The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Volume 1

Douglas Adams

Sept 2009 · The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Book 1 · Pan Macmillan

About this eBook

'One of the greatest achievements in comedy. A work of staggering genius' - David Walliams

An international phenomenon and pop-culture classic, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy has been a radio show, TV series, novel, stage play, comic book and film. Following the galactic (mis)adventures of Arthur Dent, Hitchhiker’s in its various incarnations has captured the imaginations of curious minds around the world . . .

It's an ordinary Thursday lunchtime for Arthur Dent until his house gets demolished. The Earth follows shortly afterwards to make way for a new hyperspace express route, and his best friend has just announced that he's an alien. At this moment, they're hurtling through space with nothing but their towels and an innocuous-looking book inscribed, in large friendly letters, with the words: DON'T PANIC.

The weekend has only just begun . . .

This 42nd Anniversary Edition includes exclusive bonus material from the Douglas Adams archives, and an introduction by former Doctor Who showrunner, Russell T Davies.

Continue Arthur Dent's intergalactic adventures in the rest of the trilogy with five parts: The Restaurant at the End of the Universe, Life, the Universe and Everything, So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish, and Mostly Harmless.

Ratings and reviews

An enjoyable, whimsical, absurd little book. My one gripe is that most of its length is spent on fantastical witty descriptions of the galaxy and much less is devoted to the plot, which is unstructured and unsatisfying. Things happen and then it just sort of ends. But its sense of humor is wholly unique and worth the read.

On the 21st of May 2001 at 18:55:00: I wrote an Epitaph on Douglas Adam's website: "Now we know there will be no more, we are satisfied with what we were given. Thanks Mate. Bye." I still think about all the genius that was lost 11 May 2001, but no book has ever supassed the brilliance of Hitch Hikers guide, created from the script of the Radio 4 originally aired March and April 1978 (when I was aged 12), which a friend shared with me, from an illegal tape copied from the radio. The pages of the small paperback were crammed with witicisims and truths and deep philosophical observations that have gradually surfaced during my life, making everything that is sad and serious seem just that little more trivial, I still thank the man because read carefully all aspects of life are carefully scrutinised, turned inside out and made rediculous. I would dearly love to lift a pan galactic gargle blaster to the spirit of that enduring legend. Ford, Zaphod, Trillion, Marvin, Eddie, The Whale, the bowl of patunias, Slartibartfast, the white mice, deep thought, Arthur, Heart of Gold and the earth itself, wow what a cast.

I can see why this is so beloved. It's funny and has some stand out moments. Some of the bigger plot points were already spoiled, which is a shame. I didn't like it enough to carry on the series though.

About the author

Douglas Adams created all the various and contradictory manifestations of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: radio, novels, TV, computer game, stage adaptations, comic book and bath towel. He lectured and broadcast around the world and was a patron of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund and Save the Rhino International. Douglas Adams was born in Cambridge, UK and lived with his wife and daughter in Islington, London, before moving to Santa Barbara, California, where he died suddenly in 2001.

In addition to Hitchhiker, He is also the author of the Dirk Gently novels: Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency, The Long Dark Tea Time of the Soul and the unfinished The Salmon of Doubt.