Denver Science Fiction & Fantasy Book Club

HITCHHIKER'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY
by
DOUGLAS ADAMS
Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy old cover Hitchhiker's Guide to The Galaxy (1979)
Humorous British science fiction
An international bestseller

Original paperback cover (left)

new Ballantine paperback
216 pages (right)		 Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy new cover
From back cover of new paperback
       Seconds before the Earth is demolished to make way for a galactic freeway, Arthur Dent is plucked off the planet by his friend Ford Prefect, a researcher for the revised edition of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy who, for the last fifteen years, has been posing as an out-of-work actor.
       Together this dynamic pair begin a journey through space aided by quotes from The Hitchhiker's Guide ("A towel is about the most massively useful thing an interstellar hitchhiker can have") and a galaxy-full of fellow travelers: Zaphod Beeblebrox---the two-headed, three-armed ex-hippie and totally out-to-lunch president of the galaxy; Trillian, Zaphod's girlfriend (formally Tricia McMillan), whom Arthur tried to pick up at a cocktail party once upon a time zone; Marvin, a paranoid, brilliant, and chronically depressed robot; Veet Voojagig, a former graduate student who is obsessed with the disappearance of all the ballpoint pens he bought over the years.
       Where are these pens?  Why are we born?  Why do we die?  Why do we spend so much time in between wearing digital watches?  For all the answers stick your thumb to the stars. And don't forget to bring a towel!

Read for group discussion on March 25, 1998 *AND* on April 27, 2005
Amy's Short Summary :  Douglas Adams - The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

This is a funny British science fiction book, a classic.

Hapless Arthur Dent and his friend Ford Prefect, who turns out to be an alien, hitch a ride off Earth shortly before it's demolished to make way for an interstellar bypass.  Don't panic!  They survive a series of adventures including horrendous Vogon poetry, and, against all probability, are picked up by crazy, two-headed, Galactic President Zaphod Beeblebrox and Trillian in the stolen secret starship Heart of Gold.  They meet Marvin, a hopelessly depressed android, and smart mice seeking the Question to the Ultimate Answer of  "42".

summary written by misuly@aol.com
RATINGS - March 1998 :
How we each rated this book
Dan 7 Amy 7 stack of books 10   Wow! Don't miss it
8-9  Highly recommended
7    Recommended
5-6  Mild recommendation
3-4  Take your chances
1-2  Below average; skip it
0    Get out the flamethrower!
U    Unfinishable or unreadable
-    Skipped or no rating given
Cheri 7 Barb 8
Aaron 8 Cynthia 6
Lars 6 Jackie 7
Richard 9 Kerry 9
RATINGS - April 2005 :
How we each rated these books
Dan 7 Amy 7 stack of books 10   Wow! Don't miss it
8-9  Highly recommended
7    Recommended
5-6  Mild recommendation
3-4  Take your chances
1-2  Below average; skip it
0    Get out the flamethrower!
U    Unfinishable or unreadable
-    Skipped or no rating given
Cheri 8 Barb -
Aaron 8 Cynthia -
Jackie 7 Ron -
Christine 9 Deb 9
Mike 9.5 Stephanie 9
Gary 7 Natalie -
Patty 9    
Bibliography:
Douglas Adams (1952-2001) was a UK scriptwriter and novelist. In 1979-80 he worked as an editor on the Dr Who TV series.

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy was initially a BBC Radio 4 series. The first six part radio series was in 1978, the second in 1980. Scripts for both are collected in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: The Original Radio Scripts (1985).

The book sequence is The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (1979), The Restaurant at the End of the Universe (1980), Life, the Universe, and Everything (1982), So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish (1984), and Mostly Harmless (1992). There are omnibus book editions.

In 1981 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy became a BBC TV series starring Simon Jones as Arthur Dent, David Dixon as Ford Prefect, Mark Wing-Davey as Zaphod Beeblebrox, and Sandra Dickinson as Trillian. There were originally 6 UK episodes, edited to 7 episodes for US release.

Other books include Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency (1987) and The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul (1988).

Adams also co-wrote a book about exotic and endangered species Last Chance to See (1992), and provided the idea for Starship Titanic (1997) which was written by Terry Jones of Monty Python fame.

Links:
Douglas Adams's Official Home On The Web
Floor 42 - Fan site for Douglas Adams
Douglas Adams Quotes - The Quotations Page
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy -- The Official Movie (2005) Website
BBC Online - The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
BBC - Radio 4 - The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - The Adventure Game

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This page was last updated October 16, 2008