In 1982 a BBC adaptation of the Douglas Adams novel, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, aired on US television as a six-part miniseries. Years later I caught a rerun of the show and was instantly intrigued by a scene that showed a man in an English pub explaining to his very confused friend that the Earth was about to be destroyed but they were going to hitch a ride on a passing spaceship.
Even by '80s standards, the special effects were poor and the costumes comical. Nevertheless, I was hooked. As soon as I learned it was an adaptation of Douglas Adams' novel, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on the book.
If you’ve spotted T-shirts or towels with the slogan Don’t Panic, or heard a reference to the number 42 being the answer to “Life, the Universe, and Everything”, you’ve had some exposure to the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. The book, published in 1979, has been adapted for radio, television, film, comics, and even a video game.
Filled with comical observations about human nature and many imagined wonders of the galaxy, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy has appealed to generations of fans. The novel tells the story of Arthur Dent who learns his home is being demolished to make way for a highway bypass on the same day that he learns Earth is being destroyed to make way for a hyperspace bypass. (Talk about your bad day!)
The book introduced readers to many undiscovered oddities of the universe like the Vogons who create poetry so bad that it’s used to torture people and the Babel fish, a species that translates languages when placed in the ear.
If you enjoy witty British humor and funny insights, check out The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. If you were born or graduated in the 1970s, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy is an entertaining read that can satisfy FCPL’s 2021 May Reading Challenge – read a book published in the year you were born or graduated.
Whether you’re already a fan of the story or not, be sure to visit our The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy – The Forsyth County Edition – the online version. The interactive virtual parody is an homage to Douglas Adams that highlights the wonders of Forsyth County for extra-terrestrial visitors to the area and will be viewable May 16-29 on forsythpl.org.
Sharon Forks Library
#WeKnowBooks
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