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

plaguesville are you suggesting we, as employees of the BBC, should subvert a democratic vote by the public?

*has forgotten what this thread was about*

We were being encouraged to vote for HHGTTG as Best Book, which to me is frankly nonsense. I didn't agree with the majority of the list in the first place, but to say that a whimsical piece of sci-fi is better than 1984, To Kill a Mockingbird, Lord of the Flies or A Tale of Two Cities is ridiculous. Sorry.



Sorry.

B

Still better the Pratchett though!

Mmmm... - I wouldn't like to choose between them.

I was quite impressed by the different wavelengths that the voting public and I seem to be on, when my favourite Pratchett book didn't even make it on, yet six others did...

B

I was very happy to see 'I Capture the Castle' on it.

Lots of friends had been raving about it for years and I kept on dismissing it. But it is a wonderful, wonderful book.

These things always seem to follow the current fashions. I seem to remember that back in 1992 the Beeb ran a similar thing to celebrate 25 years of Radio 1. Listeners were asked to vote for the greatest album of all time. The winner? 'Stars' by Simply Red. Hmmmm really

How can you compare Pratchett with DNA?

COMPLETELY different styles/book subjects.

*is back on track now*

Abi,
"plaguesville are you suggesting we, as employees of the BBC, should subvert a democratic vote by the public?"

Putting aside any self interest (gratitude for their present positions in the luxury of the penthouse of H2G2 Towers) and intent to secure their future status, I thought that there would be a corporate enthusiasm to propagate the gospel.

I was brought up, a long time ago, in the belief that the BBC had as a central plank of its existence a worthy Reithian ethos of educating, informing opinion (distinct from forming opinion), serving as a bastion of sound moral standards and carrying forward to future generations the best of relevant previous knowledge irrespective of contemporary, transitory disdain for what may be considered old-fashioned or out of date.

Or to put it another way: "Yes".

Or even: "Yes, please."

"gratitude for their present positions in the luxury of the penthouse of H2G2 Towers"

I love your use of irony in that.

Abi,
"I love your use of irony in that."

How considerate of you to imply austerity in a vain attempt to reduce our envy.

Austerity is the least of the problems in this office!

And the most of the problems is?

B

From what I hear, it's calorific intake:
as many free cream donuts and delicious coffee as one can eat and drink.

(I got the information from a usually reliable, respected, but anonymous source.)