The book The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, by Douglas Adams, is a science fiction adventure throughout the galaxy, about Arthur Dent and his friends wild times after the destruction of Earth. Arthur is saved from the destruction of the world thanks to Ford Prefect, a “non-conspicuous” alien working as a reporter for the 7galaxy’s most liked book, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.
Trapped on Earth for 15 years he takes Arthur, still in his dressing gown for a tour of the galaxy. Ford and Arthur quickly hide on the demolition ships that demolished Earth. Thrown out of the ship they were hiding on, they had 30 seconds to live in space, before they died from lack of oxygen. 29 seconds later they are rescued by the galaxy’s newest ship, Heart of Gold, stolen by the president of the galaxy and Ford’s semi-cousin Zaphod Beeblebrox and Tricia “Trillian” McMillan, the only other surviving human from earth. They go on an interstellar adventure to find the planet that creates planets, Magrathea, accompanied by Eddie, the ship’s super computer, and Marvin the Paranoid Android, the most depressed thing in the universe.
Author Douglas Noel Adams was born in Cambridge, England in 1952. He went to Cambridge to study English and had ambitions to become part of the tradition of British writers/performers. The idea for the book first came to him as he lay in a field in Innsbruck, hitchhiking through Europe, staring at the stars. He then almost forgot it. He went to London in 1975, and in 1977 BBC radio producer Simon Brent to make a Sci-Fi comedy, 6 half-hour episodes, for BBC Radio 4 about the end of the Earth. From this, the idea of the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy grew to fruition. He wrote the book based on the radio series, and it and the four sequels became bestsellers. He did not like writing, and was legendary for missing deadlines. He died in May 2001, at the age of 49.
His books are exciting and well written; however they are pretty hard to understand for first time readers, on account of the vocabulary he uses in the beginning. With Hooloovoos and atomineers, maximagalaticians, and prostetnic are common, and with little definitions, they can get quite aggravating for the reader. However, the comedic characters are very funny, and with a robot pessimistic enough to make a rocket ship commit suicide, the fun is only minutes away. And with the constant changing cast of characters, many laughs are yours to have. Good luck and keep your eyes to the sky.
