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

My thougts, condolences, and life force go out to DNA'a family, friends, and all those, that, may have never met him, but loved him just the same.

As a little child, I loved science, but hated sci-fi, my mother had seen listed in the t.v guide, The HitchHickers Guide to the Galaxy, on P.B.S as a multi-part documentary series from the B.B.C.(why it was listed like that, I shall never know, but am glad it was) So, I sat down to watch it. When it started, I was upset that was a cheesy sci-fi show, but my mother had insisted(thank Bob) that t.v station, my just be running a little behind, so I stayed to watch. When the Vogons blew up the Earth, that made me laugh, because I had jsut learned the word "apathic" in school that week. Needles to say, I becaue hooked, and that started me reading for enjoyment, not just school.

I just want to say, Thank you Douglas for opening my eyes to a larger world of wonderful stories, ecsapism, and thought provoking books.

John Watson, Hitching across america, with a laptop, a guitar, and a towel.

I'll just go and stick my head in a bucket of water. Not disturbing you at all, am I?



Lux

I read the news on the BBC onlines site. It's real shame but life goes on and so does H2G2. Hopefully sometime in the future someone will create something close to the guide. (If they do I'm first in the queue for researchers!)

I heard the first broadcast of the radio series under the bedcovers on the first radio I ever built. His books made me laugh and helped keep me sane, ("When things are driving you mad, the only thing to do is just go mad, and save your sanity for later"). One very tricky moment above a large and lonely drop seriously deep under the Alps, I felt the full force of that silent inner scream-that-shows-how-far-you-are-from-home.
Many times through my life, something strange happened, and then I realised he'd already been there, he'd remembered to write about it, *and* he'd made it funny.

Dave Wilson

I'd just like to say that it is an honour and a privilige to be part of the project that DNA started: h2g2.
h2g2 is a wonderful concept that DNA realised and that h2g2 will provide a living testimony and tribute to him and his work.

Kenrick

Dear DNA
I do no read a great deal, so my knowledge of you comes from watching the TV series. Who would have thought you would have only lived 5 years beyond 42

I hope the Film still goes ahead because it was something you really wanted for yourself and family.

This is a sad day

Like many other celebs - I will always remember where I was and what I was doing when I heard the news.

May the memory of you
( in the words of another sciFi) LivLong& prosper

Thanks for the
vegiman

Dear DNA
I do no read a great deal, so my knowledge of you comes from watching the TV series. Who would have thought you would have only lived 5 years beyond 42

I hope the Film still goes ahead because it was something you really wanted for yourself and family.

This is a sad day

Like many other celebs - I will always remember where I was and what I was doing when I heard the news.

May the memory of you
( in the words of another sciFi) LivLong& prosper

Thanks for the
vegiman

Dear DNA
I do no read a great deal, so my knowledge of you comes from watching the TV series. Who would have thought you would have only lived 5 years beyond 42

I hope the Film still goes ahead because it was something you really wanted for yourself and family.

This is a sad day

Like many other celebs - I will always remember where I was and what I was doing when I heard the news.

May the memory of you
( in the words of another sciFi) LivLong& prosper

Thanks for the
vegiman

Very sad, sudden news, about a man who entertained a lot of people and made a few of us think a little more deeply about life and the universe we live in. Let's try and make a great idea even better and keep this Guide going as a tribute to DNA and freethinkers everywhere...

I was thinking of some sort of memorial to Mr. Adams, from all his fans. Perhaps someone at h2g2 could contact all the fan clubs and zines and do this in an organized fashion. I almost never donate [being a poor lowly student myself] but I'd proudly slap down my Credit Card number for this.

We should start with some sort of announcement and a web-based vote for what sort of memorial to give. I know, his works are the greatest memorial of all!

This is something for us to give back to him. I'm the author of a few scifi and fantasy novels, and Douglas Adams is one of Four Authors who inspired me to write. To me, he's right up there with Asimov, Heinlein, and Wells, and today... he joined them.

My deepest respect to his Family.

Donald Lee

I'm quite shocked to hear this and I want to send my condolences towards his wife and daughter.

Maybe I'd be exaggerating if I said that the Hitchhiker's Guide "trilogy" changed my life but when I read them for the first time I was in a depressive phase of my life and the books certainly cheered me up and influenced me and my sense of humour quite a bit... these books are hands down the funniest I've ever read and they are still important to me... but whom am I telling?


So long, Mr. Adams, I hope to meet you on the other side.

R.I.P. Douglas Adams

The world reels.

Every so often, the human race manages to throw forward someone with the vision to understand our needs and to speak with our voice. Sometimes it is a voice of beauty, sometimes it is voice of outrage, and sometimes it is a voice of humor. Douglas Adams managed to speak with all three.

Another great writer, Robert Heinlein speculated in "Stranger in a Strange Land' that humor is that which hurts too much. He must have been wrong because I am not laughing.

The the people of the world have lost Douglas Adams, but we are thankful that some part of his voice remains with us forever.

I'm sure it is scant comfort for his family to clasp his books to their breasts, for they have lost more of him than most of us had the good fortune to know. But, please know that even though we have not stood next to him before and we cannot stand by his grave now, we too have lost someone we love.

my deepest sympathy to you, his family, and to all the rest of us who mourn.

Barton Rolsky
Streamwood, Illinois
United States of America
North America
Earth
Sol
(and to borrow from another great author)
The Heart and Mind of God

Douglas,

You bought us joy,
You bought us laughter,
You showed us why irony should require a firearms certificate.

Without you our world will seem a bigger, slightly scarier place.



My thoughts and condolences to Jane and Polly, his friends and colleagues in the team and community @ h2g2

In other dimensions, daSilva travels under the guise of mild mannered Earthling, Gavin Williams

*sniff*

life is defined by memories, and the signposts to those memories are often external things. Pictures, Songs, scenes from a movie.

for me, my memories of school and studying,are framed by Listening to the HitchHiker's Guide on BBC Radio 4 Long Wave (terrible sound quality and no stereo). With the bird people and the statue of Arthur, standing out as ridiculous images in my head. As I got older and went out in the world I found lots of other people had signposted their way around their heads with phrases and scenes from the radio series, the books and the TV series.

now *that* is a man who has influenced an entire generation.

ian

why is that robot humming Pink Floyd?

*sniff*

life is defined by memories, and the signposts to those memories are often external things. Pictures, Songs, scenes from a movie.

for me, my memories of school and studying,are framed by Listening to the HitchHiker's Guide on BBC Radio 4 Long Wave (terrible sound quality and no stereo). With the bird people and the statue of Arthur, standing out as ridiculous images in my head. As I got older and went out in the world I found lots of other people had signposted their way around their heads with phrases and scenes from the radio series, the books and the TV series.

now *that* is a man who has influenced an entire generation.

ian

why is that robot humming Pink Floyd?

Thanks to everyone for all their wonderful messages. They're much appreciated by the h2g2 team, we're sitting here reading in awe. I can't post to all the wonderful messages, I'm just sitting here and listening to you all. Thank you for expressing so much.

Peta

Writers who can make us think, and maybe look at the world a little differently, are rare and wonderful. Writers who can make us laugh out loud are just as valuable in a different way.
Those who can do both are priceless, and Douglas Adams was such a writer. We're all very privileged to have the opportunity to help make his most famous vision into a reality.

My condolensces to everyone he knew and everyone he touched. We are all very lucky to have experienced his writing and his genius. He'll be sorely missed.

Chris Wade
Sheffield, UK

I know it's a cliche, but
so long and thanks for all the laughter.
deepest sympathies to Jane and Polly.

^. .^
= ' =


Clare, Herefordshire, UK