The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (novel): Difference between revisions
| Line 30: | Line 30: | ||
==Plot summary== |
==Plot summary== |
||
The book begins when contractors arrive at Earthling Arthur Dent's house in order to demolish it to make way for a bypass. Arthur's friend [[ Ford Prefect (character)|Ford Prefect]] arrives as Arthur is attempting to talk the demolition crew into leaving his house standing, and talks Arthur into coming to a local pub with him, at which point Ford explains that he (Ford) is actually from a planet somewhere near [[Betelgeuse]] and that they have to get off the planet before it's [[demolition|demolished]]. An [[Extraterrestrial life in popular culture|alien race]] of [[bureaucracy|bureaucrats]] called [[Vogon]]s intend to destroy Earth to make way for a "[[Hyperspace (science fiction)|hyperspace]] [[bypass (road)|bypass]]". |
The book begins when contractors arrive at Earthling [[Arthur Dent]]'s house in order to demolish it to make way for a bypass. Arthur's friend [[ Ford Prefect (character)|Ford Prefect]] arrives as Arthur is attempting to talk the demolition crew into leaving his house standing, and talks Arthur into coming to a local pub with him, at which point Ford explains that he (Ford) is actually from a planet somewhere near [[Betelgeuse]] and that they have to get off the planet before it's [[demolition|demolished]]. An [[Extraterrestrial life in popular culture|alien race]] of [[bureaucracy|bureaucrats]] called [[Vogon]]s intend to destroy Earth to make way for a "[[Hyperspace (science fiction)|hyperspace]] [[bypass (road)|bypass]]". |
||
The two escape by hitching a lift on one of the Vogons' ships; this is, however, against the Vogon regulations and when the pair is discovered, the Vogons torture them by reading them [[Vogon#Poetry|poetry]] (the third worst in the known Universe), and then tossing them into space. They are inadvertently picked up one second before they asphyxiate by the ''[[Heart of Gold (spaceship)|Heart of Gold]]'', a ship which has been stolen (rather than launched as was intended) by Ford's semi-cousin and President of the Galaxy, [[Zaphod Beeblebrox]]. Other passengers on the ship include [[Trillian (character)|Trillian]] and the [[clinical depression|clinically depressed]] [[android]] [[Marvin the Paranoid Android|Marvin]]. This pick-up is said to be very improbable, the chances being two to the power of two hundred and seventy-six thousand, seven hundred and nine to one against. Zaphod is searching for the legendary lost planet of [[Places in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy#Magrathea|Magrathea]], which built [[luxury good|luxury]] [[planet]]s. Ford initally scoffs, but they do, in fact, find Magrathea shortly thereafter. When they make planetfall, [[Slartibartfast]] introduces them to the creators of Earth: [[Minor characters from The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy#Frankie and Benjy mouse| Frankie and Benjy Mouse]], ostensibly Trillian's pet [[mice]] but which are [[third dimension|three-dimensional]] representations of hyper-[[intelligence|intelligent]] pan-[[dimension]]al creatures searching for the Question corresponding to the Ultimate Answer of Life, the Universe and Everything. The 'mice' have reawoken the Magratheans from [[cryonics|cryosis]] for one more job: build Earth Mark II, to replace the now demolished Earth Mark I (also built by the Magratheans). It turns out that Earth is not a planet but rather an [[organic computing|organic]] [[supercomputer]] programmed to calculate the Question to [[Answer to Life, the Universe, and Everything|Life, the Universe and Everything]]. (The Answer is already known to the 'mice', as [[Minor characters from The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy#Deep Thought|Deep Thought]] has already calculated it to be [[42 (number)|42]]). Earth was, in fact, demolished five minutes before the Question was calculated. |
The two escape by hitching a lift on one of the Vogons' ships; this is, however, against the Vogon regulations and when the pair is discovered, the Vogons torture them by reading them [[Vogon#Poetry|poetry]] (the third worst in the known Universe), and then tossing them into space. They are inadvertently picked up one second before they asphyxiate by the ''[[Heart of Gold (spaceship)|Heart of Gold]]'', a ship which has been stolen (rather than launched as was intended) by Ford's semi-cousin and President of the Galaxy, [[Zaphod Beeblebrox]]. Other passengers on the ship include [[Trillian (character)|Trillian]] and the [[clinical depression|clinically depressed]] [[android]] [[Marvin the Paranoid Android|Marvin]]. This pick-up is said to be very improbable, the chances being two to the power of two hundred and seventy-six thousand, seven hundred and nine to one against. Zaphod is searching for the legendary lost planet of [[Places in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy#Magrathea|Magrathea]], which built [[luxury good|luxury]] [[planet]]s. Ford initally scoffs, but they do, in fact, find Magrathea shortly thereafter. When they make planetfall, [[Slartibartfast]] introduces them to the creators of Earth: [[Minor characters from The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy#Frankie and Benjy mouse| Frankie and Benjy Mouse]], ostensibly Trillian's pet [[mice]] but which are [[third dimension|three-dimensional]] representations of hyper-[[intelligence|intelligent]] pan-[[dimension]]al creatures searching for the Question corresponding to the Ultimate Answer of Life, the Universe and Everything. The 'mice' have reawoken the Magratheans from [[cryonics|cryosis]] for one more job: build Earth Mark II, to replace the now demolished Earth Mark I (also built by the Magratheans). It turns out that Earth is not a planet but rather an [[organic computing|organic]] [[supercomputer]] programmed to calculate the Question to [[Answer to Life, the Universe, and Everything|Life, the Universe and Everything]]. (The Answer is already known to the 'mice', as [[Minor characters from The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy#Deep Thought|Deep Thought]] has already calculated it to be [[42 (number)|42]]). Earth was, in fact, demolished five minutes before the Question was calculated. |
||
Revision as of 14:02, 23 September 2008
 | This article may be confusing or unclear to readers. (July 2008) |
 Cover of the original UK paperback edition of the novel, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, by Hipgnosis and Ian Wright. The back cover contained the slogan "DON'T PANIC" in the same colour-video-screen style.[1] | |
| Author | Douglas Adams |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Series | The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy |
| Genre | Comedy, Science fiction novel |
| Publisher | Pan Books |
Publication date | 12 October 1979 |
| Publication place | United Kingdom |
| Media type | Paperback and hardcover |
| Pages | 180 pp (UK Paperback) |
| ISBN | ISBN 0-330-25864-8 Parameter error in {{ISBNT}}: invalid character |
| Followed by | The Restaurant at the End of the Universe |
.jpg)
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy[2] (1979, ISBN 0-330-25864-8) is the title of the first of five books in the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy comedy science fiction "trilogy" by Douglas Adams. The novel is an adaptation of the first four parts of Adams's radio series of the same name. The novel was first published in London on 12 October 1979.[3]
The novel takes its name from The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, a fictional guide book for hitchhikers (inspired by the Hitch-hiker's Guide to Europe) written in the form of an encyclopedia.
Plot summary
The book begins when contractors arrive at Earthling Arthur Dent's house in order to demolish it to make way for a bypass. Arthur's friend Ford Prefect arrives as Arthur is attempting to talk the demolition crew into leaving his house standing, and talks Arthur into coming to a local pub with him, at which point Ford explains that he (Ford) is actually from a planet somewhere near Betelgeuse and that they have to get off the planet before it's demolished. An alien race of bureaucrats called Vogons intend to destroy Earth to make way for a "hyperspace bypass".
The two escape by hitching a lift on one of the Vogons' ships; this is, however, against the Vogon regulations and when the pair is discovered, the Vogons torture them by reading them poetry (the third worst in the known Universe), and then tossing them into space. They are inadvertently picked up one second before they asphyxiate by the Heart of Gold, a ship which has been stolen (rather than launched as was intended) by Ford's semi-cousin and President of the Galaxy, Zaphod Beeblebrox. Other passengers on the ship include Trillian and the clinically depressed android Marvin. This pick-up is said to be very improbable, the chances being two to the power of two hundred and seventy-six thousand, seven hundred and nine to one against. Zaphod is searching for the legendary lost planet of Magrathea, which built luxury planets. Ford initally scoffs, but they do, in fact, find Magrathea shortly thereafter. When they make planetfall, Slartibartfast introduces them to the creators of Earth: Frankie and Benjy Mouse, ostensibly Trillian's pet mice but which are three-dimensional representations of hyper-intelligent pan-dimensional creatures searching for the Question corresponding to the Ultimate Answer of Life, the Universe and Everything. The 'mice' have reawoken the Magratheans from cryosis for one more job: build Earth Mark II, to replace the now demolished Earth Mark I (also built by the Magratheans). It turns out that Earth is not a planet but rather an organic supercomputer programmed to calculate the Question to Life, the Universe and Everything. (The Answer is already known to the 'mice', as Deep Thought has already calculated it to be 42). Earth was, in fact, demolished five minutes before the Question was calculated.
The mice realize that Arthur, as a last-generation organic byproduct of the computer's matrix, has the Question imprinted in his brain. Arthur resists this solution, as retrieving the Question involves dissecting his brain. The mice's plan is derailed when the Galactic police arrive to arrest Zaphod for the theft of the Heart of Gold. A chase ensues, but just before the four are caught and killed, the police officers' life support is cut off and they die. Back at the Heart of Gold, the humans discover that Marvin had plugged his external feed into the policecraft's input port and uploaded his horribly depressing views on life. The craft responded by committing suicide, which took the on-board life support system with it.
Zaphod decides to take the Heart of Gold to the restaurant Milliway's, and their story continues in The Restaurant at the End of the Universe.
Illustrated Edition
"The Illustrated Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" is a specially designed book made in 1994. It was first printed in the United Kingdom by Weidenfeld & Nicolson, Limited and in the United States by Harmony Books (who sold it for $42). It is an oversized book, and came in silver-foil "holographic" covers in both the UK and US markets. It features the first appearance of the 42 Puzzle, designed by Adams himself, a photograph of Adams and his literary agent Ed Victor as the two space cops, and many other designs by Kevin Davies, who has participated in many Hitchhiker's related projects since the stage productions in the late 1970s. Davies himself appears as Prosser. This edition is out of print - Adams bought up many remainder copies and sold them, autographed, on his website.
Audiobook adaptations
There have been three audiobook recordings of the novel. The first was an abridged edition, recorded in the mid-1980s by Stephen Moore, best known for playing the voice of Marvin the Paranoid Android in the radio series, LP adaptations and in the TV series. In 1990, Adams himself recorded an unabridged edition for Dove Audiobooks, later re-released by New Millennium Audio in the United States and available from BBC Audiobooks in the United Kingdom. To tie-in with the 2005 film, actor Stephen Fry, the film's voice of the Guide, recorded a second unabridged edition.
Sequels
There have been four sequels to the novel. The books are The Restaurant at the End of the Universe (1980), Life, the Universe and Everything (1982), So Long and Thanks for All the Fish (1984) and Mostly Harmless (1992). On September 16th, 2008 it was announced that Irish author Eoin Colfer is to pen a fifth sequel. The book entitled ...And Another Thing is due to be published in October 2009, the 30th anniversary of the publication of the original novel. Source: [1]
Awards
- Number one on the Sunday Times best seller list (1979)
- "Golden Pan" (From his publishers for reaching the 1,000,000th book sold) (1984)
- Waterstone's Books/Channel Four's list of the 'One Hundred Greatest Books of the Century', at number 24. (1996)
- BBC's "Big Read", an attempt to find the "Nation's Best-loved book", it ranked in at number four. (2003)
+Galaxy The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy] on Literapedia
References
- ^ Neil Gaiman (1988). DON'T PANIC: The official Hitch-Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy companion. Titan Books. p. 50. ISBN 1852860138.
- ^ The spelling of Hitchhiker's Guide has varied in diff what the fucksssserent editions. For consistency this article always spells it this way. See Spelling of Hitchhiker's Guide.
- ^ Webb, Nick (2003-10-06). Wish You Were Here: The Official Biography of Douglas Adams. Chatham, Kent: Headline. p. 157. ISBN 0-7553-1155-8.
| Books |
|  | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Media | ||||||||
| Characters | ||||||||
| Games | ||||||||
| Companion media | ||||||||
| Miscellanea | ||||||||
| In culture | ||||||||