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Don't Panic: Douglas Adams & the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
by
Neil Gaiman (Goodreads Author)
"It's all devastatingly true - except the bits that are lies. - Douglas Adams
Don't Panic celebrates the life of an ape-descended human called Douglas Adams who, in a field in Innsbruck in 1971, had an idea.
This is also the story of what that idea became: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - the original radio series which started it all, and the five book trilogy', ...more
Don't Panic celebrates the life of an ape-descended human called Douglas Adams who, in a field in Innsbruck in 1971, had an idea.
This is also the story of what that idea became: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - the original radio series which started it all, and the five book trilogy', ...more
Hardcover, 256 pages
Published
May 1st 2005
by Titan Books (UK)
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Very enjoyable for Douglas Adams fans. A bit dated at this point (written in '88) but the history on Adams' life and works is still relevant. Plus having one of my faves write about another is just too fun. I miss Douglas, his death in 2001 at age 49 was just a huge loss.
I received Don't Panic: Douglas Adams & the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy as a birthday present & eagerly devoured it this week. Equally a biography and an examination of Adams' body of work, the original version of Don't Panic was written in 1987 by Neil Gaiman, with additional chapters added by David K. Dickson in 1993 and an overhaul with final chapter in 2003 by MJ Simpson. It is a credit to all three of these writers that the voice of the work is consistent throughout - and sounds suspic...more
This was, oddly, the very first Neil Gaiman book I read. It was in the Hazen High School Library and it said “Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” on the cover, and that was good enough for me.
The connection between H2G2 and Doctor Who is no surprise, and yet it’s really quite surprising. The third book in the five part trilogy? Had its genesis as a Doctor Who script. (95). The actress who played Trillian in the television show was married to “Peter Davison, the fifth and blandest ...more
The connection between H2G2 and Doctor Who is no surprise, and yet it’s really quite surprising. The third book in the five part trilogy? Had its genesis as a Doctor Who script. (95). The actress who played Trillian in the television show was married to “Peter Davison, the fifth and blandest ...more
This book is about a man named Arthur Dent. He and his Betelguese friend Ford were on the planet Earth. Until the Vogons came over to build a bypass. Ford transport themselves into the ship to save themselves but are soon found. They then have to try to survive in the vast universe where Ford's half friend and ex president Zaphod and an Earthling, Trillan who Arthur met before, have arrived and then became a part of this journey for a question that the highest tech computers took millions of yea...more
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Although I loved Hitch-hikers guide when I read it, and still do, I would have never picked-up this book if it had been written by anyone else. I really wouldn't think I'd care about all the trivia about the different versions that have appeared over the years - radio shows, TV, books, film. But I like Gaiman's style. He keeps it interesting.
It turns out that it was somewhat interesting to see the creative process at work. The first two books were better than the next two becau...more
It turns out that it was somewhat interesting to see the creative process at work. The first two books were better than the next two becau...more
This book was a fantastic journey through the roller coaster that is the world-famous series of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (or is it The Hitch Hiker's Guide, or just Hitchhiker's, or something like that?).
If you are a fan of the series and ever wanted to know just how Mr. Adams ever came up with the ideas for his witty, comical, off-the-wall adventures, then this is the book for you.
I'll admit, sometimes it feels long-in-tooth when it starts discussing what pro...more
If you are a fan of the series and ever wanted to know just how Mr. Adams ever came up with the ideas for his witty, comical, off-the-wall adventures, then this is the book for you.
I'll admit, sometimes it feels long-in-tooth when it starts discussing what pro...more
It might surprise you to learn that Neil Gaiman is my favourite author. It probably won't. What may suprise you is that Douglas Adams is not far behind him, and so this book was an opportunity not to be missed. It should be mentioned that Gaiman's magic touch for prose doesn't come into play here, but what does is that frustrating adn turbulent life of one of the funniest men ever to live it. Gaiman's research is thorough and fascinating, and ticks all the boxes of a biography:
Fa...more
Fa...more
A pretty comprehensive look for the inquiring Hitchhiker's fan at the early years of Douglas Adams, his struggles to become a paid writer, and the snowball that is the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Discussing things outside the purview of mainstream H2G2 fans, like the computer game, the Dirk Gently novels, Starship Titanic, the H2G2 radio show and the H2G2 record (oddly, not the same recordings at all), and thankfully stopping short of the tepid Hollywoodization of the whole thing. Perhaps ...more
This book is half a biography of Douglas Adams and half an insider scoop on how the various versions of the "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" came about. Published in 1988, obviously it is missing a lot of the later stuff, but it makes for an entertaining read. I learned a lot, including the closer-than-I-suspected links between H2G2 and "Doctor Who" (did you know that "Life, the Universe, and Everything" began its life as a "Doctor Who" script?), and I...more
I gave it to chapter 10 to get interesting and new. At chapter 8 it did. A lot of the info in there was present in a more entertainly written form in THE SALMON OF DOUBT, but as I got deeper into the book there was more about behind-the-scenes Douglas Adams, his mad ideas that either do or should work, and of course there's the factor that Neil Gaimnan wrote it. More of his voice comes out later in the book and you get a wonderful writer saying wonderful things wonderfully about a wonderful i...more
Thanks to my mother for this Christmas present of the latest (September 2009) revised edition of the 1988 original covering the history of Douglas Adams and The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Neil Gaiman interviewed Douglas Adams and many of his friends and colleagues to get the dirt/interesting nuggets of how the radio play came about and its metamorphosis into a book, a vinyl LP, a TV show, a towel, a stage play, more radio shows and, after Adams's untimely death, a movie. While he became r...more
When I ordered this book I wasn’t really expecting this kind of amazing compilation of materials and I loved being able to read some of the original cut scripts and here about ideas which were later discarded. I have listened to the radio series and watched the TV series and I really likes Gaiman’s portrayal of the behind the scenes drama, as well as some sneaky information on how they got it all done. I also love the snippets we get about Adams working style (disorganised) and his personal life...more
A short look at the story behind one of the best book series, and one of the funniest authors, I've ever read. And it's written by one of my other favorite authors and major inspirations. So it feels odd that I didn't enjoy this book all that much. It's mostly a series of anecdotes that functions pretty well as a chronology of Douglas Adams' career, but didn't give me much insight into his writing process (other than it occurring at least several weeks after his deadlines), or how exactly H2G2 g...more
This book was not as entertaining or funny as I expected from the topic AND the author. However, if you are a fanatic of H2G2... you should pick this up. A large portion of the book is taken from interviews Neil Gaiman did with Douglas Adams, so hearing Mr. Adams talk about his work in his own words is interesting. But it wasn't what I thought it would be. In this case, the whole is less than the sum of its parts.
Even though I don't really enjoy biographies I thought I'd give this a shot since I love Hitchhiker's Guide and Neil Gaiman. Unfortunately the book didn't hold my interest and I didn't end up finishing it. I don't want to say it was a bad book (because it's not) and it did mention some interesting things about Douglas Adams that I didn't know, it just wasn't my thing.
David Melbie
rated it
Recommends it for:
People who panic!
Recommended to David by:
I'm a big fan of these guys!
I first knew of this book after reading Salmon of Doubt, the posthumously published novel by Douglas Adams. This book first appeared in 1987. This is the third edition, which I am assuming has the new material inserted throughout. . .
. . . I'm a big fan of both of these authors, so this was a delightful read. --From A Reader's Journal, by d r melbie.
. . . I'm a big fan of both of these authors, so this was a delightful read. --From A Reader's Journal, by d r melbie.
Interesting biography of Douglas Adams that includes some anecdotes and versions of his work that I hadn't read before. The thing that stood out the most for me is the fact that Adams was a world-class procrastinator and always turned in everything late, yet managed to achieve fame and fortune nonetheless. It gives us all hope.
I am a huge Douglas Adams fan, having read through the complete canon more than once (except for The Salmon of Doubt, which only sort of counts). It has been awhile since I last read any of his books or listened to the radio programs but reading this book brought back so many fond memories and made me want to get them all out and read them again (it did in fact inspire me to at least get out my old mp3's of the radio series and listen to them all, and the television series is now in my Netflix q...more
I'd read the original version of this book back in the 80's hadn't thought about it until my friend mentioned recently that Neil Gaiman had actually written it! It was so interesting to re-read this updated version at a completely different place in my own life, I really got a lot from it. Of course it's also sad to once again be reminded that Adams didn't live nearly long enough. If you love his books, this is a must read.
Well-researched and informative. Also entertaining. A bit rushed toward the end, where, in the new edition, other authors have written updating chapters. Gaiman was the perfect writer for this project.
This book is a very pleasant stroll through Douglas Adams' literary biography. There's not much in it that I didn't know already but Gaiman's tone is so engaging that I didn't mind hearing it again.
A great look behind the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and the man who wrote it. What an added bonus to have it written by Neil Gaiman -- a funny and insightful writer. It actually sparked me to read another bio -- I hope I am not let down.
Lots of stuff in this for the hard-core Hitchhiker fan. I particularly enjoyed reading the Dr. Who treatment that later became Life, The Universe and Everything.
A fascinating book about one of the funniest authors written by one of my favorite authors. What more could I ask for? Nothing.
I received this book as a gift several years ago, and yet, I cannot bring myself to read it. Same problem with Salmon of a Doubt.
Story of Douglas Adams and the Hitchikers guide to the galaxy - an interesting insight to the man and his work
Gah! Excitement! My two favorite modern writers brought together, and I hadn't heard about this book until recently.
A book about one of my favorite authors by one of my other favorite authors. This one couldn't lose!
I just could not make it through this book. Although I liked the Hitchhikers Guide the Galaxy.
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