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

Today I had to go to the hardware store to buy a new mailbox post. The old one was eaten by termites and the one I bought before my trip didn't fit together right.

On the way over I was listening to Fresh Air on NPR. I heard this interesting bit about a story about slavery [http://freshair.npr.org/dayFA.cfm?display=day&todayDate=04%2F09%2F2002].

My second stop today was MediaPlay. My wife is reading some Heinlein, and I've started reading some of his stuff. I was looking to expand my library. I wanted to get some of the books that I have lost for her, and some new stuff for me. I went there, and the only Heinlein they had was Starship Troopers. I did find the book from the radio show, The Bondwoman's Narrative and a CD of Into the Woods (The musical was kind of dumb, but the music is catchy and has been stuck in my head. Now it's stuck in my CD player too.)

I continued my search for Heinlein at Barnes and Noble. There I bought The Cat Who Walked Through Walls, Friday, Expanded Universe and Podkayne of Mars.

Does a person's bookshelf tell you about ther person? What can you glean from the books they read? What does all this say about me?

I confess to a total fascination with other people's bookshelves. I snoop, and I am unreasonably disappointed if I go somewhere and there are no books on display (can you imagine ).

I'm not sure if it actually tells me anything, but I'm always delighted if I find people have the same books as me, impressed by other selections and exstatic if I find ones I want to borrow...

I will also confess to arranging my books to impress delight and tempt other people...

I want to borrow 'Expanded Universe' please. I don't remember that one, what's it about?

It's a collection of some of his storeis that were published back when he wrote for magazines. He talks about why he wrote most of the pieces, and there's a good two or three pages talking about his views on Starship Troopers.

Oh, I like his magazine work. And I'd love to read him talking about his writing, and his ideas. Right, I'll definitely have to make a mental note of the title.

Have you read the collection of letters called... oh dear, I've totally blanked on the title. Still, I'm assuming it is the only one, so you'd know if you had read it

Is that part of Requiem?

I think I've read it, but it's been some time. My wife is reading it now.

Requiem? Hmmm. Doesn't ring a bell, that title. I have an idea it was longer. But we may be up against the bizzarre habit of retitling books for the English (or American) market, I suppose.

The one I was thinking of was authorised or collected together or something by his wife. I seem to remember there was more about the change from teenage fiction to adult fiction, and quite a bit about 'Stranger...'

But unfortunately it's been a while since I read it too, and will now be stuck outa reach in my parents loft or somthing, so...