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

In http://www.amazon.com/Stiff-Curious-Lives-Human-Cadavers/dp/0393050939 (which youve quite possibly read), theres some nice stuff about a Swedish woman whos promoting ecological burial. Shes trying to persuade conventional undertakers, who are resistant.

Which brings us to http://www.amazon.com/American-Way-Death-Revisited/dp/0679771867/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1308129345&sr=1-1 (Which you *must* have read.) Maybe the Entry would benefit with a lead in on the conventional option of putting your cadaver in the hands of the funeral industry, that this isnt always palatable and that there are other alternatives.

Finally, there must be *some* mention of Hunter S Thompsons disposal. Video on YouTube.

(And Mary Roachs Bonk is even funnier than Stiff)

I must admit I read neither of these books. My main source is a well-known German blog by an undertaker, who not only tells about his more or less weird customers but also about new afterlife trends:
[Unsuitable/Broken URL removed by Moderator]
I thought about including a paragraph like "annoying your funeral guests", which is on individualist funerals like Thompson's

Sorry, posted accidentally too early.

...like Thompson's, or what happened to the ashes of Graham Chapman, but that would rather be stuff for another entry than an addition to this one.

frleon, interesting topic. You might want to include the space option. Not sure which company does this, but it is rather pricey to have your cremated remains taken out of the atmosphere. Sorry I don't have a link on this for you.

Found. I first thought space funerals are sufficient known, but I didn't know about all the different options, so I decided to add a section.

Ah. Link removed because of German language. Well, those who understand the language may know what I mean.

Oh, Id highly recommend Stiff (and also Bonk.

And Jessica ~Decca~ Mitford is a personal heroine.

Shes worth a reference - its a very well known book and she campaigned against overpriced funerals. Her point is you dont have to follow the artificial ceremonies that undertakers have invented. Eg open caskets are a modern invention so that the deceased can be sold embalming.

(That said...when asked how she wanted to go, she said, as a joke, ~In a carriage drawn by six black horses!~ So her friends followed it through. )

TOPIC DRIFT ALERT

(youre German?) You may not have heard of the Mitford Sisters:

Deborah is the Duchess of Devonshire.
Nancy was a popular novelist.
Unit slept with half of the SS and fell in love with Hitler. When she was spurned she shot herself in the head but unfortunately missed her brain.
Diana married Oswald Mosley, the British fascist leader (and Decca never spoke to her again)

...and Decca was in the US Communist Party and heavily involved in the civil rights struggle from the late 40s on. Way before it was fashionable.