Most Popular Books by Douglas Adams

Originally published: New York: Harmony Books, 1980.

This beautifully illustrated edition of the New York Times bestselling classic celebrates the 42nd anniversary of the original publication—with all-new art by award-winning illustrator Chris Riddell. SOON TO BE A HULU SERIES • “An astonishing comic writer.”—Neil Gaiman Nominated as one of America’s best-loved novels by PBS’s The Great American Read It’s an ordinary Thursday morning for Arthur Dent . . . until his house gets demolished. The Earth follows shortly after to make way for a new hyperspace express route, and Arthur’s best friend has just announced that he’s an alien. After that, things get much, much worse. With just a towel, a small yellow fish, and a book, Arthur has to navigate through a very hostile universe in the company of a gang of unreliable aliens. Luckily the fish is quite good at languages. And the book is The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy . . . which helpfully has the words DON’T PANIC inscribed in large, friendly letters on its cover. Douglas Adams’s mega-selling pop-culture classic sends logic into orbit, plays havoc with both time and physics, offers up pithy commentary on such things as ballpoint pens, potted plants, and digital watches . . . and, most important, reveals the ultimate answer to life, the universe, and everything. Now, if you could only figure out the question. . . .

In one complete volume, here are the five classic novels from Douglas Adams’s beloved Hitchhiker series. Now celebrating the pivotal 42nd anniversary of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, soon to be a Hulu original series! The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (Nominated as one of America’s best-loved novels by PBS’s The Great American Read) Seconds before the Earth is demolished for a galactic freeway, Arthur Dent is saved by Ford Prefect, a researcher for the revised Guide. Together they stick out their thumbs to the stars and begin a wild journey through time and space. The Restaurant at the End of the Universe The moment before annihilation at the hands of warmongers is a curious time to crave tea. It could only happen to the cosmically displaced Arthur Dent and his comrades as they hurtle across the galaxy in a desperate search for a place to eat. Life, the Universe and Everything The unhappy inhabitants of planet Krikkit are sick of looking at the night sky– so they plan to destroy it. The universe, that is. Now only five individuals can avert Armageddon: mild-mannered Arthur Dent and his stalwart crew. So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish Back on Earth, Arthur Dent is ready to believe that the past eight years were all just a figment of his stressed-out imagination. But a gift-wrapped fishbowl with a cryptic inscription thrusts him back to reality. So to speak. Mostly Harmless Just when Arthur Dent makes the terrible mistake of starting to enjoy life, all hell breaks loose. Can he save the Earth from total obliteration? Can he save the Guide from a hostile alien takeover? Can he save his daughter from herself? Includes the bonus story “Young Zaphod Plays It Safe” “With droll wit, a keen eye for detail and heavy doses of insight . . . Adams makes us laugh until we cry.”—San Diego Union-Tribune “Lively, sharply satirical, brilliantly written . . . ranks with the best set pieces in Mark Twain.”—The Atlantic

A final installment in the series that began with The Hitchhiker''s Guide to the Galaxy is taken from the late author''s previously unpublished personal files and features the same wacky and offbeat misadventures of Arthur Dent, Ford Prefect, and their companions. 50,000 first printing.

Now celebrating the 42nd anniversary of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, soon to be a Hulu original series! “Hitchhiker fans rejoice! . . . [Here’s] more of the same zany nonsensical mayhem.”—The New York Times Book Review It’s easy to get disheartened when your planet has been blown up and the woman you love has vanished due to a misunderstanding about space/time. However, instead of being disheartened, Arthur Dent makes the terrible mistake of starting to enjoy life a bit—and immediately all hell breaks loose. Hell takes a number of forms: there’s the standard Ford Prefect version, in the shape of an all-new edition of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, and a totally unexpected manifestation in the form of a teenage girl who startles Arthur Dent by being his daughter when he didn’t even know he had one. Can Arthur save the Earth from total multidimensional obliteration? Can he save the Guide from a hostile alien takeover? Can he save his daughter, Random, from herself? Of course not. He never works out exactly what is going on. Will you? “Douglas Adams is a terrific satirist. . . . He is anything but harmless.”—The Washington Post Book World

Now celebrating the 42nd anniversary of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, soon to be a Hulu original series! “A madcap adventure . . . Adams’s writing teeters on the fringe of inspired lunacy.”—United Press International Back on Earth with nothing more to show for his long, strange trip through time and space than a ratty towel and a plastic shopping bag, Arthur Dent is ready to believe that the past eight years were all just a figment of his stressed-out imagination. But a gift-wrapped fishbowl with a cryptic inscription, the mysterious disappearance of Earth’s dolphins, and the discovery of his battered copy of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy all conspire to give Arthur the sneaking suspicion that something otherworldly is indeed going on. God only knows what it all means. Fortunately, He left behind a Final Message of explanation. But since it’s light-years away from Earth, on a star surrounded by souvenir booths, finding out what it is will mean hitching a ride to the far reaches of space aboard a UFO with a giant robot. What else is new? “The most ridiculously exaggerated situation comedy known to created beings . . . Adams is irresistible.”—The Boston Globe

In this second of the galactic adventures of Arthur Dent, he is transported from a prehistoric Earth to a cricket match at Lords'' Cricket Ground, two days before the Earth is to be demolished by the Vogens

Detective Dirk Gently investigates after a passenger at Heathrow airport erupts into a mysterious ball of flames. Mystery, hilarity, and the fantastical are combined in this title from the author of the Hitchhiker''s Guide to the Galaxy series. -- HPL Readers Advisor.

Enhanced eBook, includes an additional chapter and Audio content. And Another Thing . . . will be the sixth novel in the now improbably named Hitchhiker''s Guide to the Galaxy trilogy. Eight years after the death of its creator, Douglas Adams, the author''s widow, Jane Belson, has given her approval for the project to be continued by the international number one bestselling children''s writer, Eoin Colfer, author of the Artemis Fowl novels. Douglas Adams himself once said, ''I suspect at some point in the future I will write a sixth Hitchhiker book. Five seems to be a wrong kind of number, six is a better kind of number.'' Belson said of Eoin Colfer, ''I love his books and could not think of a better person to transport Arthur, Zaphod and Marvin to pastures new.'' Colfer, a fan of Hitchhiker since his schooldays, said, ''Being given the chance to write this book is like suddenly being offered the superpower of your choice. For years I have been finishing this incredible story in my head and now I have the opportunity to do it in the real world.'' Prepare to be amazed . . .

''One of the greatest achievements in comedy. A work of staggering genius'' – David Walliams Gorgeous 42nd Anniversary gift edition of Douglas Adams''s pop-culture classic, The Hitchhiker''s Guide to the Galaxy, stunningly illustrated throughout by Costa Award-winner Chris Riddell. It''s an ordinary Thursday lunchtime for Arthur Dent until his house gets demolished. The Earth follows shortly afterwards to make way for a new hyperspace express route, and Arthur''s best friend has just announced that he''s an alien. At this moment, they''re hurtling through space with nothing but their towels and a book inscribed in large, friendly letters: DON''T PANIC. The book is The Hitchhiker''s Guide to the Galaxy and the weekend has only just begun . . . Douglas Adams''s mega-selling pop-culture classic sends logic into orbit, plays havoc with physics and twists time, but most importantly it''s very, very funny.

For use in schools and libraries only. Two survivors of the Earth''s destruction search for the meaning of the universe in this clever science fiction parody.

Inside this book is another book - the strangest, most important and most dangerous book in the entire universe. The Worshipful and Ancient Law of Gallifrey is one of the Artefacts, dating from dark days of Rassilon. It wields enormous power, and it must not be allowed to fall into the wrong hands. Skagra - who believes he should be God and permits himself only two smiles per day - most definitely has the wrong hands. Beware Skagra. Beware the Sphere. Beware Shada.

SCIENCE FICTION. Following the smash-hit sci-fi comedy The Hitchhiker''s Guide to the Galaxy, The Restaurant at the End of the Universe is the second part in Douglas Adams'' multi-media phenomenon and cult classic series. If you''ve done six impossible things this morning, why not round it off with breakfast at Milliways, the Restaurant at the end of the Universe? Which is exactly what the crew of the Heart of Gold plan to do. There''s just the small matter of escaping the Vogons, avoiding being taken to the most totally evil world in the Galaxy and teaching a space ship how to make a proper cup of tea. And did anyone actually make a reservation?

New York Times bestselling author Douglas Adams and zoologist Mark Carwardine take off around the world in search of exotic, endangered creatures. Join them as they encounter the animal kingdom in its stunning beauty, astonishing variety, and imminent peril: the giant Komodo dragon of Indonesia, the helpless but loveable Kakapo of New Zealand, the blind river dolphins of China, the white rhinos of Zaire, the rare birds of Mauritius island in the Indian Ocean. Hilarious and poignant—as only Douglas Adams can be—Last Chance to See is an entertaining and arresting odyssey through the Earth’s magnificent wildlife galaxy. Praise for Last Chance to See “Lively, sharply satirical, brilliantly written . . . shows how human care can undo what human carelessness has wrought.”—The Atlantic “These authors don’t hesitate to present the alarming facts: More than 1,000 species of animals (and plants) become extinct every year. . . . Perhaps Adams and Carwardine, with their witty science, will help prevent such misadventures in the future.”—Boston Sunday Herald “Very funny and moving . . . The glimpses of rare fauna seem to have enlarged [Adams’s] thinking, enlivened his world; and so might the animals do for us all, if we were to help them live.”—The Washington Post Book World “[Adams] invites us to enter into a conspiracy of laughter and caring.”—Los Angeles Times “Amusing . . . thought-provoking . . . Its details on the heroic efforts being made to save these animals are inspirational.”—The New York Times Book Review

Twenty-five years after the original radio series of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy exploded into the public consciousness, the further exploits of its bewildered hero Arthur Dent were finally adapted for radio by Dirk Maggs, in part using drafts written by Douglas Adams before his death. The resulting fourteen completely new episodes were produced by Above the Title Productions and broadcast on BBC Radio 4, with nearly all of the original cast reunited for recording. These scripts brilliantly bring to life the last three books in Adams'' perennially popular Hitchhiker series: Life, the Universe and Everything; So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish; and Mostly Harmless. Dirk Maggs supplies notes which highlight original Adams material and explain how the cast, special effects and music were directed. The scripts are introduced by Simon Jones, who played Arthur Dent in both the original and the recent radio series, as well as in The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy television series. Douglas Adams first conceived The Hitchhiker''s Guide to the Galaxy for radio and it is an honour to his memory that all five Hitchhiker novels have now been adapted for this medium. These scripts exemplify the freshness of perspective, humour and perspicacity that epitomize the work of Douglas Adams. They will be loved by fans and those new to Hitchhiker’s alike.

March 1978 saw the first ever transmission of Douglas Adams'' The Hitchhiker''s Guide to the Galaxy on BBC Radio 4; the beginning of a cult phenomenon. March 2020 marks the 42nd anniversary of that first transmission – 42 being the answer, of course, to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything. To mark the occasion, Pan Macmillan are bringing back into print The Hitchhiker''s Guide to the Galaxy: The Original Radio Scripts with a brand-new introduction from Simon Jones. The collection also includes the previously ''lost'' Hitchhiker script from the 25th anniversary edition, ''Sheila''s Ear'' and the original introductions by producer Geoffrey Perkins and Douglas Adams. This collection, which is a faithful reproduction of the text as it was first published in 1985, features all twelve original radio scripts – Hitchhiker as it was written and exactly as it was broadcast for the very first time. They include amendments and additions made during recordings and original notes on the writing and producing of the series by Douglas Adams and Geoffrey Perkins. For those who have always loved Douglas Adams, as well as for his new generation of fans, these scripts are essential reading and a must-have piece of Adams memorabilia. This special anniversary edition will sit alongside reissued eye-catching editions of the five individual Hitchhiker books coming in May 2020: The Hitchhiker''s Guide to the Galaxy, The Restaurant at the End of the Universe, Life, the Universe and Everything, So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish and Mostly Harmless.

When Douglas Adams died in 2001, he left behind 60 boxes full of notebooks, letters, scripts, jokes, speeches and even poems. In 42, compiled by Douglas’s long-time collaborator Kevin Jon Davies, hundreds of these personal artefacts appear in print for the very first time. Douglas was as much a thinker as he was a writer, and his artefacts reveal how his deep fascination with technology led to ideas which were far ahead of their time: a convention speech envisioning the modern smartphone, with all the information in the world living at our fingertips; sheets of notes predicting the advent of electronic books; journal entries from his forays into home computing – it is a matter of legend that Douglas bought the very first Mac in the UK; musings on how the internet would disrupt the CD-Rom industry, among others. 42 also features archival material charting Douglas’s school days through Cambridge, Footlights, collaborations with Graham Chapman, and early scribbles from the development of Doctor Who, Hitchhiker’s and Dirk Gently. Alongside details of his most celebrated works are projects that never came to fruition, including the pilot for radio programme They’ll Never Play That on the Radio and a space-inspired theme park ride. Douglas’s personal papers prove that the greatest ideas come from the fleeting thoughts that collide in our own imagination, and offer a captivating insight into the mind of one of the twentieth century’s greatest thinkers and most enduring storytellers.

From the minds of Douglas Adams (The Hitchhiker''s Guide to the Galaxy) and Terry Jones (Monty Python) comes Starship Titanic, the hilarious novelization of the third-best adventure game of 1999. Welcome on board the Starship Titanic. The Ship that Cannot Possibly Go Wrong. At the centre of the galaxy, a vast, unknown civilization is preparing for an event of epic proportions: the launch of the greatest, most gorgeous, most technologically advanced spaceship ever built - the Starship Titanic. An Earthling would see the ship as something really, really big, but rather less provincial onlookers would recognize it as the design of Leovinus, the galaxy''s most renowned architect. Before the launch Leovinus is having one last little look round and begins to find that things just aren''t right: poor workmanship, cybersystems out of control, robots walking into doors. How could this have happened? The following morning, while the galaxy''s media looks on, the fabulous ship eases away from the construction dock, picks up speed, sways a little, wobbles a bit, veers wildly and, just before it can do untold damage to everything around it, appears to undergo SMEF (Spontaneous Massive Existence Failure). In just ten seconds, the whole stupendous enterprise is over. And our story has just begun . . .

Douglas Adams'' hilarious sci-fi sequel to The Hitchhiker''s Guide to the Galaxy, now fully-illustrated by award winner Chris Riddell. If you''ve done six impossible things this morning, why not round it off with breakfast at Milliways, the Restaurant at the end of the Universe? Which is exactly what Arthur Dent and the crew of the Heart of Gold plan to do. There''s just the small matter of escaping the Vogons, avoiding being taken to the most totally evil world in the Galaxy, and teaching a space ship how to make a proper cup of tea. And did anyone actually make a reservation? Following the smash-hit sci-fi comedy The Hitchhiker''s Guide to the Galaxy, The Restaurant at the End of the Universe is the second part in Douglas Adams'' multi-media phenomenon and cult classic series.

Arthur Dent has just been told that Earth will be demolished in 12 minutes to make way for a new hyper -space bypass. Armed with his dressing gown and towel, carrying the mysterious and indispensable Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy, he must venture forth for the first time in his life... English language track ; English optional subtitles.