The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
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What concept did you find most interesting / awesome / funny?
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Towards the end of the second book, The Restaurant and the End of the Universe, we come to know about the actual ancestors of Earthlings. Since you haven't read book two I won't spoil it for you, but it is extremely funny!The other ones I find really interesting is Somebody Else's Problem, from the third book Life, the Universe and Everything. And who can forget, the Bistromathic Drive!
The Improbability Drive.I want one.
I've heard BMW's working on it, which is, in itself, improbable when you consider how logical those German engineers are. :D
I love that Adams created the world of the books, gave his characters a book that explained everything, and then tells them that there is no god because this fish that Adams created to solve a problem with his plot is too useful.
I frequently quote the SEP field for explaining why a lot of people ignore the obvious, but, for my money, it's what that Eddie guy gets up to in the space time continuum, or hyperspace like being drunk, or how to fly, or, or, or, well, just everything really.
My take away, after the fun and the silliness, is that the book is an astute inquiry into the question of questions... Meaning... we too often come to our dilemma's with an answer, forgetting the question we are trying to answer. But more to the point, we often have the wrong question in mind, to which the answers have no place , and thus are missed. To example this would be a course in current events....But here is one: The issue of Global Climate Change. We are studiously unwilling to ask the right question and thus the answers that are so imperative are being willingly missed and misunderstood.
I once thought I could develop an entire college class about systems and systemic thinking using HHG as a textbook. It is that good to my mind...
Michael wrote: "I once thought I could develop an entire college class about systems and systemic thinking using HHG as a textbook. It is that good to my mind... "Now THAT is a class I would take!
For me, the computer program designed to figure out the Ultimate Question of Life, The Universe and Everything. Not Deep Thought, the other one. (trying not to be a spoiler here.)
yes, the Infinite Improbability Drive. specifically a byproduct,THE WHALE. equal measures funny and sad.
"the poor innocent creature had very little time to come to terms with its identity as a whale before it then had to come to terms with not being a whale anymore."
the same could be said about us all.
Sagar wrote: "The other ones I find really interesting is Somebody Else's Problem, from the third book Life, the Universe and Everything."Yes! It's brilliant because it "explains" a very real social phenomenon.
For me the part where DEEP THOUGHT finished its calculations after millions of years only to say that a greater computer has to be built for determining what is the question
Michael wrote: "My take away, after the fun and the silliness, is that the book is an astute inquiry into the question of questions... Meaning... we too often come to our dilemma's with an answer, forgetting the ..."I think the books are plain whacko
I always wondered what would have been the author's state of mind when he came up with stuff like that
I just love the Somebody Else's Problem Field. I use it at work all of the time. I also love the Answer to Life, the Universe and Everything. When you finally get the answer, it is so off the wall, that you are stunned and then break out laughing.
I remember setting up the tape recorder when the first BBC radio transmission of this series came out. I didn't know it was going to be a brilliant series, I was a young man interested in collecting sound effects. I was hooked the moment I heard Peter Jones start to speak.My favourite line is: Space is big, really big. I mean you might it it is a long way to the post office, but that is nothing to space.
I think programmes (and the subsequent book too) like this is what inspired me to write and definitely has an influence on my style of writing and sense of humour.
I totally love this line from Mostly Harmless: "The major difference between a thing that might go wrong and a thing that cannot possibly go wrong is that when a thing that cannot possibly go wrong goes wrong it usually turns out to be impossible to get at or repair".
Flavio wrote: "I totally love this line from Mostly Harmless: "The major difference between a thing that might go wrong and a thing that cannot possibly go wrong is that when a thing that cannot possibly go wrong..."Hahahah - yes - and so true to life!
How flying is simply falling and failing to hit the ground.
Flying is simply falling and failing to hit the ground. Mice and dolphins are smarter than humans. And I thought it was hilarious when the two missiles turned into a sperm whale and a pot of flowers.
Vogon poetry being the third worst in the universe. The backstory about the absolute worst poetry in the universe, by Paula Nancy Millstone Jennings. And of course the pangalactic gargle blaster, which my husband and I attempt to re-create to celebrate every towel day.
Oh, and I wrote (and sold) a travel article about my own travel towel. And of course I quoted Douglas Adams.
*Small book 2 spoiler* It's been nearly 10 years since I read it but I still remember the cow in the restaurant at the end of the universe who couldn't wait to be turned into steak. Trillian (i think) was convinced the man who created them was evil but i'm not so sure.
So many great ones, but I've never read a better opening to a book. At the same time Arthur's home is to be bulldozed, his entire planet gets the same treatment. You can't help but to shake your head and laugh.
the Babel fish because it both proves and disproves the existence of Godand the flying technic
I so love the two concepts.
The Earth being a giant computer and being an experiment by mice....
Srungeer Simha wrote: "For me the part where DEEP THOUGHT finished its calculations after millions of years only to say that a greater computer has to be built for determining what is the question"Yes! I always tell people about the magic of 42 and nobody gets it!
Srungeer Simha wrote: "Michael wrote: "My take away, after the fun and the silliness, is that the book is an astute inquiry into the question of questions... Meaning... we too often come to our dilemma's with an answer,..."The same goes for Lewis Carroll or any other absurdist writer/comedy writer. They see strange things in the world and make fun of it in a creative and intelligent manner.
Love it!
The coolest concept that I took from the book is that we may have done this before. The universe is so uncomprehendingly vast that there could be others out there just like us who are living or already have lived similar lives. There is also the possibility of life beyond our understanding that we will never know because we are merely a tiny spec in the universe and overall insignificant. This series combine with my fascination with Cosmos and Carl Sagan makes me think about space and all the possible life that exists beyond our understanding quite frequently.
I like how Arthur breaks down the ship's computer to get some Tea. (We must be long lost siblings)
Infinity-1, "and the fact that it seemed to experience the greatest difficulty staying on the ground. This last feature seemed particularly funny to them. They jumped up and down on the spot a lot to demonstrate to the stupid thing that they themselves found staying on the ground the easiest thing in the world" and the conversation the philosophers had with the engineers.By far the funniest author.
the whale's soliloquy, brief tho it was
The answer to life, the universe, everything!
The problems with verb tenses when you time travel. The whole passage where Adams describes possible ways of using the tenses is hilarious.
It has been decades since I read this book, but I just recently watched the movie on XFinity OnDemand and laughed myself silly. The way the improbability drive was portrayed was hilarious. And I absolutely loved that that answer to life the universe and everything was 42 and that it was going to require building a larger more powerful computer to find out what the question to the answer was.
Two of my most favorite scenes come from Life the Universe and Everything. SPOILERS if you haven't read it!The reveal of Agrajag and his cathedral of hate is probably one of the most bizarre and hilarious scenes I've ever had the pleasure of reading. I laugh until I cry whenever I read it. And it's a recurring gag, which makes it all the better!
Immediately following that, Adams' concept of flying is just brilliant. It's the idea of a mad genius. It almost makes me want to try to throw myself at the ground and hope to miss. I have yet to hear of anyone else doing this successfully, otherwise I'd be all for it.
The last scene that sticks with me and serves as my "hook" when I recommend Adams' work to people is God's Final Message to His Creation in So Long and Thanks for All the Fish. It's simply perfect. The perfect injection of Adams' humor in an otherwise rather emotional scene.
I adore these books so much. I always have a copy with me much like I should a towel! I read and refer to them in much the same way that religious devotees do with their scriptures.
It's waaay too many to name. The babel fish. Marvin. Slartibartfast.
Deep Thought was created with deep thought.
Well, this is pretty interesting and I only noticed it when I reading it for the fourth time.When Arthur and Ford are picked up by the Heart of Gold and all sorts of improbable things are happening around them, there's a point where there are 'monkeys demanding them to proofread their script of Hamlet'.
This an allusion (and a very clever one at that) to the Infinite Monkey Theorem, which says that a monkey typing away for infinite time can eventually come up with the works of Shakespeare.
It's just one sentence and it ties up so beautifully with the IIP drive concept, and when you spot it, it is sheer delight!
Soumya, I had always noticed that line, but I thought it was just straight improbability. I'm glad to hear that it's a reference, that makes it even better!
I read H2G2 as it was published, one interminable wait after another. I've read it once a year since then, as well as The Salmon of Doubt, and everything else.
It's obvious that Douglas Adams had a good understanding of quantum physics and used it as a basis for much of the trilogy (in five parts). The IID, Deep Thought, The Earth (as a computer with people being the computational matrix), H2G2 Mark II (the bird).
Sigh. Time to read it all again!
It's obvious that Douglas Adams had a good understanding of quantum physics and used it as a basis for much of the trilogy (in five parts). The IID, Deep Thought, The Earth (as a computer with people being the computational matrix), H2G2 Mark II (the bird).
Sigh. Time to read it all again!
I think Stavromuella Beta/Stavro Mueller is one of the finest plot twists in any book. I honestly did not see that coming at all, but it makes perfect sense in retrospect.Also, Arthur's reaction to that is absolutely perfect - relief is quite fitting, considering all that he's been through.
I like the idea of R for reasonable as a measure of speed. When they approached Magrathea at a speed of R17, Arthur didn't know how fast they were going, but it was clearly much too fast
Phil! Didn't I meet you at a party at Zed Zed Nine Plural Zed Alpha?
Phil wrote: "I like the idea of R for reasonable as a measure of speed. When they approached Magrathea at a speed of R17, Arthur didn't know how fast they were going, but it was clearly much too fast"Im a long time fan of the series but, I don't recall that in particular. Do u remember which book that was from?
I haven't read the books for years, but I'm pretty sure it was the first book when they arrived on Magrathea, when Slartibartfast took Arthur Dent inside the planet. When what Arthur thought was an approaching light turned out to be a tunnel entrance. Arthur was horrified at the speed they were travelling at.
I'm mostly concerned with the lack of concern regarding the fish regarding the dolphins...or, as the fish might say,...."thanks for nothing". :}
In addition to everything else memorable and bizarre in this series, I loved the simple starter guide to any problem: Don't panic.
So. What are YOUR favorite concepts/ideas/things in throughout the galaxies? ;)