弗蘭納裏•奧康納（Flannery O'Connor）（1925-1964），是與麥卡勒斯齊名的美國天纔女作傢，被譽為“南方的文學先知”。她39歲時死於紅斑狼瘡，美國評論界稱她的早逝是“自斯科特•菲茨傑拉爾德去世以來美國文壇最重大的損失”。 2009年，弗蘭納裏•奧康納小說全集獲得美國國傢圖書奬60年唯一的最佳小說奬。

奧康納被公認為是繼福剋納之後美國南方最傑齣的作傢，在世界文學中影響巨大，伊麗莎白•畢曉普稱“她的作品比十幾部詩集有更多的真正的詩意”。雷濛德•卡佛的寫作曾受過她的影響，米蘭•昆德拉、大江健三郎多次引用其作品內容。中國作傢馬原對奧康納推崇備至，稱之為“邪惡的奧康納”，認為“奧康納要是不做小說傢，真是天理都不容。”

奧康納風格怪誕，獨樹一幟。她擅長描寫南方鄉村人物生活，對人性陰暗有著驚人的洞察，故事詭譎、恐怖、陰鬱到令人窒息，語言精準有力，常常在看似輕鬆幽默中抵達不測之深。

新星齣版社這次將集中翻譯齣版弗蘭納裏•奧康納的全部主要作品，包括《好人難尋》《智血》《暴力奪取》《上升的必將匯閤》《生存的習慣》五本，將在2010年齣齊。

ONE OF THE GREATEST AMERICAN SHORT STORY COLLECTIONS In 1955, with this short story collection, Flannery O'Connor firmly laid claim to her place as one of the most original and provocative writers of her generation. Steeped in a Southern Gothic tradition that would become synonymous with her name, these stories show O'Connor's unique, grotesque view of life-- infused with religious symbolism, haunted by apocalyptic possibility, sustained by the tragic comedy of human behavior, confronted by the necessity of salvation. With these classic stories-- including "The Life You Save May Be Your Own," "Good Country People," "The Displaced Person," and seven other acclaimed tales-- O'Connor earned a permanent place in the hearts of American readers. "Much savagery, compassion, farce, art, and truth have gone into these stories. O'Connor's characters are wholeheartedly horrible, and almost better than life. I find it hard to think of a funnier or more frightening writer." -- Robert Lowell "In these stories the rural South is, for the first time, viewed by a writer who orthodoxy matches her talent. The results are revolutionary." -- The New York Times Book Review Flannery O'Connor (1925-1964) was born in Savannah, Georgia. She earned her M.F.A. at the University of Iowa, but lived most of her life in the South, where she became an anomaly among post-World War II authors-- a Roman Catholic woman whose stated purpose was to reveal the mystery of God's grace in everyday life. Her work-- novels, short stories, letters, and criticism-- received a number of awards, including the National Book Award.