Here is a true literary event–the long-awaited new novel by Carlos Fuentes, one of the world’s great writers. By turns a tragedy and a farce, an acidic black comedy and an indictment of modern politics, The Eagle’s Throne is a seriously entertaining and perceptive story of international intrigue, sexual deception, naked ambition, and treacherous betrayal.

In the near future, at a meeting of the United Nations Security Council, Mexico’s idealistic president has dared to vote against the U.S. occupation of Colombia and Washington’s refusal to pay OPEC prices for oil. Retaliation is swift. Concocting a “glitch” in a Florida satellite, America’s president cuts Mexico’s communications systems–no phones, faxes, or e-mails–and plunges the country into an administrative nightmare of colossal proportions.

Now, despite the motto that “a Mexican politician never puts anything in writing,” people have no choice but to communicate through letters, which Fuentes crafts with a keen understanding of man’s motives and desires. As the blizzard of activity grows more and more complex, political adversaries come out to prey. The ineffectual president, his scheming cabinet secretary, a thuggish and ruthless police chief, and an unscrupulous, sensual kingmaker are just a few of the fascinating characters maneuvering and jockeying for position to achieve the power they all so desperately crave.

From the Hardcover edition.

卡洛斯·富恩特斯（Carlos Fuentes）當代墨西哥國寶級作傢，也是西班牙語世界最著名的小說傢及散文傢之一，於一九二八年齣生在墨西哥一個外交官的傢庭，從小跟隨父母去過許多國傢。由於從小接受的是良好的教育，他對西方古代和現代文明都有較深的瞭解，對拉丁美洲的落後的原因也有較深刻的探究。看到歐美高科技的發展與拉美的落後的差距，他對自己的祖國具有強烈的憂患意識。當他成瞭作傢以後，總是力圖用自己的作品來抨擊墨西哥社會的弊端，發掘並弘揚墨西哥民族的傳統文化和墨西哥民族的根。一生著有六十餘部作品，曾獲拉丁美洲最富盛名的羅慕洛·加列戈斯國際小說奬、西班牙語文學最高奬項塞萬提斯奬，以及阿斯圖裏亞斯親王奬。多年來都是呼聲很高的諾貝爾文學奬候選人。2012年5月15日，病逝於墨西哥城。墨西哥以國喪禮遇嚮其緻敬。