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And Another Thing... (Hitchhiker's Guide #6)

by Eoin Colfer

3.26 · rating details · 3,028 ratings · 601 reviews

- Publication will be an international event, with a one-day global laydown timed to the 30th anniversary of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.
- And Another Thing... combines the fan bases of two of publishing's bestselling series: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (16 million copies sold) and Artemis Fowl (18 million copies sold).
- The buzz has been building since t

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Hardcover, 275 pages

Published October 12th 2009 by Hyperion (first published January 1st 2009)

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Community Reviews

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Mar 13, 2011

Dan rated it

Shelves: funny, 2010

Arthur, Random, Trillian, and Ford are rescued from the unrealities the Hitchhiker's Guide Mark II placed them in and then rescued by Zaphod Beeblebrox as the earth is getting destroyed yet again. The reunited crew is then saved from certain death by an immortal dedicated to insulting every sentient being in the galaxy. Things go pear-shaped when Arthur learns of a colony of earthlings on a planet near Magrathea and the Vogon Constructor Fleet bent on finishing what they started. Not a terri...more

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Nov 25, 2010

Ben Babcock rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: 2010-read, humour, mythology-remix, post-apocalyptic, science-fiction, space-opera, 2010-worst10, owned

There are some great moments in this book, moments worthy of quotation. There is tea; there are gods; there is Vogon bureaucracy and Vogon poetry. And Another Thing... sublimely embraces the h2g2 universe by grabbing hold of it by the scruff of its neck and shaking it vigorously until more characters and random plot events fall out.

And I didn't like it.

See, h2g2's humorous nexus of improbable events with zany characters is the icing on an already delicious cake. My attract...more

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Oct 15, 2009

Rachel rated it

Shelves: sf, humour, h2g2, adventure, read-2009, read-in-one-day, bought-with-james, series, male-author, male-author-hero, latest-or-last-in-series

I was kind of scared to read this book. Actually, I was very scared, but I was also very excited--and then I read the forward. It was wonderful. Eoin Colfer knows he's not Douglas Adams, and he knows that his contribution to the trilogy won't be the same or mean the same thing to the readers. But he also clearly knows and appreciates his Hitchhiker's Guide, and he's funny.

So I read the book. It was nice right away, because the characters weren't all dead. Then the story took off on ...moreI was kind of scared to read this book. Actually, I was very scared, but I was also very excited--and then I read the forward. It was wonderful. Eoin Colfer knows he's not Douglas Adams, and he knows that his contribution to the trilogy won't be the same or mean the same thing to the readers. But he also clearly knows and appreciates his Hitchhiker's Guide, and he's funny.

So I read the book. It was nice right away, because the characters weren't all dead. Then the story took off on its own interesting and funny direction, and I was happy to go along in whatever really cool ship they could hitch a ride on. It clearly wasn't written by Douglas Adams, but it's also definitely part of the Hitchhiker's Guide--much more so than Terry Jones' Douglas Adams's Starship Titanic, which felt like it took place in another universe (in which they use "translation blisters" instead of babblefish).

I was afraid Colfer wouldn't include the random, hilarious, interesting, and sometimes thought-provoking tangents that Douglas Adams used to fill a lot of the pages of the previous books in the trilogy, but they were in there, diverting us from the main story as always. There were a lot of things in there from the previous books that I'd worried wouldn't make it in, or things that I'd kind of forgotten about (there was another Vogon poem, although I actually don't think it was half bad). There were also plenty of new things, some of which I thought were great, some of which...well, let's just say I got tired of the word "buffa."

Still, bringing in new stuff is not only not bad, it's necessary. Books that come after other books have to add new stuff so that they won't be the same as the first books. I'm sure had Douglas Adams written another Hitchhiker's book, there would be new stuff in it. And the new things and characters in this book were good new things and good new characters. Plus, the old things and old characters were done well. Unfortunately, there was very little that was actually about Arthur. My guess is that Colfer felt more comfortable making more minor characters his own (including fleshing out the backstories--not to mention current stories--and personalities of some people only mentioned briefly in the first five books) than trying to take on Arthur Dent and Ford Prefect. And hey, apart from what I assume were his fjords, where was Slartibartfast? And where was any mention of Marvin? Just curious.

But I don't want to end on a complaining note. Other characters like Agrajag did get nice mentions. So did Douglas Adams himself--or at least an episode in his life, which I thought was a really nice touch, and actually made me a little misty, before I kept reading and got to something funny. Also, interestingly, this was the second book I read today (well, the first one I just finished today, this one I read completely)--AS WELL AS the second book I've ever read--that included the word "philately." I'm not sure what that signifies, if anything, but I wanted to mention it.

Thanks, Eoin Colfer, for bringing the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy back for a while, but most of all thanks to Douglas Adams for bringing it to us in the first place.(less)

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Nov 06, 2009

Jay Daze rated it

Shelves: sf, library-book

It's just wrong.

I opened And Another Thing... which Adams' widow commissioned Colfer to write with a sinking feeling and reading it has done nothing to dispel the disquiet. As much as I'd love to have another Douglas Adams' book (Hitchhikers or something else) this isn't it. There is no way it could be. Colfer gives it a valiant try. He's got the humour, he needs work on his digressions, doesn't really have that sharp organizing idea that Adams seemed to somehow structure his b...more

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Feb 11, 2012

Adam Lauver rated it

Major ambivalence here (and some vague spoilers ahead, so beware). There are certainly some hilarious parts (the Cthulu interview comes to mind). But there are lots of parts that try to be funny but just aren't because of how hard they/Colfer are trying. There are some great moments that it was an absolute pleasure to live through with our revived heroes, but there are a LOT of tedious moments in between. Much of the overall concept is apropos, considering Douglas Adams' well-known atheism--and ...more

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Mar 22, 2011

Alberto Schiariti rated it

· review of another edition

Non mi era mai stato così difficile aprire la prima pagina di un libro. Se siete qua, sicuramente avrete letto i precedenti 5 capitoli della Saga più geniale che mente umana abbia mai concepito. La Guida Galattica è più di un libro. E' un Formaggio. I più svegli di voi si saranno sicuramente accorti che il buon vecchio Douglas ci ha abbandonati un po' di anni fa.

E questo nuovo capitolo!? E' stato affidato a Eoin Colfer. Non avevo la più pallida idea di chi fosse, ma una volta che ho saputo di qu...more

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Jan 11, 2012

Eric rated it

With the tragic Author Existence Failure of the late Douglas Adams, it seemed as if his Hitchhiker's Guide series was doomed to end on a tremendous downer. Enter Eoin Colfer, taking on the daunting task of stepping into the shoes of the galaxy's hoopiest frood to give H2G2 fans a more fitting farewell for their beloved characters.

What's immediately apparent is that Colfer is not Adams, and for the first fourth or so of the book I had the unsatisfying feeling of reading a work that fel...moreWith the tragic Author Existence Failure of the late Douglas Adams, it seemed as if his Hitchhiker's Guide series was doomed to end on a tremendous downer. Enter Eoin Colfer, taking on the daunting task of stepping into the shoes of the galaxy's hoopiest frood to give H2G2 fans a more fitting farewell for their beloved characters.

What's immediately apparent is that Colfer is not Adams, and for the first fourth or so of the book I had the unsatisfying feeling of reading a work that felt almost, but not quite, entirely unlike a Hitchhiker's Guide novel. For every bit that expertly channels Douglas Adams's sublime grasp of the absurd, there's another lurking around the corner filled with a sort of oblivious awkwardness, like a grandfather trying too hard to be hip to another generation's style. The effort to reproduce Adams's astute silliness occasionally leads Colfer into juvenile silliness and even a few instances of potty humor. (I never expected to see the term "doo-doo" in a Hitchhiker book.) The characters speak and act in ways that feel forced and contrived and not in keeping with the personalities developed in the first five volumes.

Somewhere in the middle of the book, though, Colfer finds the right voices for the characters, and the quirky language and off-the-wall asides start to click. Although his style is not identical to Adams, I finally felt as though he was writing about the same characters I had come to know in the first five volumes, and with that came interest in the fates he had devised for them. Somewhere along the way, I stopped unconsciously comparing him to Adams at every turn, and started to enjoy his writing on its own merits.

The ending purposely leaves a couple loose threads untied, but it ultimately gave the satisfaction of seeing Arthur, Ford, Trillian, Zaphod, and Random ending their literary careers alive and well, and even with a measure of happiness, which was the whole point of the book, after all.

I would have liked to see Slartibartfast make an appearance somewhere along the way, but I suppose one can't have everything.

Conclusion: Mostly entertaining.(less)

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Nov 30, 2011

Emma Thompson rated it

To say that I disliked this book would be an understatement. I have only finished this book because I despise leaving books unfinished. Now, I told myself when I sat down to read it that I had to judge this book on two criteria, I had to judge it as a novel in it's own right and I have to judge it as a hitchhikers book, but as I read the only point I kept coming back to is that this is an awful hitchhikers book, miles worse then any Douglas Adams wrote. It completely lacks the wit and sparkle of...more

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Oct 10, 2011

Toni rated it

· review of another edition

Attempting to tell someone about any of the books in Douglas Adams' Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series is next to impossible. It can be done, but will it make any sense? I'm not even going to try, except to say that this story takes up where the last one left off and involves Vogons, a colony of Earthlings who survived the destruction of their planet to make way for a superhighway, the god Thor, his stolen longboat which has been made into a spaceship, and several other unrelated su...more

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Sep 28, 2011

Ian rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: boring, comic, sci-fi

1.5 stars for the effort, but Colfer's book reads more like fanfiction set in the HHGG universe rather than a proper new novel and conclusion. Most elements and gags are recycled from older stories, giving it a feel of a 'best of' where you keep retreading the same tracks rather than visiting something new. It doesn't help that the notes from the Guide, an important part of the previous books, here feel like annoying intermissions that break up the pacing rather than well-thought diversions that...more

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Sep 23, 2011

D. T. rated it

The quote from which Colfer pulls his title rather says it all: "The storm had now definitely abated, and what thunder there was now grumbled over more distant hills, like a man saying 'And another thing...' twenty minutes after admitting he's lost the argument."

And Another Thing... is the written embodiment of that quote: it's too little, too late. It neither accomplishes anything useful nor does it add anything other than an unsatisfying addendum to a long finished conver...more

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Aug 26, 2011

David Campton rated it

Shelves: humourous-fiction, science-fiction

Hope and experience slugged it out again... And as usual I backed that loser "Hope"... This is hugely disappointing... but then I suppose that makes Eoin Colfer the perfect inheritor of Douglas Adams' mantle. The original trilogy were nothing short of brilliant, but Adam's famous disregard for deadlines and (in my opinion) the contempt of him and his publishers for his loyal readership, meant that his last couple were merely exercises in commercial cynicism devoid of wit or original na...more

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Aug 11, 2011

Anders rated it

Shelves: library-books

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jul 30, 2011

Nathan rated it

Thoroughly enjoyed it. Was slightly unsure about the whole thing; H2G2 is probably my favourite collection of books, and while I really like Artemis Fowl as well, there was always going to be a bit of trepidation going into this. But honestly, just reading the foreword allayed that fear. It was funny, clever, it was interesting, it was fun. I thought Colfer dealt very well with picking it up after Mostly Harmless, and did a very good job of keeping it within the H2G2 world while still making it ...more

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Jun 05, 2011

Jimmy rated it

Recommends it for: Douglas Adams fans

So, you've read everything that Douglas Adams ever wrote? Even the scrap of paper he left at the café that one time, that's you can't be certain is not a shopping list? And now you curse all the Gods of the universe for allowing Douglas Adams to die? I hope for the sake of your sanity that you celebrate towel day the 25th of May every year, and hopefully wear a towel at all times possible...
Well, so you saw in the bookstore "part 6 of 3 of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy"? I...more

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Feb 16, 2011

Joel Huber rated it

"Whoa! the hitchhiker's guide is back!" was one of many exciting thoughts that rolled through my head when i heard of a 6th book in the works. Even though my honest and naive excitement was thrilling, i still had my creeping suspicions about how the commissioned author would present a story and characters i so enjoyed.

Though when i finally dove into the text, my fears and anxieties were reassured. The content of the story; while interesting in itself, seemed a shadow of it'...more

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Jan 13, 2011

Mark Nunn rated it

When I heard there was a new book in the h2g2 trilogy I assumed Douglas Adams had spent enough time dead for tax reasons and was back. Unfortunately that's not the case and this book is actually written by Eoin Colfer. I was a little surprised that Eoin Colfer was chosen as the author to continue the series, he didn't seem like an obvious choice. If I'd been asked to select a writer for this project I'd probably have chosen someone like Terry Pratchett, Robert Rankin or Neil Gaimen. However, I h...more

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Jan 09, 2011

Zarkseven rated it

Shelves: science-fiction, humor

So this frood named Eoin Colfer, well known for his Artemis Fowl children’s books, was asked by the widow of the late great Douglas Adams to “finish” the Hitchhiker’s Guide series. Finish H2G2?! Well doesn’t that just take the biscuit! What do you call Mostly Harmless, for Zark’s sake!?

Actually, I don’t care about all that. Hitchhiker’s Guide isn’t sacred, and has appeared in so many forms that it’s almost too difficult to count. That Colfer was approached by Adams’ widow Jane Bel...moreSo this frood named Eoin Colfer, well known for his Artemis Fowl children’s books, was asked by the widow of the late great Douglas Adams to “finish” the Hitchhiker’s Guide series. Finish H2G2?! Well doesn’t that just take the biscuit! What do you call Mostly Harmless, for Zark’s sake!?

Actually, I don’t care about all that. Hitchhiker’s Guide isn’t sacred, and has appeared in so many forms that it’s almost too difficult to count. That Colfer was approached by Adams’ widow Jane Belson, not the other way around, is the right start for me, meaning it wasn’t a vanity project. That Colfer has always been a fan that appreciates the uniqueness of the series is a critical next step. And that Colfer was quoted as saying that “this is a wonderful opportunity to work with characters I have loved since childhood and give them something of my own voice while holding onto the spirit of Douglas Adams and not laying a single finger on his five books” says to me that this is a serious effort that deserves open-minded consideration.

So now that I’m finished with And Another Thing: Douglas Adams’ Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Part Six of Three, I can truly and unequivocally say whether this Colfer chap really knows where his towel is, or whether I now have this terrible pain in all the diodes down my left side.

LIKED

Nostalgia. I listened to the audio, read by Simon Jones (who portrayed Arthur Dent numerous HHGTTG iterations), and I have to say that for the first 10-15 minutes of listening to him speaking new Hitchhiker’s, I was grinning from ear to ear. Nostalgia is not always good, as frequently the reality is not as good as you remembered it to be. But I’d say that overall the book was upbeat and fun, didn’t take away anything from what came before it, and gave us just a little bit more.

Unmistakably Hitchhiker’s. The Part Six detractors will hate me for even thinking of saying this, but the book felt like a Hitchhiker’s book. Possibly more so than Adams’ last two entries into the series. There really isn’t a series that feels like Hitchhiker’s, and someone with less appreciation or imagination might not pull it off. Colfer definitely pulled it off. Taking a new trip with Arthur and Ford and Trillian and Zaphod felt good because the tone and essence that makes Hitchhiker’s so special was there. It was a good romp in the Hitchhiker’s universe with all the trappings we know and love.

NOT SO MUCH

Guide Notes. I think it’ll probably be a universal criticism of this book that the Guide Notes were over-played. If I remember correctly, Adams phased them out and they did not appear in later novels. I appreciate Colfer bringing them back, as it’s one of those distinctly Hitchhiker’s type of things, and the early Adams’ novels that used them were more popular with fans than the later ones that did not. But they interrupted the flow of things way too much, and I really don’t remember any of them like I do about what happened to all the biros (ballpoint pens). So I appreciate their use, but wished they had been used more sparingly.

Missing the Mark. In addition to the Guide Notes, a few other things didn’t work for me. It’s hard to say that Colfer should not have done this or that, as he shouldn’t try to imitate Adams. But I found a few things distracting. Names that are puns was one of them. They didn’t really make me laugh, or groan. More like just roll my eyes. There were also a few too many references to previous things from Hitchhiker’s radio, TV, novels and so forth. When you’re on Part Six, it’s hard not to mine that previous gold for more nuggets, and even Adams may have done the same if he were the author. Not that I’d advocate getting rid of them all, but each reference used was an opportunity wasted to come up with something new and just as unique and fun.

RECOMMEND?

To people unfamiliar with Hitchhiker’s, I’d say start at the beginning. There’s too much history here to start at Part Six. But for Hitchhiker’s fans, I would definitely recommend it. There’s not much of a point in the story/plot, but is there ever in Hitchhiker’s? If you go into it expecting Douglas Adams, you’ll find ways to be disappointed. If you go into it expecting the essence of Douglas Adams, I think you will be entertained. Colfer does know where his towel is. And for Zark’s sake, listen to it read by Simon Jones! (less)

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Dec 30, 2010

Karissa Eckert rated it

This is the 6th part of 3 in the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series. Douglas Adams always wanted to have a sixth book in the series; and Eoin Colfer (best know for the Artemis Fowl series) was the writer chosen to write this sixth book. Overall it was an okay book. I read the original books so long ago that I had trouble comparing this book to the original. This book was very creative and had a similar tone to it that the previous books had. I found it hard to stay engaged in the story thou...moreThis is the 6th part of 3 in the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series. Douglas Adams always wanted to have a sixth book in the series; and Eoin Colfer (best know for the Artemis Fowl series) was the writer chosen to write this sixth book. Overall it was an okay book. I read the original books so long ago that I had trouble comparing this book to the original. This book was very creative and had a similar tone to it that the previous books had. I found it hard to stay engaged in the story though with all the sidetracking that was going on.

Arthur, Ford, Random, and Trillian have spent a while living a life that they weren't really living. They awake to find that the alternate Earth that they are on is going to be destroyed; very familiar to the first book! They are rescued at the last minute by Zaphod who is piloting the Heart of Gold. Of course, things go wrong on The Heart of Gold and they are then about to die again when they are rescued by the immortal Bowerick. Bowerick agrees to help them if they can find a way to kill him. Zaphod readily agrees. From there they are off to the planet of Gods to convince Thor to kill Bowerick. The other part of the story involves the leader of the planet Nano and his search for a God for his planet; as the last colony of humans this story eventually ties in with the one involving Arthur and folks.

This was an interesting story. The plot is creative and the Guide Notes as intriguing and somewhat useless as they always were. The tone of the book seemed in keeping with the previous books (although my memory on the previous books is a bit vague). Still despite the non-stop action and constant stream of creative prattle, I had trouble staying engaged in this book.

Maybe it is because I haven't been involved with these characters in a long time, but I have trouble staying engaged in the characters or their story. Part of the problem was that it was like the story had ADD, it just couldn't stay going in one direction for very long. I remember the original books kind of being like that, but I think this was worse. With the interruptions of facts from the Guide occurring almost every page (okay, probably every other page) the continuity of the story was constantly interrupted. The story itself also schizophrenically switches between different characters and different locations.

Overall this was a somewhat interesting read. It kept with the humorous writing of the original series and had the constant splattering of odd and miscellaneous facts that I remember in previous books. I had trouble getting through the book though because neither the story nor the characters could really keep my interest. I think plot was a little to minced up and unfocused for me. I guess if you are a big fan of the series I would read this book; definitely don't use this book as an entry into the series...you will be totally confused if you do. The original four books still remain the best in my mind. Let's hope that this is the last we see of new books to the HHGTTG series. (less)

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Nov 27, 2010

Tom Croom rated it

This book is spectacularly average. So amazingly average, in fact, that I would be hard pressed to repeat back the plot to you if a gun were held to my head. It's all a bit muddled and involves Random's abandonment issues with her father Arthur while Trillian falls in love with an annoying and insulting immortal who was a minor character from a previous book. During this time, Ford's old buddy Thor (yes, the deity) gets thrown into the mix in an attempt to confuse you into believing that you ...more

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Sep 13, 2010

Dan rated it

Shelves: humorous, science-fiction

In this sixth book in the increasingly inappropriately named Hitchhikers Trilogy, we are treated once again to the very funny exploits of doomed earth-man Arthur Dent and his pals. This book is actually the first in the series not written by the now late, but still great, Douglas Adams. Filling in for him is Eoin Colfer, a man best known for his kids & teen books, but still quite a nice fellow.

In fact, during most of my time spent reading this book, I could quite easily forget th...more

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Aug 28, 2010

Marcus Gipps rated it

· review of another edition

Well, like everybody else, I wasn't convinced by this idea when I first heard about it. A sequel to Adams' much-loved books? Sacrilege. In fairness to Colfer, he seemed like a decent choice as author, but it could never be quite right, could it? Also, what was the point? The five books (plus a half, if you want to count the unfinished fragment contained in The Salmon of Doubt, the collection of writings & short stories published after the author's death) stand pretty well on their own, and altho...moreWell, like everybody else, I wasn't convinced by this idea when I first heard about it. A sequel to Adams' much-loved books? Sacrilege. In fairness to Colfer, he seemed like a decent choice as author, but it could never be quite right, could it? Also, what was the point? The five books (plus a half, if you want to count the unfinished fragment contained in The Salmon of Doubt, the collection of writings & short stories published after the author's death) stand pretty well on their own, and although they end with the apparent death of our main characters, the world didn't exactly seem to be crying out for more. Incidentally, I've never read the Salmon fragment, purely because I didn't want to have to accept that there wouldn't be any more Adams prose out there for me to read. Sad, I know.

Having said all that, there wasn't really much chance that I wasn't going to give this a go at some point. If you like something you have to follow what's going on, even if you fear that it'll be ruined. And I'm quite happy to say that, as far as I'm concerned, this was alright. Not spectacular, by any means, and not a replacement for the original thing, but a well-done, inoffensive stab at continuing the trilogy. I had a few minor niggles, the major ones focusing around Colfer's insistence in taking one of Adam's throwaway tics (the comparison of something mundane to an invented alien civilisation's habits, for one) and doing them to death. Seriously, it really began to grate on me after a while - every other page (or so it seemed) would have an example - but apart from that things largely seemed to work. Colfer captures most of the character's voices pretty well, his plot actually feels Adams-esque enough to be impressive, and the whole things hangs together nicely. The re-visiting of various characters and situations from the previous books feels a bit contrived in places, but was probably needed to assure the reader that this was a continuation, and presumably Colfer will strike off on his own a bit more in future books (if there are any).

This isn't really quite good enough to carry the mark of 'part six of three', as the cover proudly maintains, but it is a pretty impressive attempt at a thankless job, was fun to read in and of itself, and works as a stand-alone novel (although I'm not really sure you'd read it if you hadn't read the rest of the Hitchhikers oeuvre). If Colfer has another go then fair enough, I'll probably read that as well - but I'm still not quite sure why this needed to be done in the first place.

I read a signed hardback, it's everywhere at the moment, ISBN: 9780718155148. (less)

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Aug 09, 2010

Nathaniel rated it

Recommends it for: people who feel compelled to read another Hitchiker's Guide book

Shelves: humorous, sci-fi

I feel bad giving this book just 2 stars because I like Eoin Colfer so much and he's a very good writer. The problem is that his writing style is very different from Douglas Adams's.

The hitchiker's guide series relies on a lot of absurdist humor and the fact that there is essentially no plot. There's never any resolution, and the good guys never win. Eoin Colfer's books, on the other hand, are great precisely because of how tightly he develops his characters through cohesive, ente...more

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May 25, 2010

Paul rated it

Shelves: sciencefictionfantasy

Here is the sixth, and latest, installment in the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy "trilogy," created by Douglas Adams. It was also published with the approval of Adams’ widow.

Arthur Dent has made his way back to Earth, but it isn’t "his" Earth. The Vogons, with the extremely bad poetry, are working on destroying all possible versions of Earth, so Arthur must take off, again. Ford Prefect, writer for the Guide, and Zaphod Beeblebrox, former president of the Galax...more

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May 17, 2010

Johnny rated it

Shelves: fantasy, science-fiction

I finally started my literary blog by commenting on authors who pick up another author’s universe and run with it. In general, I’m not thrilled with the results. Yet, my feelings about Eoin Colfer’s And Another Thing, another adventure in Douglas Adams’ Hitchhiker’s Guide universe, are at least ambivalent. While I relished the chance to spend additional time with Zaphod, Arthur, Ford, and Trillian, and I definitely enjoyed the punful names (Aseed Preflux, Bowerick Wowbagger (“Bow Wow”), Li Senz,...moreI finally started my literary blog by commenting on authors who pick up another author’s universe and run with it. In general, I’m not thrilled with the results. Yet, my feelings about Eoin Colfer’s And Another Thing, another adventure in Douglas Adams’ Hitchhiker’s Guide universe, are at least ambivalent. While I relished the chance to spend additional time with Zaphod, Arthur, Ford, and Trillian, and I definitely enjoyed the punful names (Aseed Preflux, Bowerick Wowbagger (“Bow Wow”), Li Senz, etc.) and puns like Edamnation with regard to the worshippers of the Cheese, I felt like Eoin Colfer (author of the Artemis Fowl series of juveniles) missed an opportunity to play much more creatively with the Improbability Drive than to involve the familiar cast with mythological figures. It could just be me, but I felt like a lot of this plot was like a warmed-over version of Neil Gaiman’s American Gods. Again, the gods had been diminished and weakened by humankind’s lack of belief and the events surrounding our team of protagonists offered an opportunity for a comeback.

In spite of the plot that seemed vaguely recycled, And Another Thing offered a pleasant diversion. At times, remembering Douglas Adams’ own opinions, I felt like the late author would have approved of some of the disparaging remarks made by characters and the narrative voice about organized religion and Theism in general. Yet, the Adams I met on a couple of brief occasions wouldn’t have stooped (in my opinion) to quite the level of disdain that is found at points in this volume. As a result, my enjoyment of the book was sometimes knocked askew by a bit of whiplash between the superior attitude taken by Colfer compared to Adams’ sense of fun as I perceive it from my limited data sample of a short interview and a long dinner conversation. Still, this first effort by Colfer isn’t shabby and I won’t hesitate to read another should a Part Seven of Three actually appear in print.
(less)

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Apr 19, 2010

Jaime Nelson rated it

What is And Another Thing?

The 5th H2G2 book didn't end very happily, and Adams thought 6 was a better number for a series, but he died before another book could be written. The publishers commissioned the 6th book from Irish author of Artemis Fowl, Eoin Colfer, a fan of H2G2.

Summary of And Another Thing

H2G2 Mark 2 locks Arthur, Trillion, Ford, and Random in a bubble of artificial reality where they live out 100 years of whatever they want. When the batt...more

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Mar 21, 2010

Andrea rated it

Recommends it for: Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy fans

Shelves: sci-fi

I have loved Douglas Adams' Hitchhiker Series for many years, so I was surprised to learn that someone was continuing the series and have to admit I was quite skeptical of the outcome. Douglas Adams had a voice and style all his own, not easily duplicated. Having said that, I don't think the author did too badly, all things considered. He had some massively large shoes to fill. In my honest opinion, I think he did as well as anyone could hope to do. I just wish he hadn't churned up all the ...more

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Feb 02, 2010

Julie rated it

Shelves: scifi-fantasy

And Another Thing... is billed as the sixth book of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series (a trilogy in four five parts), though it was not written by Douglas Adams but instead by Eoin Colfer. Now, perhaps I had my expectations a little high. After all, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and Restaurant at the End of the Universe rank among my top-ten books of all time. Maybe even my top five. They are, in a word, exceptional.

Colfer is clearly a huge fan of the series. His refer...moreAnd Another Thing... is billed as the sixth book of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series (a trilogy in four five parts), though it was not written by Douglas Adams but instead by Eoin Colfer. Now, perhaps I had my expectations a little high. After all, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and Restaurant at the End of the Universe rank among my top-ten books of all time. Maybe even my top five. They are, in a word, exceptional.

Colfer is clearly a huge fan of the series. His references are spot-on, and no doubt his copies of The Hitchhiker's Guide books are just as well-thumbed and earmarked as my own. That said, they're extremely hard to duplicate. Even Douglas Adams himself seemed to fade a bit starting in book three of the series, where I suspect he was trying to replicate the writing style in the first two books and falling somewhat short of the mark. So if even Adams couldn't keep the trend going through five books, how much more difficult for a different writer to adopt it?

The true magic of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is that it walked a very fine line between plot and digression, between sense and nonsense. And Another Thing... fell just a little too far on the "digression/nonsense" side of that line. Colfer's asides are just a touch too prevalent and a smidge too flighty. His "Guide's Notes" seem included merely to throw in the names of made-up planets and peoples, rather than to further the tenuous strands of the plot. His references to the original books sometimes seem a bit strained.

There are nonetheless a few moments of brilliance. I particularly liked Colfer's characterization of Thor, and there were a few passages in there that might have been pulled straight from H2G2. It was an enjoyable read, if not something that I'll come back to again and again. (And not, alas, the bounty for my quote book like Hitchhiker's Guide.)

It's hard to compete with a classic, especially one whose writing style is as unique as Adams'. Colfer gave it his best shot, and I don't think anyone could do better. Good on him for the attempt, even if it didn't quite measure up to "top ten" status.(less)

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Jan 12, 2010

Nazary rated it

Fine but flawed. This book is a bit strange. I'm glad it exists but it depresses me. It's a sort of final nail in the coffin of the Hitchhiker's Series, resolutely saying that Adams will never work his magic again. Yet somehow I feel it's a fitting ending.

Colfer is a good writer but it's clear the book isn't even close to Adam's brilliance. Colfer uses odd word choices and the constant snippets from the Guide break up the story unnecessarily and make references to old obscure charact...more

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Jan 10, 2010

Jason_W. rated it

Shelves: 8th-grade-ir-book-rick

This book is about the Hitchhiker's Guide created by Douglas Adams Series that was not continued prior to his death in 2001. The book is about a man named Arthur Dent who was sent into space with Ford Perfect after hitchhiking onto a Vogon Cruiser. That part was in another book but now after being lured onto a different dimension Earth, it was about to be destoryed again by Vogons. This time they are saved by Zaphod Beeblebrox the ex-presdient of the Universe, again. By fortunate luck that the I...more

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About Eoin Colfer

Eoin Colfer (pronounced Owen) was born in Wexford on the South-East coast of Ireland in 1965, where he and his four brothers were brought up by his father and mother, who were both educators.

He received his degree from Dublin University and began teaching primary school in Wexford. He has lived and worked all over the world, including Saudi Arabia, Tunisia and Italy. After the publicat...more

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“There is no such thing as a happy ending. Every culture has a maxim that makes this point, while nowhere in the Universe is there a single gravestone that reads 'He Loved Everything About His Life, Especially the Dying Bit at the End'.” — 30 people liked it

“The Hitchhiker's Guide is a hundred percent accurate. Reality, however, is not as reliable.” — 28 people liked it

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And Another Thing... (Hitchhiker's Guide #6)

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