Don't Panic: Douglas Adams & the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

This is wonderful and the fact that my copies a first print in great condition only makes it better 😀

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.

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.

Years ago, while browsing in a book shop, desperate for something to read during lunch, I stumbled across this little book. I was a big fan of Adams but had never heard of Gaiman but decided to pick it up and give it a chance. It was well worth it as it was a great read.Some time later, I spotted a new hardback on the shelves at the same book shop. I knew the name Pratchett and had to think for a while as where I knew the name Gaiman from and then recalled that he had written that little book called Don't Panic, so I picked it up. Haven't looked back since.

For anyone interested in how the Hitchhiker's Guide came into being, this is essential reading. For anyone interested in the evolution of a great idea into a radio series, album, TV series, computer game, five books, and more than one attempt at a film script, this is equally vital.I found it particularly helpful in providing explanations of why:1. episodes five and six of the first radio series have a different style to the wonderful episodes 1 to 4.2. the second radio series was so sloppy in comparison to the first.It's fascinating to read Douglas Adams' original summary of the Hitchhiker concept. (Goodness knows why Arther Dent was originally going to be called Alaric!) It was depressing to read how Adams and John Lloyd (co-writer of episodes 5 and 6) fell out when Adams changed his mind about co-writing the first book, but encouraging that they put their differences behind them and went on to collaborate on works like 'The Meaning of Liff'.There are plenty of bits of unused dialogue spread across the pages of this book. It is partly a biography of Adams and partly a biography of the Hitchhikers Guide itself. There is a BBC-produced double cassette tape which also tells the story of the Hitchhiker but tends to gloss over most of the disagreements that Adams had with various BBC colleagues and publishers.I would strongly recommend Hitchhiker fans to get this book.

Read everything you always wanted to know about THHGTTG! (and some things you rather not know as well)