a book
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
Douglas Adams · 2005 · 285 pages
SOON TO BE A HULU SERIES • Now celebrating the pivotal 42nd anniversary of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy!
Nominated as one of America’s best-loved novels by PBS’s The Great American Read
It’s an ordinary Thursday morning for Arthur Dent . . . until his house gets demolished. The Earth follows shortly after to make way for a new hyperspace express route, and Arthur’s best friend has just announced that he’s an alien.
After that, things get much, much worse.
With just a towel, a small yellow fish, and a book, Arthur has to navigate through a very hostile universe in the company of a gang of unreliable aliens. Luckily the fish is quite good at languages. And the book is The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy . . . which helpfully has the words DON’T PANIC inscribed in large, friendly letters on its cover.
Douglas Adams’s mega-selling pop-culture classic sends logic into orbit, plays havoc with both time and physics, offers up pithy commentary on such things as ballpoint pens, potted plants, and digital watches . . . and, most important, reveals the ultimate answer to life, the universe, and everything.
Now, if you could only figure out the question. . . .
recommended by 25 people
sourced from public statements
Seth Rogen
“I love The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.”↗
Charlie Brooker
“I saw the BBC TV adaptation in the early 80s, then gobbled up all the books one-by-one. This was the perfect mix of Pythonesque humour and intergalactic road movie, fizzing with ideas and never taking itself remotely seriously.”↗
Fredrik Backman
“This was one of the first books that made me understand it was okay for literature to be silly and funny and stupid and hilarious. I assume that this life-altering experience at age 10 or 11 still shows in my writing today.”↗
Chuck Wendig
“@MommaJenks I’ve read the books multiple times myself!”↗
Kevin Folta
“@Clear_Food @JANEMCARTHUR11 @CAPE_ACME @intotheweedsdoc One of my favorite books.”↗
Brian Quinn
“All time favorite books - Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy. Confessions Of A Dangerous Mind. Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas. Drawing Of The Three. Currently reading Pet Sematary for the 100th time. And a history of magic called Hiding The Elephant.”↗
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