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

I just finished reading ALL the post from where are our researchers from. There are a lot. But, it got me thinking, why not also ask When we first encountered The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy novels. For the record, I was 10!

The MAd1

I was.. oh... around XX or so, when a friend gave me his paperback copy of "So Long and Thanks For All the Fish" (he'd gotten a hardbound copy, so don't go gettin yer knickers in a knot ) along with a form for joining the Sci-Fi/Fantasy Book Club. Wow, was that a mistake! (Not really, but "if I only had a nickel for every book I bought...." )

I was around 22 or 23. My children's father read/ recomended it.
(I love refering to my ex that way, don't know why. Don't care.)

Sci-fi Club(s), what can I say except that I agree.
The discounts are great but my upstairs looks like a library!!

i was about 11 i think. a friend lent me his copy of one of them (i cant even remember which one it was :-
but after that i read the whole lot

*chuckles* .. Mine looks more like the library's forgotten archives.

A long, long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away...

Sorry, wrong sci-fi thing oops

I can't remember when first encountered HHGTTG, I think it might have
been a repeat of the radio series, or on the TV. I then read the books
some time after that.

I was 18. It was recommended to me by a dear friend who had read it while he was working in the UK. I thought to myself, 'Self, what chance do you think you've got of finding some obscure paperback in *this* little backwater?' Yet within the hour, there it was, right in front of me and purely by chance, too. It was a spiritual event, I can tell you.

Anyhow, by dawn I'd read it twice and when the shop opened I was stomping about on the doorstep after 'Restaurant at the End of the Universe'. *Then* I had to wait *days* (at least 2) before I had enough money to buy the last book (as it was back then). ~sigh~

Six months or so later I met my present partner, and loaned him the 'Guide' because I thought he would enjoy it. 6 weeks later it came back, in about 5 parts. It was ok, but. I understood.

17 years later, nearly, and we are together still (though not through all that time) and between us we own both videos, 2 copies of the trilogy in four parts, paperback of 'So Long and Thanks for all the Fish', paperback of 'Mostly Harmless' and also the very beautiful 'Illustrated Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy' which has some wonderful artwork inside, especially a fold-out in the middle depicting the bridge of the Heart of Gold after Arthur starts the improbability drive in the skies over Magrathea.

My ex took copies of the first 3 books with him when he went (it was ok, I had other ones) and one trilogy in four parts was kidnapped (or it eloped... who knows?). Other paperbacks have come and gone. I used to save them from the 'pound' (2nd hand book shops) and find good homes for them all. Haven't seen one 2nd hand for a while now...

I reckon, over the years, that I must have owned at least 20 copies of the various books of the Guide. Wow.

I intend to read it again, real soon. Probably while I am away over Christmas-time and can't be online.

And, if Mr Adams Himself should happen to stroll by and catch this one,

THANK *YOU*!!!

well, Celt. On behalf of Mr. Adams, I will say you're Welcome!

The MAd1

At the risk of appearing a little geek-ish (well, I _was_ about twelve at the time), whilst listening to the first radio I ever built, the first programme I heard was the first episode of the radio series. I was hooked instantly.
(I didn't have a lot of choice actually, the radio was so crap, the only thing it could pick up reliably was R4 on Long Wave )

I too remember the first airings... Having to push my parents out the way to get closer to the radio.
Loved it so much I had to by the box set of tapes as soon as they were released.

I got Life, the Universe and Everything in paperback for christmas when I was...12? It was my grandparents that gave it to me, that has always amazed me. I read it, thought it was weird but hilarious, realized about a year later that I had only read (what was then) the last book of three. I found the others in the library.

The first "real" copy I owned was one that my mom bought for me at a book fair, it contains the four 1st books and is signed by the Author (who was at the fair promoting some book ar other), on the last page, upside down. Needless to say, I still have it.

A friend of mine recommended The Hitchhikers Guide to me when I was in college. That was the first time I was in college, somewhere in my early 20's. I've made a life out of college since then .. and to keep myself in the spirit I've skipped many a class to reread The Guide and the other 3 books that fill out the triology. It changed my life. Before then I had no idea where my towel was, now .. it's with me everywhere I go. Of course, seeing the TV series was another life changing experience .. but then, that's another topic, isn't it?

I was about 8 when I fist read the Hitch Hikers guide to the galaxy. Then, got completely obssesed when I reached high scool. I watched the TV series, listened to the tapes read all the 5 books and even joined the fan club briefly.

I was about 8 when I first read the Hitch Hikers guide to the galaxy. Then, got completely obssesed when I reached high school. I watched the TV series, listened to the tapes read all the 5 books and even joined the fan club briefly. Excuse the spelling in the last post. I'm only 15 and am really bad without a spell checker or dictionary thingy.

I seem to have known it forever.... I first came across the radio series when I was about 8... understood enough of it to think it was great.... then read the books as they came out... saw the TV series.... read the books many many times as a teenager... read the last one many years later once Douglas got his arse around to writing it...

The HHGTTG books are a cultural cornerstone of my life.

Hmm, I believe I was about 13 when I was born into this special world of understanding that is the HHGTG.

Boring enough, I must admit I read them in total sequence. Loving the first, adoring the next and then gradually falling into total abusance of this brilliant text.

I went on reading just about anything created by Mr. Douglas and spread His word to all my friends. I more or less bored them to death I'm afraid - not everyone understands the magnificance of talking fish and the mathematical love which hides in the magical number of "42".

Anyway, I'm hooked and Mr. Douglas steps in right next to Bradbury, Asimov and Tolkien (ok, he might not be much of an SF writer but he's so great he finishes up in any category no matter what he competes with - maybe not logical, but hey! If you're one of those logofreaks, you're in the wrong community anyways.).

Hmm.... Forgot to mention one thing: I actually played Arthur Dent in a Swedish radio theater some years ago. Anyone else around with experience from acting out Douglas characters on (or off - maybe even more interesting) stage?

I haven't had the pleasure of acting out any of the characters,
but I can do a really good impression of a towel.

Got hooked on only a few years back.....
I was so crazy about this series that I actually customized my electronic organizer to look like the one Ford had.
The first words to appear on the screen when the organizer is switched on is, no surprises, "Don't Panic!"
I even have an entry "Earth" in it that describes it as "Mostly Harmless"!
(Hmm... perhaps it's time I bought a Palm5 to store all this h2g2 entries? hmm...)
And 42 had become my lucky number since. (had to be, since it's the Ultimate Answer) heh...
The only thing is, I haven't learn how to fly......

Throw yourself at the ground and miss. Either that or pay somebody lots of money and go to flight school.

As for when I first encountered HHGTTG, it was in 9th grade. A friend of mine recommended it to me and I got completely hooked on it. The only Douglas Adams things I don't own are the radio series (although I've got the scripts) and the big hardcover book that I imagine would be quite useful for hand-to-hand combat.