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

That's only so we can send someone along to say Hi

So...Hi, I'm one of the ACEs (assistant community editors), we're the ones who come and give you an official welcome to the site. Of course, most of us would give you an unofficial welcome as well since we tend to be helpful/nosey (delete as appropriate) people like that.

Most of us ACEs (that'll be anyone linked to from the ACEs Homepage or anyone with ACE after their name) have also been around the site for a while so should know what we're doing. So if you have any questions feel free to ask. Of course, if I can't answer, I'm going to look embarassingly silly, but I'll still be able to point you in the direction of someone who knows

If you haven't already seen them, there's a couple of introduction pages that kind of explain what the site is about:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/Welcome
http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/Welcome-DNA

Of course other than the writing stuff most of what happens goes on in the fora attached to people's homepages and articles. The conversations cover a huge range of topics and often drift mightily from the initial posting but they're generally fun. Most people are happy to talk with anyone who comments on their pages but if you feel uncomfortable with that, the AskH2G2 page is always looking for people to ask or answer various questions. You can find it at:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/askh2g2

Not everyone wants to get quite so involved and some prefer just to go around reading the articles and fora that are already there, laughing out loud, usually. What ever you like, most important is that you have fun on the site and I hope to see you around again

As I said, if you do need any help, or want to know anything more about the site, or even just want a chat, just hit the "reply" button and I'll be back as soon as possible

DE

As you may have heard Douglas Adams, the original author of the hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy and the inspiration for this site died on May 11. If you want to leave a tribute to him like many of the other researchers go to http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/A5932

*waves her woolly vest at Dancing Ermine*

Hi there Oengus, nice to see the proper spelling. Are you of Celtic origin?

I can't add much to DE's welcome except and & welcome.

See you around


GW

I like to think I'm more in touch with my Celtic roots but the truth is that I've probably got more Punjabi blood in me than Celtic and far far too much Angle, Jute and Saxon (or is that Sais?). Like your own moniker, I got the name from one of my favourite books.

Which one's that?

The Warlord Chronicles by Bernard Cornwell. The trilogy consists of The Winter King, Enemy of God, and Excalibur and is a very good reworking of the legend of (King) Arthur. In my opinion, the best series of books that was ever written.

That's one of those series I keep seing as I'm walking through a bookshop, but never get around to buying because they're still in hardback

From where do you hail Dancing Ermine? They are available in paperback in the UK and (I think) in the US. If you're in mainland Europe they should be available soon, usually 6 months after the hardback release.

Bath

It's just they're only ever displayed in hardback or on big posters in shop windows. I don't bother to go looking for them because I'm usually after something else at the time

If you have any interest in the Arthurian legends ten I implore you to read thse books asap Dancing Ermine. It will put a whole new perspective on the subject. Maybe not as dramatic as THHGTTG put on your life as a whole but still a bloody good read, they certainly get my recommendation.

I've read a few differen versions of the myth, from one apparently by Enid Blyton(!) to Bullfinch's Complete Mythology which makes references to the mabinogeon as its source. More recently though I've been looking for original stories rather than ones based on other people's legends

No, seriously now, believe me, it is a very original story with characters who you think you know. It is THE most believable rendition of this legend that has ever been written. My advice is: pick up the first novel (The Winter King) from a library, if you don't like it then there's no real loss but if you do like it then your life will be enriched. This smacks of Pascal's Wager.

And if I don't like it then there's always the thread in AskH2G2...

Actually I've been looking for an author to start reading this summer (I've been picking a new one each year and reading most of their books), so I might just do that

You could do a lot worse, believe me. I've read all of Cornwell's books and these are definitely the best, which says a lot, considering that he has written 33 and I don't really dislike any of them. Even Terry Pratchett and DNA don't fare as well as Cornwell in my estimation.

Are they not writing in different genres though?

True, but out of the 26 Discworld novels I've read, 2 have been duff and as for DNA, all the novels I read were fine but some of the other stuff (meaning of Liff etc.) was a bit duff. With Cornwell, everything I've read is good, and I've read everything, but if you just can't handle historical fiction then give it a miss. I, personally don't like to get tied to a particular genre, I found that things became boring when I was.

True, but out of the 26 Discworld novels I've read, 2 have been duff and as for DNA, all the novels I read were fine but some of the other stuff (meaning of Liff etc.) was a bit duff. With Cornwell, everything I've read is good, and I've read everything, but if you just can't handle historical fiction then give it a miss. I, personally don't like to get tied to a particular genre, I found that things became boring when I was.

oops. I'm not sure how I managed to double post that.

Everyone does it at some stage or another, nice to see you getting in there early

I'm not usually a fan of historical novels, I tend to get lost in the sci-fi/fantasy sections of bookshops until they throw me out

I would say that The Warlord Chronicles definitely belongs among the fantasy books, but Cornwell's reputation probably keeps them in the fiction section. Still worth a read though (Man, you are a tough cookie to crack)

or should that have been nut?