Novels The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

1 novels

1.1 hitchhiker s guide galaxy
1.2 restaurant @ end of universe
1.3 life, universe , everything
1.4 long, , fish
1.5 harmless
1.6 , thing...

novels

the novels described trilogy in 5 parts , having been described trilogy on release of third book, , trilogy in 4 parts on release of fourth book. edition of fifth book released legend fifth book in increasingly inaccurately named hitchhiker s trilogy on cover. subsequent re-releases of other novels bore legend [first, second, third, fourth] book in increasingly inaccurately named hitchhiker s trilogy . in addition, blurb on fifth book describes book gives whole new meaning word trilogy .

the plots of television , radio series more or less same of first 2 novels, though of events occur in different order , many of details changed. of parts 5 , 6 of radio series written john lloyd, material did not make other versions of story , not included here. many consider books version of events definitive, because readily accessible , distributed version of story. however, not final version adams produced.

before death heart attack @ age 49 in 2001, adams considering writing sixth novel in hitchhiker s series. working on third dirk gently novel, under working title salmon of doubt, felt book not working , abandoned it. in interview, said of ideas in book might fit better in hitchhiker s series, , suggested might rework ideas sixth book in series. described harmless bleak book , said love finish hitchhiker on more upbeat note . adams remarked if write sixth instalment, @ least start characters in same place. eoin colfer, wrote sixth book in hitchhiker s series in 2008–09, used latter concept none of plot ideas salmon of doubt.

the hitchhiker s guide galaxy

in hitchhiker s guide galaxy (published in 1979), characters visit legendary planet magrathea, home now-collapsed planet-building industry, , meet slartibartfast, planetary coastline designer responsible fjords of norway. through archival recordings, relates story of race of hyper-intelligent pan-dimensional beings built computer named deep thought calculate answer ultimate question of life, universe, , everything. when answer revealed 42, deep thought explained answer incomprehensible because beings didn t know asking. went on predict computer, more powerful made , designed calculate question answer. (later on, referencing this, adams create 42 puzzle, puzzle approached in multiple ways, yielding answer 42.)

the computer, mistaken planet (because of size , use of biological components), earth, , destroyed vogons make way hyperspatial express route 5 minutes before conclusion of 10-million-year program. 2 members of race of hyper-intelligent pan-dimensional beings commissioned earth in first place disguise trillian s mice, , want dissect arthur s brain reconstruct question, since part of earth s matrix moments before destroyed, , have part of question buried in brain. trillian human had left earth 6 months zaphod beeblebrox, president of galaxy. protagonists escape, setting course restaurant @ end of universe . mice, in arthur s absence, create phony question since troublesome them wait 10 million years again cash in on lucrative deal.

the book adapted first 4 radio episodes. first published in 1979, in paperback, pan books, after bbc publishing had turned down offer of publishing novelisation, action later regret. book reached number 1 on book charts in second week, , sold on 250,000 copies within 3 months of release. hardback edition published harmony books, division of random house in united states in october 1980, , 1981 paperback edition promoted give-away of 3,000 free copies in magazine rolling stone build word of mouth. in 2005, del rey books rereleased hitchhiker series new covers release of 2005 movie. date, has sold on 14 million copies.

a photo-illustrated edition of first novel appeared in 1994.

the restaurant @ end of universe

in restaurant @ end of universe (published in 1980), zaphod separated others , finds part of conspiracy uncover runs universe. zaphod meets zarniwoop, conspirator , editor guide, knows find secret ruler. zaphod becomes briefly reunited others trip milliways, restaurant of title. zaphod , ford decide steal ship there, turns out stunt ship pre-programmed plunge star special effect in stage show. unable change course, main characters marvin run teleporter find in ship, working other having no automatic control (someone must remain behind operate it), , marvin seemingly sacrifices himself. zaphod , trillian discover universe in safe hands of simple man living on remote planet in wooden shack cat.

ford , arthur, meanwhile, end on spacecraft full of outcasts of golgafrinchan civilisation. ship crashes on prehistoric earth; ford , arthur stranded, , becomes clear inept golgafrinchans ancestors of modern humans, having displaced earth s indigenous hominids. has disrupted earth s programming when ford , arthur manage extract final readout arthur s subconscious mind pulling lettered tiles scrabble set, if multiply 6 nine? arthur comments, ve said there fundamentally wrong universe.

the book adapted remaining material in radio series—covering fifth episode twelfth episode, although ordering changed (in particular, events of fit sixth, ford , arthur being stranded on pre-historic earth, end book, , rescue in fit seventh deleted), , of brontitall incident omitted, instead of haggunenon sequence, co-written john loyd, disaster area stunt ship substituted—this having first been introduced in lp version. adams himself considered restaurant best novel of five.

life, universe , everything

in life, universe , (published in 1982), ford , arthur travel through space-time continuum prehistoric earth lord s cricket ground. there run slartibartfast, enlists aid in preventing galactic war. long ago, people of krikkit attempted wipe out life in universe, stopped , imprisoned on home planet; poised escape. of marvin, zaphod , trillian, our heroes prevent destruction of life in universe , go separate ways.

this first hitchhiker s book written book , not adapted radio. story based on treatment adams had written doctor theatrical release, doctor role being split between slartibartfast (to begin with), , later trillian , arthur.

the front cover of ultimate hitchhiker s guide, collection of 5 books in series written before adams s death, leatherbound volume published in united states portland house, division of random house, in 1997

in 2004 adapted radio tertiary phase of radio series.

so long, , fish

in long, , fish (published in 1984), arthur returns home earth, rather surprisingly since destroyed when left. meets , falls in love girl named fenchurch, , discovers earth replacement provided dolphins in save humans campaign. rejoins ford, claims have saved universe in meantime, hitch-hike 1 last time , see god s final message creation. along way, joined marvin, paranoid android, who, although 37 times older universe (what time travel , all), has enough power left in failing body read message , feel better before expiring.

this first hitchhiker s novel not adaptation of written story or script. in 2005 adapted radio quandary phase of radio series.

mostly harmless

finally, in harmless (published in 1992), vogons take on hitchhiker s guide (under name of infinidim enterprises), finish, once , all, task of obliterating earth. after abruptly losing fenchurch , travelling around galaxy despondently, arthur s spaceship crashes on planet lamuella, settles in happily official sandwich-maker small village of simple, peaceful people. meanwhile, ford prefect breaks guide s offices, gets himself infinite expense account computer system, , meets hitchhiker s guide galaxy, mark ii, artificially intelligent, multi-dimensional guide vast power , hidden purpose. after declines dangerously powerful machine s aid (which receives anyway), sends arthur dent safety ( oh yes, whose? —arthur).

trillian uses dna arthur donated travelling money have daughter, , when goes cover war, leaves daughter random frequent flyer dent arthur. random, more typically troubled teenager, steals guide mark ii , uses earth. arthur, ford, trillian, , tricia mcmillan (trillian in alternate universe) follow crowded club, anguished random becomes startled noise , inadvertently fires gun @ arthur. shot misses arthur , kills man (the ever-unfortunate agrajag). afterwards, guide mark ii causes removal of possible earths probability. of main characters, save zaphod, on earth @ time , apparently killed, bringing deal of satisfaction vogons.

in 2005 adapted radio quintessential phase of radio series, final episode first transmitted on 21 june 2005.

and thing...

it announced in september 2008 eoin colfer, author of artemis fowl, had been commissioned write sixth instalment entitled , thing... support of jane belson, adams s widow. book published penguin books in uk , hyperion in in october 2009.

the story begins death rays bear down on earth, , characters awaken virtual reality. zaphod picks them shortly before killed, fails escape death beams. saved bowerick wowbagger, infinitely prolonged, whom agree kill. zaphod travels asgard thor s help. in meantime, vogons heading destroy colony of people escaped earth s destruction, on planet nano. arthur, wowbagger, trillian , random head nano try stop vogons, , on journey, wowbagger , trillian fall in love, making wowbagger question whether or not wants killed. zaphod arrives thor, signs planet s god. random s help, thor kills wowbagger. wowbagger, merely loses immortality, marries trillian.

thor stops first vogon attack, , apparently dies. meanwhile, constant mown, son of prostetnic jeltz, convinces father people on planet not citizens of earth, are, in fact, citizens of nano, means illegal kill them. book draws close, arthur on way check out possible university random, when, during hyperspace jump, flung across alternate universes, has brief encounter fenchurch, , ends want be. , vogons turn again.