Product Description

Customer Reviews (10)

5 stars and more!
I enjoyed this book from first page until last.How often does a book cause the reader to laugh out loud?It happened to me at least on every page.Not only does this book contain all of the original radio scripts and every episode (including a hilarious lost episode), but it has numerous eccentric "stage and sound directions" from the author throughout every episode. The book also contains many stories about the creations of some Hitch Hiker characters, story ideas, music, writing and recording process, direct from the author and creator of Hitch Hikers Guide To The Galaxy.When I finished reading this book I realized how Douglas Adams took radio plays to another level and beyond.
I would rate this 5 stars...and beyond.

Footnotes
The footnotes for each episode are by the far the best part of this book.

The quick reference to quotes
If you like the radio plays and cannot remember the lines - this book is ideal for finding the quick quote you were looking for. And Hitch Hiker's is full of quotes.
And if your HiFi doesn't work, reading this book gives you the radioplay buzzing in your head. Great book. Great little titbits you (didn't) want to know about the series.

An essential for Hitchhikers fans!
I was exposed to this series in reverse!! I read the books, then saw the BBC shows, and finally heard the BBC radio show. There are subtle and not so subtle differences in all the different media, but they are all pure Douglas Adams!!! The radio scripts are an essential, and clarify (At least for me they did) many things that were not co clear. Not everyone is drawn to the scripts of the favorite shows/broadcasts, but as I have all the scripts for the Monty Python shows, it works for me. Especially if you are a fan of "British" humor, most of which lies in the dialog, it is pure delight to read through these scripts!!

Essential...
So, you've read the books... bought the tv series on dvd, gone through all the special features (including the comment captions on the film)... read the biographies... and hunted up collectors items on ebay. What next?

Get this book. "The Original Hitchhiker Radio Scripts" contains many scenes not in the books and, if you've already heard the radio series, many lines that were trashed for time. There is also commentary after each episode by Perkins and Adams.

Some things will seem eerily familiar, then zoom off into a completely different direction and, in my opinion, a better direction. Of course, some things are missing that make the books equally essential.

You can currently get this at a pretty good price used from amazon. Get it now before you can't get it at all. ... Read more

Product Description
Every aspect of the science fiction classic "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" is analysed in a variety of quirky ways in this collection of essays. Topics include the logistics of the restaurant at the end of the universe, how the Internet is creating the real Hitchhiker's Guide, an assessment of Vogon poetry, and an analysis of computing. The essays are written by both science fiction greats, such as Cory Doctorow, Lawrence Watt-Evans, Stephen Baxter, Jacqueline Carey, and Alastair Reynolds, and up-and-coming writers. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

HG2
Absolutely hilarious!Makes me want to listen to the radio broadcast all over again.

A Wonderful Romp Through the H2G2 Universe
These authors take you through the 5-book Trilogy (although they mostly focus on the first 3 books) in a series of essays.They are all light hearted, but some of them are more serious that others.It also includes a great interview of Douglas Adams from the 80s.

I had a lot of fun with the book and remembering my favorite scenes.The essays also helped me see different interpretations of the actions of the characters.I recommend it for the bookshelf of any H2G2 fan!

An inside look at Hitchhikers Guide to the Universe
Twenty essays make up The Anthology at the End of the Universe and each author basically tries to tell us what is so important about the 5 book Hitchhiker's Guide trilogy. It's sort of like the old joke about the blind men each trying to describe an elephant when they each had only a small piece of the animal in their grip. No one essay can be expected to give you a definitive answer as to what the Hitchhiker's Guide is truly about or what Douglas Adams' message was when he wrote it. What the essays do is give you an understanding of why the books are so popular and how so many people have found a place for them in their lives and hearts.

Some of these essays had me laughing out loud so that I had to read those parts to my husband to prove I hadn't really gone off the deep end. Other's had me wondering about how you could come up with such serious connections from a series of comedic science fiction books. Then there were the essays that had me saying, "hmm, never thought of that". And of course, being me, there were the essays that had me sniffling discreetly into a tissue. There's a lot to like in this collection of essays. However, they are essays rather than short stories and if you're looking for the latter this book is not for you.

Mike Byrne in "Beware of the Leopard", Cory Doctorow in "Wikipedia: A Genuine H2G2 - Minus the Editor, and Bruce Bethke in " The Secret Symbiosis: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and Its Impact on Real Computer Science" talk about the impact that Hitchhiker's Guide has had on computer science, computer interface design, the internet as a communications media, and the impetus it was in starting many young people on a career in the sciences. The Guide in the television version, while done with colored gels and press on letters was heads and shoulders above what computers at the time were capable of achieving. Once people saw what a really good user interface could be like they demanded better than they had and the computer companies listened. In some ways, we have Douglas Adams to thank for the usability of computers because once users began to think there could be something better they demanded it.

Others see the Hitchhiker's Guide as a round about way to think of the truly important things in life: religion, humor, 42, looking at the world as it is. The following essays dealt more with the philosophical aspects of the books: "That About Wraps it up for Oolon Colluphid" by Don Debrandt; "The Holy Trilogy" by Selina Rosen (this one is so funny it should have a spew alert); "The Zen of 42" by Marie-Catherine Caillava.

No book about the Guide could be complete without a mention of Vogon poetry. Lawrence Watt-Evans in "A Consideration of Certain Aspects of Vogon Poetry" discusses the merits of quantifying poetry so that the Guide can equivocally say that Vogon poetry is the third worst. He also wonders about Arthur's seeming immunity to it.

Adam Roberts in "42" and Jacqueline Carey in "Yes, I Got It" discuss the philosophy of humor and its place in our lives. While Susan Sizemore in "You Can't Go Home Again, Damn It! Even If Your Planet Hasn't Been Blown Up by Vogons" realizes that the person she was when first exposed to the Guide and the person she is now do not view the Guide in the same way. Even with all the happy memories of that first reading, she finds that it doesn't have the same impact now as it did then.

Food, food, glorious food. Douglas Adams loved a good meal especially with good friends and food plays an important role in the Hitchhiker's Guide. The role of food is touched upon by Steven Baxter in "Lunching at the Eschaton: Douglas Adams and the End of the Universe in Science Fiction", A.M. Dellamonica in "Digital Watches May Be a Pretty Neat Idea, But Peanuts and Beer Are What Get You Through the Apocalypse".

When the world or universe is off kilter or just plain crazy, how do you remain sane when all about you are crazy? Well, some writers have evidently come up with some ideas on how to remain sane in a crazy world from their reading of the Guide: "The Subversive Dismal Scientist: Douglas Adams and the Rule of Unreason" by Vox Day; "Another Fine Mess" by Adam Troy Castro; "The Only Sane Man in the Universe" by Marguerite Krause; "Douglas Adams and the Wisdom of Madness" by John Shirley; and "Loop-Surface Security: The Image of the Towel in a Vagabond Universe - A Semiotic (Semi-Odd) Excursion" by Mark W. Tiedemann.

There's also an interview with Douglas Adam by John Shirley ("A Talk with Douglas Adams"). Amy Berner in "Words to Live " talks about how everything she needed to learn to life live she learned from the Hitchhiker's Guide. "Goodnight, Marvin" by Maria Alexander is the final essay in the book and a touching tribute to Douglas as a person who touched many of our lives with his writing.

A delightful book...
The book covers tons of details, from how important food is to the series, to computer design, the meaning of life, the meaning of 42, Marvin's place in the universe, Vogon poetry and even British humor.At under 199 pages, this tiny book seems to cover a lot, but I feel they could have done so much more.There is so much to debate and think about when it comes to Adam's universe that this book barely peeled off the first layer of the massive tome.But maybe we should leave some mystery for future readers to find and enjoy on their own?
To list just SOME of the contributors whose work is within these pages we have Stephen Baxter, Susan Sizemore and Adam Roberts. ... Read more

Product Description
Don't panic! You're not timetripping! It's the tenth anniversary of the publication of Douglas Adams's zany, best-selling novel, and to celebrate Harmony is reissuing a special edition of this cult classic!By now the story is legendary. Arthur Dent, mild-mannered, out-to-lunch earth-ling, is plucked from his planet by his friend Ford Prefect just seconds before it was demolished to make way for a hyper-space bypass. Ford, posing as an out-of-work actor, is a researcher for the revised edition of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Together the gruesome twosome begin their now-famous inter-galactic journey through time, space and best-sellerdom.For Hitchhiker fanatics (you know who you are!) who've read the books, seen the television program, and listened to the radio show, as well as newcomers to Douglas Adams's unique universe -- remember -- don't panic, don't forget to bring a towel, and don't forget to celebrate The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy's tenth anniversary by wearing your bathrobe. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (15)

A very well written adaptation of the novel.
John Carnell did a wonderful adaptation of Douglas Adams' novel by the same name.I enjoyed this version of H2G2 allot, and think that this version of the story stays very true to the original novel.The story keeps the original theme and fun of the story, while compacting it down to a graphic novel that can be read in a few hours.

If after reading this you find that you liked the story you would probably find the original novel and the follow up books even more entertaining and humorous and probably should read them.

have the rest - get this one
I love hitchikers!This just adds to the collection of wacky humor.if you have read the rest, read this one now.

Panic.
I really, really love this book. I have read it...well, a lot of times, and I practically know it by heart. The prose is delightfully loopy, and it's also great for fanfics.

If you don't get it, you never will...
But the Hitch-hiker's Guide is a story for those of us that have looked at the world and seen the joke, even if we're not exactly sure of the punchline. People that give this book less than five stars are the samesort of people that don't laugh at presidential candidates. (For those ofyou that don't know, if you want to research for the Earth Edition of theGuide, go to h2g2.com! It's hoopy!)

What can I say?
I am only a 15 year old student, but I am already into science fiction some years back. This book is the most humorous that I have ever seen. I had borrowed the 5 in 1 series from the Library, and guess what? I read itover and over for more than three times! It's amazing how silly it soundsin the book, but actually quite make sense when every thing fitted like ajigsaw puzzle at the end! Highly recommended for those who love humour! ... Read more

Product Description
“It’s all devastatingly true — except the bits that are lies” — Douglas Adams

Upon publication, Don’t Panic quickly established itself as the definitive companion to Adams and The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. This edition comes up to date, covering the movie, And Another Thing by Eoin Colfer and the build up to the 30th anniversary of the first novel.

Acclaimed author Neil Gaiman celebrates the life and work of Douglas Adams who, in a field in Innsbruck in 1971, had an idea that became The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. The radio series that started it all, the five — soon to be six — book ‘trilogy’, the TV series, almost-film and actual film, and everything in between. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Interesting, learned a lot
This is a creditable survey of Adams writing and production of his most famous (and some not so famous) works. It has a brief section on Adams' school writings - he got the only perfect score on one writing assignment a teacher had ever handed out - and from there to college, radio, television, and computer games.

I thought the treatment of the text adventure games was particularly interesting, taking one back to a world where authors were critical to the design of a computer game.

The discussion of the politics around making the BBC television show was also interesting and rang true.

There is not a lot of depth in much of the analysis of the texts, nor is there much psychological analysis of Adams himself. It mostly focuses just on how the various texts were finally produced. But it yields valuable insights into Adams nonetheless.

A powerful guide perfect for any Adams fan or library catering to them
DON'T PANIC: DOUGLAS ADAMS & THE HITCHHIKER'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY appears in a new, updated edition to celebrate the life and work of Douglas Adams. Here Gaiman covers all of Adams' work, from Doctor Who scripts to his famous Hitchhiker originals through their book, TV and radio show renditions, offering a powerful guide perfect for any Adams fan or library catering to them.

Mostly harmless
Interesting and funn at times, this book is pretty bland considering it is a biography of one of (in my mind) the greatest authors I've ever read.(I've only read about 5 different authors, however).

In Douglas Adams' own review of this book, I totally agree:

"The best biography of Douglas Adams & the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy written since this morning" - D.A.

I'd give it a miss, in retrospect.(Maybe you can buy mine).

It's the bonus disc to the H2G2
This is a neat little book. I found the 1st edition years ago by chance in my university bookstore and bought it. When this revised edition (with some new material) was released, I snapped that up as well and re-read it.
Basically, think of this as the book equivalent to a "Bonus Features" DVD. It's jam packed with odd little stories and insights into the making of the Hitchhiker's universe (all media: radio, records, books, & TV). Die-Hard Adams fans will enjoy this.
And the fact that this happens to be compiled by Neil Gaiman, one of my other favorite writers, is just an added bonus.

A great tribute to a great man
This is part a biography of Douglas Adams, and part a description of how the different versions of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy came to be. Douglas Adams was a very interesting and intelligent man whose life was cut tragically short. The story of how his most famous work was created is almost as funny and capticating as the Hitchiker's Guide itself. We get some examples of his early work, which can be incredibly funny ("How many kamikaze missions have you flown?" "Fourteen Sir!" "Shouldn't it be just one?"). He was involved with the Monty Python group, and wrote some material for them.
I think the book should be essential not only for Hitchhiker's buffs but also for wannabes in any creative profession. ... Read more

Product Description
Douglas Adams was a driven and gifted polymath who cut a colorful swath in radio, a television, live theater, comic books, computer games, CD-ROM, and the Internet before dying tragically in 2001 at 49.M.J. Simpson has produced a rich, revealing chronicle of one of the most wildly creative minds of our time. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (14)

Tedious.
I love Doug Adams' writing, and was hoping to learn about him as a writer and a person. I think I might have been better served to choose Neil Gaiman's "Don't Panic" for this instead.

I found this book to be rather tedious.I wanted to come away from the book with insight into Douglas's beliefs, personality, and inner workings, but instead, I came away with a head full of dates and statistics and names names names names names.

I forced myself to keep reading, but really didn't find the book interesting until the last couple of chapters.

Don't Buy This Book!
I bought this book ona whim in a used bookstore for $9 dollars because
of the inviting picture of Douglas Adams on the cover. (Sadly now I see I could have bought
it for 92 cents on Amazon, though it probably isn't worth that, especially if you include the mailing fees.)
I love Douglas Adams. M. J. Simpson...seems to not exactly HATE Douglas Adams. but
clearly loathes him...taking every opportunity to call him "a liar", "weak", stealing from Monty Python--etc, etc. Ow! Lots and lots of lists of people and titles and dates of things that don't matter.
A strange, sad, dull, book.
The only part of redeeming value is the foreword by Neil Gaiman, who clearly was fond of Douglas Adams as the rest of his readers were, except for the Author of this Biography...odd that.
Instead of selling this book back to the used bookstore, or depositing it at the local thrift store, I will toss it into the trash, so no one else will mistake the bookcover for a good, warm read of Mr. Adams.

Based on a negative agenda and utterly lacking in insight
Simpson says at the beginning of this book and towards the end that he doesn't think Douglas Adams was a liar. But the vast bulk of the book doesn't support this qualification. Perhaps Adams refused to grant Simpson an interview at some point. Perhaps Simpson just didn't like him, or felt envious that he was an accomplished writer. But why bother writing a biography in that case? I suppose having a petty score to settle would be one reason.

(Since posting my original review, I've learned that Simpson was disgruntled about not having any of his little sci-fi conventions attended by Douglas. This is a good reason for a nasty book? I think not.)

Trying to provide a balanced account and not taking everything one's subject has said as gospel is one thing. But going to great lengths, using wholly faulty logic, quotes from people barely on the fringes of the subject's life, and constant correlation without causation to make quotes look like contradictions in spite of the fact that they can actually happily coexist (and even often support each other, even though Simpson does all he can to explain why they might be at odds), is quite another. And believing the hazy memories of someone tangential rather than words from the horse's mouth doesn't reveal much sympathy for the subject.

Basically, Simpson makes Adams look like, depending on the page, a complete liar or a bumbling idiot (neither of which he was) -- throughout the entire book. It reeks of some kind of childish revenge, which would explain why Simpson waited until after Adams' death to write it; and tedious trivia and statistics are spewed to this end without any insight into the man or his life whatsoever, as other reviewers have pointed out.

Simpson also makes snide remarks about Douglas at every possible opportunity, such as "It wasn't an interview. It was a Douglas Adams monologue, and not a terribly interesting one." Someone reading the biography of an author would in fact be extremely interested in hearing an account of how one of that author's novels got published. Why the haughtiness? Simpson's thesis near the end is the heinous and unqualified opinion that Adams didn't write good books unless an editor or coauthor helped him.

Simpson even invents some new and intriguing words, such as "themself."

Don't waste your money on this. Don't Panic and Wish You Were Here are much, much, much, much, much better.

Insight into a complicated man
I loved this book.I think it made Douglas Adams so much more human, and added alot of depth to his books.He aspired to be a writer/performer, like John Cleese, even following him into the footlights gang.He wrote usually at the last moment and hardly ever managed a deadline.He used music to inspire him, listening to the same piece over and over, then shutting it down to write.He found writing incredibly hard, and I think most writers would take heart in this description of a complicated man who produced a runaway success.

Based on a negative agenda and utterly lacking in insight
Simpson says at the beginning of this book and towards the end that he doesn't think Douglas Adams was a liar. But the vast bulk of the book doesn't support this qualification. Perhaps Adams refused to grant Simpson an interview at some point. Perhaps Simpson just didn't like him, or felt envious that he was an accomplished writer. But why bother writing a biography in that case? I suppose having a petty score to settle would be one reason.

(Since posting my original review, I've learned that Simpson was disgruntled about not having any of his little sci-fi conventions attended by Douglas. This is a good reason for a nasty book? I think not.)

Trying to provide a balanced account and not taking everything one's subject has said as gospel is one thing. But going to great lengths, using wholly faulty logic, quotes from people barely on the fringes of the subject's life, and constant correlation without causation to make quotes look like contradictions in spite of the fact that they can actually happily coexist (and even often support each other, even though Simpson does all he can to explain why they might be at odds), is quite another. And believing the hazy memories of someone tangential rather than words from the horse's mouth doesn't reveal much sympathy for the subject.

Basically, Simpson makes Adams look like, depending on the page, a complete liar or a bumbling idiot (neither of which he was) -- throughout the entire book. It reeks of some kind of childish revenge, which would explain why Simpson waited until after Adams' death to write it; and tedious trivia and statistics are spewed to this end without any insight into the man or his life whatsoever, as other reviewers have pointed out.

Simpson also makes snide remarks about Douglas at every possible opportunity, such as "It wasn't an interview. It was a Douglas Adams monologue, and not a terribly interesting one." Someone reading the biography of an author would in fact be extremely interested in hearing an account of how one of that author's novels got published. Why the haughtiness? Simpson's thesis near the end is the heinous and unqualified opinion that Adams didn't write good books unless an editor or coauthor helped him.

Simpson even invents some new and intriguing words, such as "themself."

Don't waste your money on this. Don't Panic and Wish You Were Here are much, much, much, much, much better. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (17)

seems like all the negative reviews are of the wrong product
I haven't yet tried it out, but the CDROM version of Starship Titanic, which is (as the Amazon reviewer points out) a game, not a book, has gotten rave reviews in the New York Times, many PC magazines, USA Today, etc. That's why I was surprised to see all the negative reviews here... but it appears they are all reviews of the book by the same name (which I believe was written after the game was released and so is a sort-of novelization).

Excellent, Excellent game!
I first took notice of the Starship Titanic about 2 years ago.But due to lack of funds and equipment I was unable to buy the game.I only wish now that I had actually played the game then.Starship Titanic is one of thebest examples of modern gaming on the market today.Adam's take alegendary story and combines it with futuristic fantasy to create amonument that far exceeds the expectations.However, everything has adownside.For those of you with little patience, this game is not for you. It requires a great deal of patience and creativity. Also, it could giveyou a little more to do inbetween lift rides up and down the well.But Idon't want to spoil the game, check it out nonetheless.

The game that went wrong
I played this game for about two hours before becoming sick of it!The graphics were great, but so what?It felt like a bad copy of Myst.Had it been more original and less... glossy...perhaps I would have liked it.

A beautiful and luxurious ship of it's kind .Lovely forever.
When I first got starship in March '98 I was stunned by the amazing talking device that it had to actually talk with the bots. I am 13 and I see alot of adults using this game. It's great for any age over 10 and hasgreat treats to share with the whole family.

It's defininetly a game worth getting!
Even though it took up a load of memory and took forever (give or take a few weeks) to complete, it was certainly the best game I have ever played. The language interaction isn't just cool, it's downright fun. The game isextremely complicated, but the people who made it are real user-friendly,and made a strategy guide for people like me who often get stuck. Once youget yourself going on this game, it's pretty hard to stop. The game isextremely creative and extremely fun as well. I might add that this game isnot for people with little patience. You'll never complete the game ifyou're all tense. I could tell you why, but that would be a spoiler. ... Read more

Product Description
State-of-the-art, digitally generated graphic images and tricky visual puns accompany the complete text of the cult classic story of one young man's zany adventures in outer space. 50,000 first printing. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Amazing
As we all know, the story of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is fantastic, very entertaining to read, and all of that. Since almost everyone who will have arrived at this page will probably have read it alerady, I wil instad comment on the "Illustrated" part of this edition.

First of all, the story was not illustrated with drawings, as one might think. Instead, it was illustrated using pictures taken of elaborate scenes that were set up, with different actors (And puppets, for the Vogons; I don't think anyone would want to be in a Vogon costume) playing the various characters. Douglas Adams even has a part as one of the two policemen that appear near the end of the book. Anyways, the pictures al are very well made, and I think that they illustrate the different scenes very well. The images and the different graphics can be a bit distracting, so it might be better not to have this be the first version of H2G2 that you read. However, once you have read it, and you know that you like it, this is a represntation of the story that is very fun to read. In short, I would not recommend this book as your first introduction to H2G2, but it is extremely fun to read once you already know what is going on.

Great book, irritating presentation
First, the good news: this contains the complete Hitch-Hiker's Guide tothe Galaxy novel, one of the greatest books ever written.Problem is, thephotos and art that accompany this particular version only serve todistract the reader and snap him/her out of the fictional dream.Die-hardAdams fans are the only people who will really want this, and then purelyas a conversation piece.If you are new to the world of the Guide, youwould be better served by getting The Ultimate Hitch-Hiker's Guide, whichhas the text of this book plus the other four in the series and a shortstory, and no pictures.

The Illustrated HGTTG is a MUST for every D. Adams fan.
The story :
It's a thursday when the earth get's destroyed to make space
for a new hyperspace highway. The human Arthur Dent and
his friend, Ford Prefect from the Planet Beteigeuze, are
flagged up to the Vogon spaceship. From now on begins a
crazy travel through the Universe (and beyond) ...

Specials about this book:
If you are a real Douglas Adams fan, you MUST own this book.
The whole story is described with funny looking pictures,
and even Adams itself has a guest-role.
... Read more

Product Description
At the center of the galaxy an Unknown Civilization is preparing for the launch of the greatest, most gorgeous, most technologically advanced spaceship ever built--the Starship Titanic.
As the fabulous craft eases away from the construction dock, trailing shrouds of rather fetching pink taffeta, millions of onlookers gasp in awe. Picking up speed, the Titanic sways a little, wobbles a bit, veers wildly--and undergoes SMEF (Spontaneous Massive Existence Failure). In just ten seconds, the whole stupendous enterprise is over.
Well, not quite. The Starship Titanic makes one tiny unscheduled stop before heading off into hyperspace--to fetch you.
And if you want to get home, you're going to need Starship Titanic: The Official Strategy Guide. It's the most comprehensively, exhaustively, completely and utterly official guide .

        SOLUTIONS so complete we despise you for needing to use them!

        HINTS so subtle you've got to be a bit of a smart-ass to understand them!

        DESCRIPTIONS of natural language parsing engines and object-oriented
        programming by people who ACTUALLY KNOW WHAT THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT!

        UNCENSORED PHOTOS of DOUGLAS ADAMS in the VERY ACT OF WRITING!

        ILLUSTRATIONS from people who've won REAL OSCARS!

        INSIGHTS into the SECRET LIVES of PROGRAMMERS!

        NO-HOLDS-BARRED back stories to all the CHARACTERS! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Needed to get through it
If you have "Starship Titanic", Douglas Adams last CD-ROM game, this book will get you through it, plus there's some sly Adams wit sprinkled throughout.

Review
I loved the book that's why I gave it the maximum rating. I think it's the best book (sorry strategy guide) ever! Thank God they're making a sequle to Starship Titanic! (I got the info about a sequle at the Starship Titanic website.)

The book has a few sections which are: A) Table Of Contents, B) The Blerontin Bugle, C) Meet The Bots, D) The PET, E) Hints, F) Solutions, G) Index, and finally H) website information (well actually it's some "thing" about the website.) I also like the front cover. It's pretty.

In the middle of the Hints section of the book (well not in the middle they're spread out over the section) are some articles and footnotes on the making of Starship Titanic (the footnotes are just little notes ont the interior spaces and the areas ot the Titanic.) The Blerinton Bugle section of the book gives some good back story clues. Meet the Bots is funny but they left two bots out they are Rowbot (the gondaliers) and Boppy Headcase the pianist in the music room [he is the one who bangs his head}.) ThePET section is annoyingly stupid. Hints is a little too spefic. And Soultions is too step-by-step informative.

All and all I loved the book because the Solutions aren't stupid "try this" and "try that" kind of solutions they're "do this" and "do that" solutions. I think the book is superb and I say: "Bravo Doug you've done it!"

Starship Titanic Startgey Guide Review
When I bought Starship Titanic Gold Edition I got the Starship Titanic Stragety Guide Included. When I browsed through it I noticed the book had interesting subjects from the Starship Titanic game the problem is that it has an anoying part where you can accidently open to a spolier or too good a hint. Even though I loved it! It was an excellent book. I like it because it has 3 main sections: I)Blerontin Bugle, II)Hints and III)Solutions. It also has some lesser important sections called:1)Table Of Contents, 2)The PET and 3)Index. It also has a page that gives the website address. I'll give you one hint read the book!

Interesting background material, but weak hint section
This guide to the adventure game "Starship Titanic" wants to do three things at once. First, it gives more background to the Starship and the characters in the game. Second, there are stories from behind thescenes, telling how the game came to be. Interesting stuff, butunfortunately all this leave too little room for what I consider the mostimportant part: The hint section.

The cover promises "subtlehints" and "complete solutions". This made me expectgradually more obvious hints for each problem, each hint on a separate lineto avoid reading too far. In the book, each overall problem has its ownsection, but the section itself is one long description of how to solve theproblem. This makes it VERY easy to read too far. I recommend reading thehint section one line at a time, with the rest of the page covered by apiece of paper. The hints are in themselves good enough, but not alwayssubtle enough. And the prose flows TOO WELL: You read on where you shouldpause and return to the game! At least the most outright spoilers are keptin a separate section of the book.

I enjoyed reading about Douglas Adams'visions of the game and I found the sections on the creation of the gamevery interesting. If this guide had been sold as a hint book but asbackground material I would have rated it 4 stars (but to tell the truth, Iwould probably not have bought it in the first place for just that - I am aDouglas Adams fan, but there are limits).

All in all: The book containsquite a bit of interesting material, but personally I would have preferreda plain hint book of better quality.

The Strategy Guide that could not possibly go wrong....
In the genre of PC Game Strategy Guides, it may be difficult or impossibleto consider the book without reference to the game.That said, NeilRichards' "Starship Titanic: the Official Strategy Guide" is anessential, albeit well-padded, guide to an underwhelming gamingexperience.

The guide begins with forty pages of fluff, mostly unhelpful,unfunny introductions to the main, animate characters in the game: the"bots" - well-meaning, malfunctioning, robotic crew of theStarship.

This is followed by sixty-some pages of what the authorcuriously calls "hints".In the best of worlds, a player,frustrated by the mind-numbing pedantry of the game itself, would expectthis section of the guide to offer subtle suggestions on clues that mayhave been overlooked.In fact, it consists of verbose solutions to thetrite, often silly, puzzles aboard the Starship Titanic.Unlike Myst orRiven, Starship Titanic requires little more "strategy" thanhit-or-miss bumbling about and rudimentary linking of tasks, so perhapsthese type of "hints" are appropriate to the situation.

Thenext section, titled "Solutions", is merely a repeat of theprevious section, minus the blather.It lists the step-by-step proceduresfor obtaining and assembling each of the pieces of the puzzle.Don't betempted to use this section to speed up the boring part of the game to getto the "good stuff", or you'll quickly find yourself at the endof the game with nothing to look forward to except -- perish the thought!!-- a sequel. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

new perspective for our pointless lives
Even though I thought that the last two books were a let down I still give the story 5 stars.I just love the use of science fiction to make you think about your every day life and existance.I was laughing out loud.This is definately odd humor, not everyone is going to be amused but what about the answer to everything? and the new explanation on how life on earth began?Cows bred to want to be eaten, and with the ability to say so?You will find out that flying is possible, just don't think about it.I should read this again.

Science Fiction farce at its best
Douglas Adams is a master of the farcical science fiction novel, and here are three perfect examples in one collection!The Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy, The Restaurant at the end of the Universe, and Life, the Universe,and Everything compose the first three novels of the Hitchiker's trilogy(yes, there are four, check out So Long and Thanks for All the Fish).Inthis series, Arthur Dent, along with a broad array of alien companionsseeks to discover the great question to the answer to life, the universe,and everything (the answer is 42).Along the way, excerpts from thegreatest book of books, The Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy (vastly morepopular than the Encyclopedia Galactica), force readers to laugh out loudand annoy people sitting around them by repeatedly saying, "You've gotto read this book!"

If you're looking for a comical way to spend aboring day, grab yourself a copy of this book.You won't regret it.

Excellent Library Addition for Hitchhiker Trilogy Fans
This volume combines all five titles from the Hitchhiker Trilogy under one cover. If you are a fan of any or all of the Hitchhiker books, this is an excellent way to keep them all together. For those who have never read thembut enjoy science fiction, it's a chance to discover a new Universe.

Titles combined include The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy; TheRestaurant at the End of the Universe; Life, the Universe, and Everything;So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish; and Mostly Harmless.

You'lltravel with Arthur Dent from the destruction of the Earth throughout theUniverse in a series of adventures and misadventures. He meets some of themost uproarious characters in the Universe, and realize he's met some ofthem before. All of this to answer the ultimate question of "Life, theUniverse and Everything".

The book moves comparably in speedspeed and action to the Hobbit, and Trilogy of the Rings. And wouldn't weall like to go "There and Back Again."

A definite must-read
A modern-day masterpiece, Douglas Adams' "Hitchhiker's Trilogy" is a fast read that will leave the reader rolling on the floor with laughter.The characters are richly written, from the ego-driventwo-headed Zaphod Beeblebrox to the manic-depressive robot Marvin, makingthe reader empatize with them during their journeys through space and time. A true must-read for all. ... Read more

Product Description
The Hitchikers Guide to the Galaxy: One Thursday lunchtime the Earth gets demolished to make way for a hyperspace bypass. For Arthur, who has just had his house demolished, this is too much. Sadly, the weekends just begun.The Restaurant at the End of the Universe: When all issues of space, time, matter and the nature of being are resolved, only one question remains: Where shall we have dinner? The Restaurant at the End of the Universe provides the ultimate gastronomic experience and, for once, there is no morning after.Life, the Universe and Everything: In consequence of a number of stunning catastrophes, Arthur Dent is surprised to find himself living in a hideously miserable cave on prehistoric Earth. And then, just as he thinks that things cannot possibly get any worse, they suddenly do.So-long, and Thanks for all the Fish: Arthur Dents sense of reality is in its dickiest state when he suddenly finds the girl of his dreams. They go in search of Gods Final Message and, in a dramatic break with tradition, actually find it. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Omnibus edition, lacking the last book "Mostly Harmless"
I have read this book many a time, and it has never failed me. I bought my copy on the day of the second 7/7 bombings in London, and after the things calmed down I read it as fast as I possibly could.

I became a fan instantly. I believe everyone should read at least the first book to have the chance to enjoy such witty phrases as in "the ships hang in the air exactly as bricks don't" (not word-by-word quote) and to learn the significance of a towel or the number 42.

This edition is for those who already know they are ready to immerse themselves in the world of Douglas Adams, as this is an omnibus edition of the first four books (The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, The Restaurant at the End of the Universe, Life, the Universe and Everything, So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish). It doesn't contain the fifth book, although it was I believe already available at the time of this edition's publication.

This omnibus edition is great value, but currently the complete set of the Trilogy of Five can be bought at the same price (The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide: Five Complete Novels and One Story (Deluxe Edition)).
I would opt for the complete version, though with caution: The last part (Mostly Harmless) has an ending unbefitting the series, which even Adams wanted to change. I personally preferred the Radio version (The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Quintessential Phase) which has a more sunny ending.

Phenomenal command of the language, life and its humour
We have all read incredibly moving, life-shaping books, books that challenge your spirit and your intellect to achieve new heights, books written by men and women of deeper thought than anything us mortals could hope to attain...

And then there are these great books by Douglas Adams that let you tell all those thinkers to get stuffed, stop taking themselves so seriously and just enjoy life in all its wonders.

For anyone that has travelled, really travelled, who loves life, who really loves life, and enjoys a good laugh, these books are for you.Put Monty Python, The Far Side, David Suzuki, an English dictionary and chocolate (for flavour) into a blender and you have something nasty, but not entirely unlike the humour in these wonderful books.

Dive in.And above all: Don't Panic.

And to see just what a wonderful thinker Douglas Adams actually was, read his posthumous collection "The Salmon of Doubt"which is an excellent and thought provoking (but not in a snooty way) read.

...not bad
This book is alright, once you spend time reading the first 10 chapters. I fell asleep twice in this book, but it is getting a bit interesting. I haven't read it all, a little more than half, if you like science fiction space junk kinda movies and books then this one is probably good for you. As for me I'll stick with my Harlequin Mystery novels.

The purist edition!
This omnibus publishing of the Hitchhikers Quartet contains the first four books of the Hitchhikers Trilogy, considered the only true Trilogy by many purists. The series starts with the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, thencontinues with The Restaurant at the End of the Universe, Life, theUniverse and Everything and rounds out with So Long and Thanks For All theFish. This is considered me many the core of the Guide's story, and that"Mostly harmless" takes the story in an unwanted direction and prematurelyends the series with the elimination of 3 of the main characters. Mosthardcore Adams purists prefer to leave the story hanging with thepossibility of the infinite possibilities possible in an infinite universe. ... Read more

Product Description
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy has, in what we laughingly call the past, had a great deal to say on the subject of parallel universes. Very little of this, however, is at all comprehensible to anyone below the level of Advanced God and, since it is now well established that all known gods came into existence a good there millionths of a second after the universe began rather than, as they usually claimed, the previous week, they already have a great deal of explaining to do as it is. They are, therefore, not available for comment at this time... ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

A Tough Read
Graham Chapman was a talented, funny, complex man who had his demons. That's why I thought his autobiography (along with four co-authors) would provide some additional insight into the man. It did but at quite a cost. Parts of it are written in a Python-esque manner where the reader feels as if he is reading a script for a MP episode: footnotes, footnotes for the footnotes........tedious, to say the least.

If you're looking for an informative but tiring read, I highly recommend this book.

intercourse the penguin!
when i bid on the book from a dude from england on ebay, i thought i knew exactly what the book was gonna be about. well, i learned a lot more about my 2nd fave python (1st is eric idle) than i thought i would. i learned a lot about graham from watching monty python several times over the years, reading short biographies on websites, and seeing a few other movies he has appeared in. when i read this book, i learned a lot more about him than i ever could from watching him and reading facts about him that people have gathered, and that is learning about how he truely felt throughout the more difficult times of his life. with all the information i learned about the late graham chapman, what i knew before was only a small fraction of what i know today. this book is the best book i have ever read, and i actually got really into it too, and im not a big fan of reading. this book was hard for me to put down, and graham chapman is surely one of the greatest people in my eyes. like he once said before, "i hope i have achieved something lasting." this book is so great, and you wont regret purchasing it. i highly recomend it.

For Monty Python fans
Having just finished A Liar's Autobiography by Graham Chapman, I can tell you that Monty Python fans will love it. Not only did it offer humerous accounts of the author's life before Python, but it was often very touching as well. We learn about Chapman's journey through medical school and his struggle with drugs and alcohol, as well as his realization and acceptance of his homosexuality. The reader will also learn about his family, friends, travel experiences and good times during the many Monty Python tours, films and television episodes. Enjoy!

adds new meaning to the term 'splunge'
Obviously, Monty Python fans will want to read it, but aside from that, this is one of the most entertaining biographies I've read. Although the least successful of the Pythons in terms of solo career, Chapman may well have had the most interesting life - doctor, homosexual, alcoholic, mountaineer. By turns hilarious, angry, sad, and very silly.

The True Python
The title of this highly amusing book is both informative and misleading. Informative firstly because the "liar" part refers to Chapman tendency to drift of into fantasy land and relate stories from Bigglesbooks and other bizarre episodes as if they were part of his life. Misleading secondly because usually autobiographies are written by thesubject - whereas for this one much of the writing was done by three otherswith the occasional footnote by the author (if that makes any sense).Butthat aside this is a highly enjoyable read as well as being painfullypoignant and also thought-provoking.There is little doubt that Chapmanwas one of the great comic geniuses of our time, and this is a book thatwell represents his playful insanity. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (2)

Brilliantly realized
Once again a stellar cast headlined by Harry Enfield as Dirk makes this production of Dirk Gently's second (and, alas, final) adventure come alive.Top-notch production values, music, and SFX are also part of the charm--in the age of podcasts and headphones, this sounds brilliant.

What I liked best about this adaptation is that it smooths out some of the inconsistencies of the novel, streamlining the storytelling and creating a narrative that makes a lot more sense than Adams' novel did; there are, for one thing, a lot fewer red herrings, and incidental details (like why Dirk starts using the electronic i-ching) finally make sense to me.It's also quite nice to hear a lot of familiar voices, between old-time Adams favorites like Stephen Moore and Susan Sheridan, a cameo by Billy Boyd, and a supporting role for Peter Davison.

I'm just sad that Dirk Maggs and Above the Title had a falling out and that nobody will be fleshing out and producing Salmon of Doubt.

Still, a great adventure for fans of audio dramas, radio comedy, or Douglas Adams. Highly recommended.

One of the worst BBC adaptions ever done
The previous BBC Radio adaptations of the last 3 novels in the Hitchhikers series by Dirk Maggs and company were excellent. The first Dirk Gently BBC Radio production by such was acceptable given the complexity of the story line and the constraints they faced adapting the novel.This production is an embarrassment and an insult to the original novel.

I am all for paying tribute to Douglas Adams' work, but the pleasure of brief cameos by unrelated characters from the first novel and even from the Hitchhikers novels, goes beyond a sweet surprise and veers headlong into a moronic, unnecessary and distracting assault on the story line.Besides these distractions the story has been adapted from mildly dark humor with occasional stops to comment on modern life, to near Marx Brothers levels of verbal slap stick.Main characters (the gods) of reasonable dignity are portrayed as little more than deranged rejects from a sanitarium.

Save your money and just read, or re-read the novel.

Or, if you want to hear what it should have sounded like, hunt down the unabridged audio book read by Douglas Adams on Amazon. It's real pleasure and offers the repeat playability of the Hitchhikers series.



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Product Description
Publisher:This volume contains six zany, outrageous, out-of-this-world adventure stories by bestselling author Douglas Adams: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy; The Restaurant at the End of the Universe; Life, the Universe and Everything; So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish; Young Zaphod; and Mostly Harmless. 6 1/8 x 9 1/4. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

DON'T PANIC
Well, first of all, you know it's going to be funny when the author describes it as a "trilogy in 5 parts." Hitchhiker's Guide" is a wacky story which takesthe reader to even wackier places. It is packed full of sarcastic humor. It is written in such a delightfully intelligent way that the reader almost forgets how incredibly far-fetched it all is...and there are so many great quotes that one finds herself using them in everyday life or laughing out loud at them later. One also doesn't seem to mind that for most of the book reluctant hero, Arthur Dent, really doesn't seem to be headed anywhere or doing anything. It is so funny and original that the book is over before you realize that the plot really was absent through out much of the story...which is okay because some of the most hilarious situations really have nothing to do with the plot at all. This is a wonderful read and I recommend it to anyone who could use a good laugh...or several. So long and thanks for all the fish!

42
One of my all time favorite science fiction stories of all time, I was beyond pleased to find this in hardcover. Great book the manufacturing on it is top notch. Great paper, good spine, placeholder string. The story speaks for itself it's a cult classic.

Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide Deluxe Edition
This is a beautifully bound book.A momento to true art itself, and something to keep in the family for many many years to come.The book itself is amazing.Douglas Adams was a genious whose mind is like non-other.The story of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, truly is a wholly remarkable book.If only the book were real.

The Funniest Book I've Ever Read
Douglas Adams had a gift for prose and biting humor that made this book my favorite of all time. I hardly ever re-read books multiple times, and even more rarely buy hardcovers. I have read this book (which is actually a compilation of five books and one short story) cover to cover at least 4 or 5 times, and enjoyed it every time.

The writing is excellent, and the dialogue is extraordinarily witty and funny. (Sadly, most of the best lines were butchered in the poorly-done movie or removed entirely.) Adams' work is irreverent but also poignant -- just beneath the surface, he provides commentary on our own world, its citizens, and their bureaucracies and lack of imagination. All the while, he paints a creative and fascinating universe that is sometimes silly, often cruel, and always funny.

In addition, this special edition hardback is really nice -- the black bonded leather cover, the gold foil on the cover and the edges of the pages, and the built-in satin ribbon bookmark are all very nice touches, and make this book one of the few to grace the bookshelf in my living room.

Quite possibly the funniest books I have ever read
Let me start this review, like I so often do, with a story. When I was about 12 years old, I received a copy of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy as a gift for Christmas from one of my uncles. I took it home and promptly threw it to the bottom of my bookshelf. What interest would I have in a book with such a weird name, with just some colored balls on the cover that said nothing about the story.

Flash forward four years. I'm desperate for a good book to read, and I've already read and re-read every book on my shelf. Except for one. I stumble upon my long forgotten copy of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and I figure, what the heck, I'll give it a try.

What a surprise I was in for. I didn't expect that I was given a book that contained such humor in almost everything that it told about. The author, Douglas Adams, has managed to create a universe that is bewilderingly similar to our own, in that it makes almost no sense and has completely random stuff happening all the time.

The best part about the humor of this series of books, is that Mr. Adams will set up a situation in such a way that you think you will know exactly what is going to happen, and then he does something completely unexpected and out of left field, usually to hilarious results. For example, probably the most well-known one is in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, where a group of hyper-intelligent, multi-dimensional beings build a giant supercomputer to find the answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything. The program to find the answer took 10,000 years to run, and at the end of it the computer came up with the Answer, which was 42. There are plenty of other outrageous situations in these books, and the humor is top-notch throughout.

Now about this particular version. The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy collects all five novels in the Hitchhiker's Trilogy, and one short story involving Zaphod Beeblebrox. This edition is a beautiful leather bound copy, with gold-gilded pages and a very nice ribbon bookmark so you do not have to doggy-ear your pages. It is clearly meant to be a version to keep in your family for generations, so I highly recommend it if you have children that you want to get interested in great, highly funny, science fiction.

In conclusion, I recommend these books to just about anyone. I believe that their humor is relevant to anyone, whether you hate science fiction or not. Especially since these sci-fi books continually make fun of science fiction and authority, life, and people in general. Also, this is the version to get, because it contains all of the stories in this wonderful series, in an edition that will last generations.
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Product Description
The "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" is one of the most eagerly anticipated film events of 2005. A much yearned for project of Douglas Adams, it has taken many years to bring the Galaxy to life on screen and this interpretation of the classic novel will be groundbreaking. Starring Sam Rockwell as Zaphod, Mos Def as Ford Prefect, Zooey des Chanel as Trillian, Martin Freeman as Arthur, Bill Nighy as Slartisbartfast and John Malkovich as Humma Kuvala, a new character created by Douglas especially for the movie. "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" draws on a refreshing mix of CGI technology and state of the art puppeteering from Jim Henson's Creature Workshop. With a loving attention to detail, Garth Jennings and Nick Goldsmith - the film's director and producer - create the wit, intelligence and sheer inventiveness of Douglas' writing. In "The Making of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy", Robbie Stamp will reveal the craft of the making of the film. From the emphasis throughout on making real sets and real creatures, Robbie Stamp, with exclusive access, interviews many of the people involved in the film's production.Storyboards, sketches, never-before-seen artwork, the making of "The Heart of Gold", "The Vogons", the guide itself and of course making and 'being' Marvin, will create a must-have companion to the film. With 400 illustrations and photographs, plus a wealth of insider jokes and cultural cross-references, this is the book old and new fans of "Hitchhiker's" have been waiting for. ... Read more