Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy

OnTheMoor · Post by **OnTheMoor** » Wed Feb 15, 2006 2:23 pm

Hi!
I just finished reading the 4 Hitchiker books and I must say, they are quite possibly the funniest (if silly) books I have ever read. They made me giggle like a fool every morning on the bus.
The movie, which I saw first, prevented me from reading them for the longest time, but I am sure glad I got around to it. Excellent stuff!
Any fans?
Any suggestions for other, similar (nutty British), novels?

Congratulations · Post by **Congratulations** » Wed Feb 15, 2006 2:26 pm

Terry Pratchett is like Douglas Adams, but Fantasy instead of Sci-Fi. And nearly as witty.

Hitchhiker's is unparalleled, though. Much love for those books!

OnTheMoor · Post by **OnTheMoor** » Wed Feb 15, 2006 2:29 pm

Now I'm depressed.

missy · Post by **missy** » Wed Feb 15, 2006 2:34 pm

love 'em too. My 14 year old read them all last summer, and was really disappointed in the movie. Of course, this is the same kid that had a FIT (at age 8 ) over Qui-Gon Jin's body not "disappearing" and becoming one with the Force in Episode 1.

avanutria · Post by **avanutria** » Wed Feb 15, 2006 2:41 pm

OnTheMoor wrote:Now I'm depressed.

Don't be, you've still got one left. "Mostly Harmless" is the fifth book in the trilogy.

emmline · Post by **emmline** » Wed Feb 15, 2006 2:44 pm

avanutria wrote:
OnTheMoor wrote:Now I'm depressed.
Don't be, you've still got one left. "Mostly Harmless" is the fifth book in the trilogy.

I suppose that there being a fifth book in a trilogy is part of the absurdity?

Congratulations · Post by **Congratulations** » Wed Feb 15, 2006 2:59 pm

emmline wrote:
avanutria wrote:
OnTheMoor wrote:Now I'm depressed.
Don't be, you've still got one left. "Mostly Harmless" is the fifth book in the trilogy.
I suppose that there being a fifth book in a trilogy is part of the absurdity?

Correct!

LimuHead · Post by **LimuHead** » Wed Feb 15, 2006 3:06 pm

My wife & I read them all. We even bought the fancy leather-bound edition with the complete 5 part trilogy.

Douglas Adams was (still is) one of my favorite writers.

He has a few other books. "The Long Dark Teatime of the Soul" is the only one I can think of at the moment, but Hitchhiker's is by far the most entertaining & memorable.

As far as the movie goes, it was okay, but a lot of the humor doesn't translate well to the screen.

IMHO, the books are way better......

I'll have to have a look at Terry Pratchett's stuff too......

Congratulations · Post by **Congratulations** » Wed Feb 15, 2006 3:26 pm

If you're interested in Terry Pratchett, here's where you start:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/006102 ... oding=UTF8

jsluder · Post by **jsluder** » Wed Feb 15, 2006 5:52 pm

Hitchhiker's is wonderful! Don't forget to celebrate Towel Day every 25th of May.

rebl_rn · Post by **rebl_rn** » Wed Feb 15, 2006 6:37 pm

I resisted Hitchhiker's for a long time too, because I'm not really a sci-fi fan. But one day I was bored at my best friend's house and started reading one of them and was instantly hooked.

Long Dark Teatime of the Soul is the sequel to Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency. They're not as funny as Hitchhiker's, but are pretty good.

OnTheMoor · Post by **OnTheMoor** » Wed Feb 15, 2006 9:54 pm

Whew. I have the Trilogy of 4 book so I thought that was that.

The Krikkit pilot saying "It'll have to go." after they go to space still has me smiling after a week.

fel bautista · Post by **fel bautista** » Wed Feb 15, 2006 10:41 pm

WAY cool- AND it coincides with Daughter #1 B'Day. Now I can send her a new towel every year

chas · Post by **chas** » Thu Feb 16, 2006 7:15 am

You might want to check out Venus on the half shell. It's not British, but it's plenty nutty. It's Phillip Jose Farmer doing his spoof of Kurt Vonnegut writing a book by one of his recurring characters, Kilgore Trout.

Some of Vonnegut's SF novels are pretty entertaining. Not nutty, but absurd.

flanum · Post by **flanum** » Thu Feb 16, 2006 2:59 pm

OnTheMoor wrote: Any suggestions for other, similar (nutty British), novels?

I thoroughly recommend any of the "sprout" books by Robert Rankin!
Immensely funny and addictive as are all his characters, it is very in the vein of "hitchhikers" and anybody who has read any of Rankins books has become an instant fan and gone on to read them all!!

http://www.rumil.de/rankin/

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