The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy [Paperback]

The mega-cult-blockbuster-bestseller in a must-have cute hardback format. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Seconds before Earth is demolished to make way for a galactic freeway, Arthur Dent is plucked off the planet by his friend Ford Prefect, a researcher for the revised edition of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy who, for the last fifteen years, has been posing as an out-of-work actor.

Together, this dynamic pair began a journey through space aided by a galaxyful of fellow travelers: Zaphod Beeblebrox, the two-headed, three-armed, ex-hippie and totally out-to-lunch president of the galaxy; Trillian (formerly Tricia McMillan), Zaphod’s girlfriend, whom Arthur tried to pick up at a cocktail party once upon a time zone; Marvin, a paranoid, brilliant, and chronically depressed robot; and Veet Voojagig, a former graduate student obsessed with the disappearance of all the ballpoint pens he’s bought over the years.

Where are these pens? Why are we born? Why do we die? For all the answers, stick your thumb to the stars!

Thirty years of celebrating the comic genius of Douglas Adams… On 12 October 1979 the most remarkable book ever to come out of the great publishing corporations of Ursa Minor (and Earth) was made available to humanity – The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. It’s an ordinary Thursday lunchtime for Arthur Dent until his house gets demolished. The Earth follows shortly afterwards to make way for a new hyperspace bypass and his best friend has just announced that he’s an alien. At this moment, they’re hurtling through space with nothing but their towels and an innocuous-looking book inscribed with the big, friendly words: DON’T PANIC. The weekend has only just begun… Volume one in the trilogy of five --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Douglas Adams was born in 1952 and created all the various and contradictory manifestations of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy: radio, novels, TV, computer game, stage adaptation, comic book and bath towel. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy's book was published 30 years ago on 12 October 1979 and its phenomenal success sent the book straight to Number One in the UK Bestseller List. In 1984 Douglas Adams became the youngest author to be awarded a Golden Pan. His series has sold over 15 million books in the UK, the US and Australia and was also a best seller in German, Swedish and many other languages. Douglas lived with his wife and daughter in California, where he died suddenly in 2001. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

" 'Hey,' he said, 'what you do that for?'
Trillian was tapping her fingers on a screenful of figures.
'I've just thought of something stupid,' she said.
'Yeah? Worth interrupting a news bulletin about me for?'
'You hear enough about yourself as it is.'
'I'm very insecure. We know that.'
'Can we drop your ego for a moment? This is important.'
'If there's anything more important than my ego around, I want it caught and shot now.' Zaphod glared at her again, then laughed.
'Listen,' she said, 'we picked up those couple of guys...'
'What couple of guys?'
'The couple of guys we picked up.'
'Oh yeah,' said Zaphod, 'those couple of guys.'
'We picked them up in sector ZZ 9 Plural Z Alpha.'
'Yeah?' said Zaphod, and blinked.
Trillian said quietly, 'Does this mean anything to you?'
'Mmmm,' said Zaphod, ' ZZ 9 Plural Z Alpha. ZZ 9 Plural Z Alpha?'
'Well?' said Trillian.
'Er... What does Z mean?' said Zaphod.
'Which one?'
'Any one.'

One of the major difficulties Trillian experienced in her relationship with Zaphod was learning to distinguish between him pretending to be stupid just to get people off their guard, pretending to be stupid because he couldn't be bothered to think and wanted someone else to do it for him, pretending to be outrageously stupid to hide the fact that he didn't actually understand what was going on, and really being genuinely stupid. He was renowned for being amazingly clever and quite clearly so-but not all the time, which obviously worried him, hence the act. He preferred people to be puzzled rather than contemptuous. This above all appeared to Trillian to be genuinely stupid, but she could no longer be bothered to argue about it." --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.