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

When I was a wee lad on the island of Bougainville, Papua New Guinea, we used to be able to pick up the Australian TV channel, ABC, which on occasion, showed the TV version of Hitch Hiker's. (Once they also played the original series on the Autralian radio station as well but reception wasn't good and o I think only heard a few minutes of it.) I think it was the computer graphics that first attracted me to it. I think at the gae of about 8 or 9 that's why I liked it. It was on the same slot that a number of other British programmes, such as Doctor Who, the Goodies and the Kenny Everett Show, were shown as well. They also advertised the book after an episode so I came to acquire that in due course.

I didn't read the other books until I moved to the United Arab Emirates when I was 12. I then slowly acquired the other parts, finally with the fifth instalment as well the Dirk Gently novels (though I read the second before the first, the latter of which owes a lot to Adams's 'City of Death' Dr Who story) and Last Chance, possibly his best book.

When I retured to Britain one summer, Radio 4 were reruning the second series of the radio show, but this wasn't overly consistant with the books so I was a bit confused not having to the first series.

During my A-levels I spotted an ad in Private Eye for the Hitch Hiker's Appreciation Society and promptly joined.

In Spring 2001, I finally got round to buying a copy of the two radio series. It seemed sort of wierd that a few months later DNA died just when I getting back to his stuff.

Last year I read the Salmon of Doubt, which I have subsequently reviewed in the BSFA magazine, Vector.