Mass Market Paperback
English language
Published Aug. 13, 2009 by Pan Books.
Thirty years of celebrating the comic genius of Douglas Adams ...
On 12 October 1979 the most remarkable book ever to come out of the great publishing corporations of Ursa Minor (and Earth) was made available to humanity - The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.
It's an ordinary Thursday lunchtime for Arthur Dent until his house gets demolished. The Earth follows shortly afterwards, to make way for a new hyperspace bypass, and his best friend has just announced that he's an alien. At thiS moment, they're hurtling through space with nothing but their towels and an innocuous-looking book inscribed with the big, friendly words: ö0N'T PANIC.
The weekend has only just begun --back cover
I had no idea! I’ve read the Hitchhiker’s books before, and I knew it was performed for radio, but I always thought the book came first.
As for the radio version, the Primary Phase is a delight. The voice actors are all top notch, especially Stephen Moore as Marvin the Paranoid Android, and the writing was so ahead of its time for the 70s (and the 80s and 90s, for that matter). I would easily pay 30 Alterian dollars a day to listen to this again and again.
42 years later and The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is still as absurdly funny, insanely perceptive and shockingly relevant as ever.
I still love the babel fish!
Most of the fun stems from its unpredictability. There are also some hilarious quotes in here. But, besides its gags, it doesn't have a lot to offer. The only theme to it is that (human) life is largely insignificant. But it's only explored superficially. Especially when rereading, the book can become somewhat of a bore.
