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

I've no objection to Leia having an elaborate hair do – but I am impressed that she keeps it so immaculate. Particularly in her cell in 'Star Wars' following her presumed torture by that needle-equipped droid and the references to a 'mind probe'. As I can't picture Darth Vader torturing her in a way that ensures her hair stays pristine, presumably she smartens it back up after. Well, she spends so much time on her own confined in a cell, what else is she to do?
I also assume they have a good laundry service. You'd think that the torture would make her sweat at the very least, so I assume she changes clothes.

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Ach, that's just poetic license, just about ALL films do stuff like that.

"At best it's *extremely* soft science fiction." [Orcus]

I'm fine with that. SW is set a long time ago. Sci Fi is often about the future.

"A lot of science fiction is fantasy with nuts and bolts painted on the outside."
—Terry Pratchett

What would we have done without terry Pratchett?



A'Tuin would have been back in some marshy backwater grumbling about how nothing ever happens.

I never got into Terry Pratchett personally. I read his first two books and found them poor-man's Douglas Adams for me.

Having said that, I'm reliably informed here that I should have persisted as they're the worst ones (Light Fantastic, Colour of Magic). I really must fix this one day.

Just don't read _Nation_ next. That will spoil you for everything else. It's very different from everything else he wrote and as much as I love the Discworld books, _Nation_ is just so much better. Even TP thought so.


I got into Pratchett in an odd way. I noticed a title in the bargain book stack at the bookstore. It was his _The Fifth Elephant_. I liked the film, _The Fifth Element_ and appreciated the pun so I picked it up. I was rather at sea for several chapters, but I liked it even regardless and then started working my way through the others. I liked the first two but I liked how they got better as I went along.

"rather at sea"???

The expression 'at sea' just means 'lost and confused'

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I would definitely give some of his middle work a try, Orcus. I would agree that he properly found his stride by about book five.

"At sea" was an inadvertent pun considering the plot of _Nation_.

You don't need to give his middle work a try - just stick with them in order. "Equal Rites" is so qualitatively *different* from the first two it's almost like reading a different author. "Mort" is better again. "Wyrd Sisters" is the first "franchise" one - one based heavily on a main character from a previous book, establishing them and their surrounding, supporting characters as an ongoing group we'll see more of. "Pyramids" is awesome especially if you like boys boarding-school stories as it's basically "Tom Brown's Schooldays" if Tom Brown's school taught gentleman ninjas. "Guards Guards" kicks off another franchise very well, "Eric" is... alright, and "Moving Pictures" is one of a genre I think of as "one joke" - which in in this case is "movie parody". Not that there is only one joke, it's just that the entire plot seems to be an excuse to shovel in as many movie references as possible. "Reaper Man" is a thoroughly wonderful return to the "Death" franchise you didn't realise was being set up in "Mort", "Witches Abroad" is more of that, and then you get "Small Gods".

"Small Gods" is the best book ever written about religion.

"Lords and Ladies" is yet more witches, then you've "Men At Arms", which for my money is still the best.

I've banged on a bit... but stopping after "The Light Fantastic" is a bit like not watching Star Wars because you saw only the Holiday Special and didn't think much of it. (Bit unfair, the first two aren't that bad, but you get the idea.)

Well there weren't that many out when I read them to be fair - must have been early 90s. I do mean to fix it one day, I just never got around to it.

My reading from then on got dominated by the really HUGE fantasy sagas like Wheel of Time and - you may have heard of it- A Song of Ice and Fire (on telly known by the first book - A Game of Thrones). They are not light reading and take years to get through - and take years to write too of course (sighs, still waiting for the next one.

Plus I spend too much time on here amongst other internet site Occasionally the stuff I get paid for comes in too

"Then you've "Men At Arms", which for my money is still the best." [Hoovooloo]

It features Carrot, Vimes, and Vetinari. Any book that does that has a lot going for it. The only drawback is the absence of Rincewind.

I like the first two, but they are so different from the ones that follow it's strange, really. Loved Mort, really loved Equal Rites, I think I missed most of the in-jokes in the film one (although Gaspode is brilliant). But I'm another Men at Arms fan, brilliant. Although for me Hogfather comes a close second.

(I'll let you into a little secret - after the first hitchhiker book i didn't really like the others much. Individual parts are fantastic but they're too... well, too much for me. I think the Dirk Gently books are vastly better)

I thought that "restaurant at the end of the universe" was the best of the hitchhiker books. After that, nothing much was added that needed to added.

Now, if Zaphod Beeblebrox or Ford prefect showed up on Tattooine or the other Star Wars planets, I would know that Disney was starting to see sense.

Finally got round to seeing R1 and overall I thought it was good . I rather liked Grand Mof Trarkin he looked very creepy CGI'd but then the character is supposed to be creepy and sinister.
The only part that grated was the speed of Jyns turn around from not being bothered about the Empire being in charge to being a fully committed rebel.
But if they don't come up with some ideas other than destroy the death star, or just remaking the first 3 movies again the franchise will be in trouble.

Looking to Hollywood for new ideas?