The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams (Book Club)

[Dave]

I bet you own your own towel too!

 

[chrismr3000]

in the illustrated book there are "42" riddles. Here they are

How many spheres are in the diagram? (six rows of seven is 42)What position in the grid does the computer that calculates the Question to the Ultimate Answer (the Earth) occupy? (42)


The barcode is the number 42 as an Interleaved 2 of 5 barcode

Considering red-hued spheres (red, purple, orange, black) as a '1' and those without as a '0', what number does each line represent in decimal form? (In binary, each line reads '0101010', or '42' in decimal form.)

What number do the blue-tinted spheres (blue, green, purple, black) spell out? (Similar to a color blindness test.) (42)

What number is represented by Roman numerals spelled out by the yellow-tinted spheres (yellow, orange, green, black) in the first three rows? (XLII = 42)

Sorry i couldn't post the pics, my post count Isn't high enough.

 

[Rodders]

HHGTTG is a truly great classic and i'd go as far as to say one of the few SF books that can be said to have gone mainstream. I mean, who doesn't know what 42 means? For me it started with the old BBC TV series in the 80's, then the LP's, the Books, Radio series and finally the movie.

Even though the next book will be written by someone else, i'm really looking forward to it as it seems to me that this series is one that is truly loved. I don't think it'll be too bad and i'll certainly be up for a copy. One of the few books that i can read over and over again and still be embarressed because of a huge belly laugh on the train.

Talking of that, are there any plans to bring any of the other books to the big screen?

 

[MontyCircus]

Talking of that, are there any plans to bring any of the other books to the big screen?

I hope not, because I think they suck.

As with...I think everyone I've ever heard that's read it...I loved the hell out of the first one. But halfway through the second one I wanted to just give up with the series. Slogged on through to the third book. Actually liked that one. And the next two were pretty much worse than the second one.

The first book was a fresh, fun adventure story. By the 2nd book it just became a rinse and repeat formula:

"Unlike what you would think, the residents of (insert long planet name with a lot of x's and z's here) have a peculiar way of (insert social interaction here). Instead of (insert way of doing things on earth here), they (insert strange way of doing so here)."

So it lost all of its originality for me. That, coupled with EVERY hopeless situation they got into being MIRACULOUSLY saved at the VERY LAST SECOND by the improbability drive...ugh.

It was like I could hear Adams saying ".................isn't that JUST sooooooo quirky and clever?"

No man...no it wasn't. It made every "adventure" a meaningless exercise. It's kind of like a Superman story. Nothing matters because he's invincible, so where's the fun in that?

Okay, the occasional line or situation would be amusing enough to get a smile out of me...but overall the rest of the series was a HUUUUUUUUUUUUuuuuuuuuuge let down.

That said...the last 2 or 3 pages of the last book...almost made slogging through those final 4 worth it. Such a great, great ending. And now another writer will destroy even that. What the hell man...

 

[AE35Unit]

Talking of that, are there any plans to bring any of the other books to the big screen?

Oh i do hope so,but they must use the same team as the first movie. That film gets knocked a lot on here but me and my missus loved it! Only two complaints tho. 1, the way they did Zaphod's extra head was just not right.
And 2 there's a bit in the original series where the 2 headed one's glasses went dark at the first sign of trouble. Thats a typical Adams touch but they missed it out of the film!

 

[HoopyFrood]

Well, technically, those glasses only make their first appearance in the second book, anyway (well, an appearance that explains their darkening in the face of danger, anyway)...

But yeah, I'm a fan of the film as much as I am of the books. And it was based on workings by Adams himself, who was always trying to change and update the series. The books are just...cracking. But the film, in its own right (I don't try to compare books and their film adaptations anymore, as they are both rather different media), is hilarious and done well and I think Martin Freeman is an excellent Arthur Dent. Absolutely loved Zaphod. Just didn't like the very silly, mushy bit at the end -- Arthur's just about to have his head sawn open and instead goes on a monologue about how much he loves Trillian. Blergh.

 

[Rodders]

"And Another Thing" by Eoin Colfer is due to release soon. Is anyone planning to get it?

 

[Ian The Poet]

I've just started the sixth book "And Another Thing" by Eoin Colfer, which I have just heard is the first of three. I'll be intrigued how it pans out.
Marvin is definitely my favourite character. "I hate that door....."

 

[HoopyFrood]

There's going to be three more?

Oh, for goodness sake.

I saw And Another Thing in Waterstones the other week, having forgotten that it was being done (and that it was out so soon). I had a flick through but then I had to put it down and walk away.

 

[Connavar]

Well done Hoopy.

HHGT was my first SF read and its an all time fav i wont even flick through this "thing" that is the new series.

 

[Ian The Poet]

I am reading 'And Another Thing,' at the moment, its definitely not Douglas Adams, however I am enjoying it and people should give it a try. By the way it is only a one off, apparently Eoin Colfer is only writing this one as a favour for Douglas' widow. Douglas had some notes left for a sixth book and this is it.

 

[Rodders]

Thank Ian, it's nice to see something positive about this. I'll definately be getting this, but not until after Christmas though.

 

[AE35Unit]

I've just started the sixth book "And Another Thing" by Eoin Colfer, which I have just heard is the first of three. I'll be intrigued how it pans out.
Marvin is definitely my favourite character. "I hate that door....."

Yea I love marvin too!
I don't know,brain the size of a planet and you want me to discuss 3 books NOT written by Douglas Adams…

 

[Rodders]

I've just finished this. Marvin wasn't in this and he was sorely missed. On the whole, i really thought that it was a very good effort and that Eion did a fair job of impersonating Douglas Adams' style and would even go as far as to say that it was better than Mostly Harmless. It did make me laugh out loud a few times, which is always good. I did feel that Eion hadn't quite left the Young Adult style of his previous books.

Personally, i enjoyed it very much and would definately be looking forward to any further installments. (I wonder what this will do to future omnibus editions?)

Does anyone know if the BBC dramatised this?

 

[Simon tall]

The real question is this - Was Hitchiker best as a book? Or was it best as a Radio series, TV series or film?

 

[Rodders]

Radio series, then book, then TV Series with the film coming last. (But that's not to say that it's not enjoyable in it's own way.)

 

[Vertigo]

Radio series, then book, then TV Series with the film coming last. (But that's not to say that it's not enjoyable in it's own way.)

Hah, I've not found many who agree with my order of preference of the Hitchhikers Guide, and then you come up with exactly the same order . I suspect a lot of it has to do with which you were exposed to first. I listened to the radio series on Sunday lunch times back in the late 70's. This was my youthful drunked period . We would all go out on Saturday night then back to someones place to party the night away, then wake up and pick ourselves off the floor (or wherever we had collapsed) in time for Mr Adams!

 

[Rodders]

My exposure to this maagnificent series was the TV series first, then there were a couple of Records (showing my age now ) that came out which i listened to all the time, then the book, Radio Series and then the movie. I also have somewhere a large shiny book thta was a photograaphic representation of the novel. It was pretty cool, but didn't fit in with any of my own personal notions of the story so it remained largely forgotten.

Also, i read the recent release of Eoin Colfer's book and found it to be annoying and amusing in equal measure, but it wasn't a bad book. To be frank, i enjoyed the fact that THHGTTG was back on the shelves even if it was getting the Franchise treatment. Does anyone know if others are planned?

 

[JustPassingThrough]

Most Excellent! I was wondering if there were book clubs here. (Wait. Let me check to make sure the date is recent and I'm not looking at a book club from when there were still VHS cassette players across the land.)