Douglas Adams & The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy
04-28-03, 02:45 PM
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I also thought of Adams (though not of HHGTTG particularly) when I was recently watching the movie Zero Effect. There's a point where the title character, a detective named Zero, explains his method of investigation:
The first thing I thought of was the Dirk Gently novels, since that seemed to be straight out of Dirk's playbook. That's another one of those "inspiration or coincidence?" questions that always seem to pop up.
Daryl Zero: Now, a few words on looking for things. When you go looking for something specific, your chances of finding it are very bad. Because of all the things in the world, you're only looking for one of them. When you go looking for anything at all, your chances of finding it are very good. Because of all the things in the world, you're sure to find some of them.
04-28-03, 04:13 PM
#27
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Originally posted by angryyoungman
I also thought of Adams (though not of HHGTTG particularly) when I was recently watching the movie Zero Effect. There's a point where the title character, a detective named Zero, explains his method of investigation:
The first thing I thought of was the Dirk Gently novels, since that seemed to be straight out of Dirk's playbook. That's another one of those "inspiration or coincidence?" questions that always seem to pop up.
I also thought of Adams (though not of HHGTTG particularly) when I was recently watching the movie Zero Effect. There's a point where the title character, a detective named Zero, explains his method of investigation:
The first thing I thought of was the Dirk Gently novels, since that seemed to be straight out of Dirk's playbook. That's another one of those "inspiration or coincidence?" questions that always seem to pop up.
No wonder I liked Zero Effect!
02-21-04, 11:00 PM
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Humor is a very subjective thing, especially in books (no real physical humor). I personally thought THHGTTG was one of the funniest books I've read.
I don't find many books funny though. Confederacy of Dunces and Catch-22 both had their moments. Nick Hornby's How to be Good made me laugh a lot.
I don't find many books funny though. Confederacy of Dunces and Catch-22 both had their moments. Nick Hornby's How to be Good made me laugh a lot.
02-21-04, 11:22 PM
#30
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Interesting that you didn't like it considering the author was once a writer for "Doctor Who."
Anyway, as Beaver says, humor's a subjective thing. Either it connects with you or it doesn't.
Anyway, as Beaver says, humor's a subjective thing. Either it connects with you or it doesn't.
02-22-04, 06:24 AM
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Re: I just read The Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy, why is this good?
Originally posted by Doctorwho
The whole time I was reading it I was thinking Titan A.E.
The whole time I was reading it I was thinking Titan A.E.
I'd never heard of Titan EE before your post but a quick web-search suggests that it includes a planet named "Bob".... like HHGttG!
PS: I have no connection with the so-called "Church of the SubGenius"
02-22-04, 08:23 AM
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I remember reading it when it was first released, back in junior high. It was the very first time I had been brought to laughter by the written word. (MAD magazine didn't count... it had pictures.)
Vogon poetry?
"So long, and thanks for all the fish?"
The orbital-skydiving whale's ruminations on existence?
The concept of 'visitor erosion' to a popular tourist planet?
The very name... Slartibartfast?
Mark my words, this book will be a classic for generations to come.
Vogon poetry?
"So long, and thanks for all the fish?"
The orbital-skydiving whale's ruminations on existence?
The concept of 'visitor erosion' to a popular tourist planet?
The very name... Slartibartfast?
Mark my words, this book will be a classic for generations to come.
02-22-04, 11:11 AM
#35
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What do you think is funny? Douglas Adams was interested in nuisance. Smug doors, rude waiters, meeting people you'd rather not see again, or having to re-do your design work because someone blew up the project. If that's not your style, there's not a lot left to amuse you.
I think the idea of blowing up the Earth on page 30 is just about the ballsiest thing I've ever read. From that point on, Adams couldn't use a single human situation for satire.
I think the idea of blowing up the Earth on page 30 is just about the ballsiest thing I've ever read. From that point on, Adams couldn't use a single human situation for satire.
02-22-04, 11:17 AM
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Like everyone has said it's all a matter of what you find funny. Everyone like a different kind of humor. Of course I feel anyone who doesn't find HHGTG funny should be forced to listen to Vogon poetry.
02-22-04, 11:19 AM
#37
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I have real all the Douglas Adams books several times. His style of writing is some of the funniest I have read. However, I've known people that don't think Monty Python is funny so not everyone is going to get Douglas Adams.
You either get the joke or you don't. Thats all there is to humor.
You either get the joke or you don't. Thats all there is to humor.
Last edited by darkside; 02-22-04 at 11:22 AM.
02-22-04, 02:39 PM
#38
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There were a few things that I thought were funny, but it was few and far between. The whale contemplating and then falling and dying. The gangis khan(i think?) construction worker and the aliens saying I don't know why you act suprised it's been in the records.....and the police firing after they said they didn't want to was funny, but the whole sucidial robot or the stoner alien isn't anything new. It's like putting a robot a monkey and a samurai in a movie and saying see it's funny.
And the reason I mention Titan A.E. and Treasure Planet for that matter is because they both had the gimmick of aliens with personality quarks and yeah they both sucked but they still had the crazy robot or the feminete alien, etc.
I'm a monty python / far side fan I just didn't think this was as funny as either.
But whatever to each his own.
And the reason I mention Titan A.E. and Treasure Planet for that matter is because they both had the gimmick of aliens with personality quarks and yeah they both sucked but they still had the crazy robot or the feminete alien, etc.
I'm a monty python / far side fan I just didn't think this was as funny as either.
But whatever to each his own.
02-22-04, 02:58 PM
#39
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Originally posted by Doctorwho
There were a few things that I thought were funny, but it was few and far between. The whale contemplating and then falling and dying. The gangis khan(i think?) construction worker and the aliens saying I don't know why you act suprised it's been in the records.....and the police firing after they said they didn't want to was funny, but the whole sucidial robot or the stoner alien isn't anything new. It's like putting a robot a monkey and a samurai in a movie and saying see it's funny.
And the reason I mention Titan A.E. and Treasure Planet for that matter is because they both had the gimmick of aliens with personality quarks and yeah they both sucked but they still had the crazy robot or the feminete alien, etc.
I'm a monty python / far side fan I just didn't think this was as funny as either.
But whatever to each his own.
There were a few things that I thought were funny, but it was few and far between. The whale contemplating and then falling and dying. The gangis khan(i think?) construction worker and the aliens saying I don't know why you act suprised it's been in the records.....and the police firing after they said they didn't want to was funny, but the whole sucidial robot or the stoner alien isn't anything new. It's like putting a robot a monkey and a samurai in a movie and saying see it's funny.
And the reason I mention Titan A.E. and Treasure Planet for that matter is because they both had the gimmick of aliens with personality quarks and yeah they both sucked but they still had the crazy robot or the feminete alien, etc.
I'm a monty python / far side fan I just didn't think this was as funny as either.
But whatever to each his own.
02-22-04, 03:10 PM
#40
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I bought the complete collection a while back at half-price-books and thought the first two or three parts of it were hilarious. However, the last few parts just weren't as funny...but still good.
02-23-04, 10:25 AM
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This is a most uneven series, and you can clearly watch it spiral into Sucky-ness as the series go on. The first one is an all time classic. The second was pretty damn good. The third was just OK. After that it was clear that Adams was out of gas.
And don't even think about trying the Dirk Gentley series. Good lord, what a piece of crap. A complete mess at the end, and he totally ripped off his plot from the Doctor Who episode Shada.
And don't even think about trying the Dirk Gentley series. Good lord, what a piece of crap. A complete mess at the end, and he totally ripped off his plot from the Doctor Who episode Shada.
02-24-04, 10:00 AM
#42
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The narrative for HHGTTG is weak, but it's just a loose framework for the characters to run amock in. None of it really matters, it's just a background for the jokes. The wisecracking characters and the glimpses into the incredibly odd universe of the Guide are what really matters. Douglas Adams' universe is the exact opposite of something like Tolkien, where everything has a history and a purpose.
It's like Blazing Saddles. Who really cares if the railroad goes through Rock Ridge? By the end, not even the characters do. Don't take it seriously and it'll be a lot more enjoyable. If you actually sat down to try to figure out how something like Milliways works, your head would implode.
As for the HHGTTG books, the first three are classics, the fourth is pretty good, and "Mostly Harmless" is awful, mainly because it tries to bring the narrative around full circle.
I didn't like Dirk Gentry either, but I only read the first book.
It's like Blazing Saddles. Who really cares if the railroad goes through Rock Ridge? By the end, not even the characters do. Don't take it seriously and it'll be a lot more enjoyable. If you actually sat down to try to figure out how something like Milliways works, your head would implode.
As for the HHGTTG books, the first three are classics, the fourth is pretty good, and "Mostly Harmless" is awful, mainly because it tries to bring the narrative around full circle.
I didn't like Dirk Gentry either, but I only read the first book.
09-14-04, 11:39 AM
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/hitchhikers/newseries.shtml
The first series of 6 new episodes begins on Tuesday 21 September at 6.30pm,
with repeats on Thursdays at 11.00pm <small>[British Summer Time]</SMALL>
Twenty-five years after the original radio series of Douglas Adams’ The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy exploded into the public consciousness, the further exploits of its bewildered hero, Arthur Dent, are being brought to life in their original medium and with the (mainly) original cast.
The last three books of the ‘trilogy in five parts’, Life, The Universe And Everything; So Long And Thanks For All The Fish and Mostly Harmless, have been dramatised as two new series (none of them were previously produced for radio).
Thanks to the wonders of digital technology, Douglas Adams himself can be heard playing the part of Agrajag.
with repeats on Thursdays at 11.00pm <small>[British Summer Time]</SMALL>
Twenty-five years after the original radio series of Douglas Adams’ The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy exploded into the public consciousness, the further exploits of its bewildered hero, Arthur Dent, are being brought to life in their original medium and with the (mainly) original cast.
The last three books of the ‘trilogy in five parts’, Life, The Universe And Everything; So Long And Thanks For All The Fish and Mostly Harmless, have been dramatised as two new series (none of them were previously produced for radio).
Thanks to the wonders of digital technology, Douglas Adams himself can be heard playing the part of Agrajag.
If you can convert BST to your own local time it should be possible for Real Audio users to listen to the show during [and after] the original radio broadcasts. Details at the above link.
09-21-04, 05:07 PM
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Originally posted by angryyoungman
I also thought of Adams (though not of HHGTTG particularly) when I was recently watching the movie Zero Effect. There's a point where the title character, a detective named Zero, explains his method of investigation:
The first thing I thought of was the Dirk Gently novels, since that seemed to be straight out of Dirk's playbook. That's another one of those "inspiration or coincidence?" questions that always seem to pop up.
I also thought of Adams (though not of HHGTTG particularly) when I was recently watching the movie Zero Effect. There's a point where the title character, a detective named Zero, explains his method of investigation:
The first thing I thought of was the Dirk Gently novels, since that seemed to be straight out of Dirk's playbook. That's another one of those "inspiration or coincidence?" questions that always seem to pop up.
09-26-04, 09:40 PM
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Originally posted by Sn0
If you really like this type of humor and enjoy fantasy I would have to recommend Terry Pratchett and His Disc world series they are as tony the tiger might say grrrrrrrrreeeeeeeaaaaaatttttt. Also try Good Omes with Neil Gaiman also
If you really like this type of humor and enjoy fantasy I would have to recommend Terry Pratchett and His Disc world series they are as tony the tiger might say grrrrrrrrreeeeeeeaaaaaatttttt. Also try Good Omes with Neil Gaiman also
As for Hitchhikers, I only read the first book, and I must say it left zero impression on me. I certainly didn't dislike it, but I've ready shampoo bottles that hooked me more than that book. At least the Prell bottle interested me enough to come back and read it a second time, just to make sure I was supposed to rinse AND repeat.
10-02-04, 04:53 PM
#48
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I think I read something about an anniversary release coming up (with illustrations) fairly soon. Anyone else heard anything?
I'm in the market since I had loaned my Ultimate Guide to a friend and her house caught on fire. She said to just buy another one and her insurance would reimburse me. She lost hundreds her own books too, lots of Native American history stuff and Grisham.
I'm in the market since I had loaned my Ultimate Guide to a friend and her house caught on fire. She said to just buy another one and her insurance would reimburse me. She lost hundreds her own books too, lots of Native American history stuff and Grisham.
