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

This book is one of the best 2 books i have ever read.

I read it in 1979 when I was 9 years old. I had a very advanced reading age and had read almost every book in my school by the time I left.

This book made a very big impression on me.
I spent the next 20 something years trying to find another copy.

Mandella starts his military career and joins up and does his basic training. He is involved in the 1st major conflict between Humans and Taureans.

He is like every man who has ever gone into combat. He doesn't know if he will be able to kill. This choice is taken from him when his troop are given a post-hypnotic suggestion (a line from a Robert Burns Poem) which then incites them all into a killing frenzy.

They all see images which have been implanted into their minds and make them want to kill, kill, kill and keep killing.

The 1st conflict is totally 1 sided and is a massacre of the Taureans.
Despite the fact that his unit have been sent to try and capture the until then unseen Taureans it ends up that they will have to take back organs and dead bodies to study. If memory serves right he is injured? and when sent back to Earth the travelling both to and from the planet where his unit were fighting has been almost faster than light causing time to pass slowly (almost not at all) for him and for decades to have passed on Earth.

He returns to a planet he almost does not recognise and where his mother is sick, almost dying. The health care system classes her a waste of resources and will not treat her. He has left the forces and is a virtual millionaire because of accrued back pay and compound interest.

He spends much of his money but despite his best efforts she dies. With nothing to remain on Earth for he re-engages into the military, making sure he has his choice of posting with his lover.
they get that dream for all of about 5 seconds before the military shaft them and send them off back into combat, promoted.

This story really is worth reading.

I won't give any more away.

Suffice to say it's THE longest war story you will ever read.
And it kicks ass today just like it did when i 1st read it in 1979. I loved it then. I love it just as much now. It's still just as readable, and continues to be so.


along with the 1st book i ever bought with my own money. also in 1979.

some paperback from Pan by a new author called Adams.

Some little book called The Hitch Hikers Guide To The Galaxy.

They both changed my life in different ways.

And I don't regret any of those changes for a moment.