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

I can't take it in - me, like most of you i'm sure D. Adams has been with me for a large part of my life, and he has indeed opened new ways of thinking about our world and the strange universe we find our selves in.
I like the perspective Douglas gave me, I like him and his work - I like his humour, and though I never met Douglas I am deeply saddened by his death.
I am angry the world hasn't taken as much notice of his passing, but be sure the money makers will retrospect his life indepth.
Douglas - your Death is the Long Dark Tea Time of the Soul.
Thanks for all the Fish douglas - they will come in useful.

What do you think is the most fitting tribute for us to make to Douglas Adams?

Arthur's dressing gown

It's a personal tribute, something about the way I feel about Douglas's passing, perhaps it isn't the most eloquent tribute, but it reflects something of the impact he made on everyone.
It is my tribute - i could say more, but i'd raather read his books agian........

Disaster Area

It's a personal tribute, something about the way I feel about Douglas's passing, perhaps it isn't the most eloquent tribute, but it reflects something of the impact he made on everyone.
It is my tribute - i could say more, but i'd rather read his books again........

Disaster Area

and the 'Fish' I implied at the end of my tribute is a metaphor for all Douglas Adam's works....

Disaster Area

Ever feel like you have come to the party too late. Well i guess i turned up after Trillian and Zaphod left. I have read all DNA's books bar THE MEANING OF LIF (cant find a copy ) but never thought to look for the man online.

How dumb do i feel now that i have found all this here and waiting for me, after i hear the man has died.

It was the sense of humour that did it all. "Last chance to see" was the funniest and saddest book i have ever read. Every time i read it i wanted to write to him and thank him. I missed that chance.

What else is there to say "So long and thanks for all the fish".

that's exactly what it is all about: so long..and thanks for all the
fishes.
i have been waiting for so long to find a place to say that.find you
some where.
bernie.

I am the same way, I've just found this site after reading an article in Internet magazine here in NZ. I grew up with the effects that his humour had on my mother and uncle and I bacame hooked.

"Fans of his work will appreciate he was 49 -- not 42", Chris Keall, Internet magazine.

has one minute of guide-silece, then realises his mistake and posts madly in respect of the greatest authour ever published.
So long DNA, and thanks for all those fish!

I stumbled across h2g2 while searching for something totally other - it came up on the search engine and I thought "That's not right, but it looks kind of interesting".

And here I am, delighted by yet another wonder which DNA has laid before me.

Where ever you are Douglas, travel well. And thanks. For all of them.

Thanks

Maybe it's been a while since...well, you know what I mean, but I only joined up on Friday and want to convey my respects for DNA, late as they are. He is/was my favourite author in the way that he taps directly into my sense of humour, yet with something totally fresh and imaginative, and I can really relate to what he's saying, in any of his works. He's also certainly opened up my mind too to life, the Universe and everything, so thanks Douglas, for all those and everything else.

i really don't know what to say. i picked up the hitch hiker's guide at my university library over this past summer. it too me 2 weeks to read 6 of his books. to be perfectly honest i did not realise until i came to this site today that DNA had written more. i would love to get my hands on those other books. to sum it up, the hitch hiker's guide sort of changed my life. it gave me an entirely new way to look at life, the universe, and everything. it was awesome. i would just like to thank DNA for his contribution to the world that we exist in.

Funny old thing, life...
Same here in germany. I've read all of his books in german, then I turned to the originals just to find that they were even better (could have figured that one out before I guess...).
Now I find the web filled with dna-pages and some of them aren't too brilliant I'm afraid. Let's just remember the greatness of an exceptional author and - dare I say it? - philosopher, and fill the h2g2 with gooddies. after all, it kind of is his heritage.

hello anyone there.

yes who are you?

I agree wholeheartedly with this comment. It is disgraceful the Douglas Adams' passing was almost entirely unmarked. The BBC, of all people should have done at least something. So many people owe their fame to D.A., not least Terry Pratchet, whose works, created long after THHGTTG are almost entirely derivative.

I'm dreding the Hollywoodised version of the first book, now the Douglas has no input, i wonder what idiotically self-gratifying cliches they'll put in?

His passing not marked? Leading Radio news (where I heard it) and a repeat of HHGTTG by the BBC, plus the hosting of this whole site not enough for you?? You can still see the memorial service on BBCi. Be fair.

My first exposure to Douglas Adams was back in th early '80s when I saw the BBC TV version. My impression was "wacky, but I prefer Dr. Who." This did not incline to actually read the books.
Two decades passed. Douglas's death caught me by surprise and I still had not gotten around to his books. Then I read a tribute to him by Richard Dawkins, and later while brousing in a comic book store, found and bought the "DC" comic book version of "Hitchhoker's".
I finally decided to take the plunge. I bought "The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide" with all the novels. I have not looked back since.
Douglas Adams changed me. He opened a whole new universe for me.I found out that we shared certain views and traits. He was an unrepentant procrastinator like me; just look how long it took me to get around to reading his books. He was a radical atheist, while I was a closet version, but I came out of the closet inspired by his example. Adams also instilled in me an interest in evolution.
I only regret that I have come to appreciate Douglas Adams and his marvelous mind and genius after his untimely passing. Now I cant't get enough of him. Reading DNA is like a personal friend talking to you. You feel his warmth and passion for life.
With that said, I am a bit sceptical about a movie of "Hitchhiker's", especially done by Disney. These guys are famous for taking a book or a story and "disnyfying" it into a brainless caricature with cute songs, wonderful animation, and a story line written by a kindergarten teacher.
My imagination has done wonders with DNA's help. Need I say more?

Ironically, DNA wrote a number of Dr. Who episodes (according to my copy of the Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide, although you should check your own: after so much unshielded exposure to Improbability Fields, mine has several extremely lengthy and grammatically correct misprints)

Anyway, I'd like to share my feelings, in Vogon Smileyverse:








Anyway, what could we do to honor the memory of DNA?
We could write lots of useful guide entries, although one would hope that we would regardless...
We could start some sort of cult dedicated to discovering the Question, although I doubt DNA would appreciate that...
We could make sure the Hitchhiker's Guide Movie turns out OK (or at least isn't as bad as it could become) by formally protesting, or by formulating some sort of sinister (but nevertheless virtuous) plot to take over Disney, or even by boycotting the 'official' movie and creating our own. It will never be the same without the input of the original author, though...
We could invent a time machine, pick up a copy of the Time Traveler's Handbook of 1001 Verb Tense Formations and make him immortal (in a literal sense, not the metaphorical sense in which he already is). After all, we know that the technique involves an irrational particle accelerator, a liquid lunch, and a pair of rubber bands, according to Wowbagger the Infinitely Prolonged. Or maybe we could simply bring him a copy of the movie script to edit...


The fish are greatly appreciated, although I feel they would be better described as 'seafood ambrosia.' I'll never look at mice in quite the same way...