderson相遇，並在他幼小的心中留下深刻的印象，不過，Bob卻自此消失了足足23年。
 
　　下一幕我們來到1970年：當年的小男孩Robby已長大成人，住在加州奧克蘭，是個非主流的地下漫畫家。他重新與舅舅Bob恢復聯繫後，憶起小時候曾經看過的一部漫畫，決定套用叔叔當年在太平洋戰區的經歷，畫出一個全新的版本。
 
　　鏡頭拉近，我們回到現代：著名導演意外發現了Bobby的漫畫，決定將其翻拍成現代超級英雄大片。選角已就位，男主演是個超級狂妄自大的新星－Bailey，而女主則是由美貌和才藝兼具的Wren飾演。場景也已經選好，在Robby的家鄉準備開拍。然而事情當然不可能如想像中順利，拍電影不是人員到齊了就好⋯⋯
 
　　書中收錄故事中出現的三部漫畫，皆由湯姆．漢克斯所著。關於這本小說，他表示：「這是由一台冒著煙的發熱打字機，所敲出的成果。」

(文／博客來外文館)

　　From the legendary actor and best-selling author: a novel about the making of a star-studded, multimillion-dollar superhero action film…and the humble comic books that inspired it. Funny, touching, and wonderfully thought-provoking, while also capturing the changes in America and American culture since World War II.
 
　　“Wild, ambitious and exceptionally enjoyable.” —Matt Haig, best-selling author The Midnight Library, The Humans and Reasons to Stay Alive
 
　　Part One of this story takes place in 1947. A troubled soldier, returning from the war, meets his talented five-year-old nephew, leaves an indelible impression, and then disappears for twenty-three years.
 
　　Cut to 1970: The nephew, now drawing underground comic books in Oakland, California, reconnects with his uncle and, remembering the comic book he saw when he was five, draws a new version with his uncle as a World War II fighting hero.
 
　　Cut to the present day: A commercially successful director discovers the 1970 comic book and decides to turn it into a contemporary superhero movie.
 
　　Cue the cast: We meet the film’s extremely difficult male star, his wonderful leading lady, the eccentric writer/director, the producer, the gofer production assistant, and everyone else on both sides of the camera.
 
　　Bonus material: Interspersed throughout are three comic books that are featured in the story—all created by Tom Hanks himself—including the comic book that becomes the official tie-in to this novel’s “major motion picture masterpiece.”