Actually, I ran into the same problem. Turns out I followed some irrelevant information and created a /etc/init.d/lpd file as a softlink to /etc/init.d/cups
The .postrm script checks for lpd and if it exists, tries to start the service.
After I deleted the softlinked lpd file in the init.d directory, the package installation and removal went back to normal.

How to fix a dpkg broken by the Brother MFC-7340 deb driver
A future Big-Brother society where people wore wristwatches which both monitored their movements and kept them informed about their role in society. 

I don't remember whether the story was located on Earth or a fictional planet.
The book was read late 60's or early 70's. I only read a small number of authors (max 10) so I would immediately recognise the author's name if the storyline was identified.

Possibilities:
Brian Aldiss,
Piers Anthony,
Isaac Asimov,
Ray Bradbury,
Arthur C. Clarke,
Robert Heinlein,
Frank Herbert,
Ursula K. Le Guin,
Theodore Sturgeon,
Kurt Vonnegut Jr.

What I'm thinking now is how uncannily like the Apple Watch and similar products this was. This is the only story I remember that foresaw the wireless/digital age.
