h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

In 1990 I wrote a short story called ‘Times Passed’. It was about a man called Mike Shelley who travels back in time from 1990 to 1972. The second mini chapter of this story is called ‘Life On Mars’ And sees mike trying to come to terms, much like Sam Tyler, with this huge culture shock

Mike’s relationship with his girlfriend Lara is on the rocks in 1990 largely due to Mikes hatred of Lara’s former lover John Sheldon. Mike meets Lara [again!] in 1972 and resolves to ‘steel a march’ on his hated rival. The denouement of the story is that Mike waits in vain for the appearance of John, as they are both in fact the same person at different stages in life!

Are Sam and Gene the same man? The number Sam has for the voice from Hyde (Jeckyl and Hyde?) is Hyde 2612, could this number perhaps be a reference to Patrick Mcgoohan’s 1967 TV series ‘ The Prisoner’? Number 2 in that series is the administrator of the village (where number 6 is held captive) who tries to find out why number 6 resigned from his top secret job. No. 6 in the mean time tries to fathom the identity of number 1 and many believe he does so in the ultimate episode ‘Fallout’ when he pulls of number 1’s mask to reveal an image of himself.
I submit that Gene Hunt could well be the alter ego of Sam Tyler and suggest that the character of Frank Morgan represents number 2 and is probably the voice on the phone ( hence Sam can not get an answer when Morgan is in 1973). It is also interesting that Frank Morgan is the name of the actor who played The Wizard Of Oz (the administrator and manipulator ) of Oz in the film of the same name.

There you go then. Mike is John, 6 is 1 and Tyler is Hunt(?)
If Tyler is Hunt no doubt you’ll be hearing from me again!

BCNU
Byron Lawson (Joce) Sherlocksix