Most Popular Books by Douglas Adams

Here is Douglas Adams''s indispensable guide to life, the universe and everything. This sublime collection dips into the wit and wisdom of the man behind The Hitchhiker''s Guide to the Galaxy, uncovering his unique comic musings on everything from his school-trousers to malt whisky and from the letter Y through to his own nose, via atheism, hangovers and fried eggs. Including short stories and a lengthy unpublished Dirk Gently extract, The Salmon of Doubt is for fans and new readers alike. These hilarious collected writings reveal the warmth, enthusiasm and ferocious intelligence behind this most English of comic writers; a man who was virtually an unofficial member of the Monty Python team. Douglas Adams on his passion for P. G. Wodehouse, The Beatles and the perfect cup of tea alone make this a must-have collection and a remarkable sign-off from one of the best loved writers of all time.

Meanings of made up words.

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 an 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 accompany reissued eye-catching editions of the five individual Hitchhiker books coming in March 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.

At the centre of the galaxy, an unknown civilization is preparing for an event of epic proportions, the launch of the most technologically advanced spaceship ever built - the Starship Titanic. The ship that cannot possibly go wrong.

The final book in the original mega-cult-blockbuster-bestselling HITCH HIKER''S GUIDE trilogy in a must-have cute hardback format

The classic Doctor Who adventure by Douglas Adams The hugely powerful Key to Time has been split into six segments, all of which have been disguised and hidden throughout time and space. Now the even more powerful White Guardian wants the Doctor to find the pieces. With the first segment successfully retrieved, the Doctor, Romana and K-9 trace the second segment of the Key to the planet Calufrax. But when they arrive at exactly the right point in space, they find themselves on exactly the wrong planet – Zanak. Ruled by the mysterious ‘Captain’, Zanak is a happy and prosperous planet. Mostly. If the mines run out of valuable minerals and gems then the Captain merely announces a New Golden Age and they fill up again. It’s an economic miracle – so obviously something’s very wrong...

Rediscover the lost Doctor Who adventure by Douglas Adams. Intergalactic war? That’s just not cricket ... or is it? The Doctor promised Romana the end of the universe, so she’s less than impressed when what she gets is a cricket match. But then the award ceremony is interrupted by eleven figures in white uniforms and peaked skull helmets, wielding bat-shaped weapons that fire lethal bolts of light into the screaming crowd. The Krikkitmen are back. Millions of years ago, the people of Krikkit learned they were not alone in the universe, and promptly launched a xenophobic crusade to wipe out all other life-forms. After a long and bloody conflict, the Time Lords imprisoned Krikkit within an envelope of Slow Time, a prison that could only be opened with the Wicket Gate key, a device that resembles – to human eyes, at least – an oversized set of cricket stumps... From Earth to Gallifrey, from Bethselamin to Devalin, from Krikkit to Mareeve II to the far edge of infinity, the Doctor and Romana are tugged into a pan-galactic conga with fate as they rush to stop the Krikkitmen gaining all five pieces of the key. If they fail, the entire cosmos faces a fiery retribution that will leave nothing but ashes...

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.

The Doctor takes Romana for a holiday in Paris – a city which, like a fine wine, has a bouquet all its own. Especially if you visit during one of the vintage years. But the TARDIS takes them to 1979, a table-wine year, a year whose vintage is soured by cracks – not in their wine glasses but in the very fabric of time itself. Soon the Time Lords are embroiled in an audacious alien scheme which encompasses home-made time machines, the theft of the Mona Lisa, the resurrection of the much-feared Jagaroth race, and the beginning (and quite possibly the end) of all life on Earth. Aided by British private detective Duggan, whose speciality is thumping people, the Doctor and Romana must thwart the machinations of the suave, mysterious Count Scarlioni – all twelve of him – if the human race has any chance of survival. But then, the Doctor’s holidays tend to turn out a bit like this. Featuring the Fourth Doctor as played by Tom Baker, City of Death is a novel by James Goss based on the 1979 Doctor Who story written by Douglas Adams under the pen-name David Agnew. City of Death is one of the best-loved serials in the show’s 50-year history and was watched by over 16 million viewers when first broadcast.

Don''t Panic: collected together in the Hitchhiker''s Guide Trilogy are the five titles that comprise Douglas Adams'' wildly popular and wholly remarkable comedy science fiction series, with a special introduction from the author himself. The Hitchhiker''s Guide to the Galaxy One Thursday lunchtime the Earth gets unexpectedly demolished to make way for a new hyperspace bypass. For Arthur Dent, who has only just had his house demolished that morning, this seems already to be rather a lot to cope with. Sadly, however, the weekend has only just begun. The Galaxy may offer a mind-boggling variety of ways to be blown up and/or insulted, but it''s very hard to get a cup of tea. The Restaurant at the End of the Universe When all questions of space, time, matter and the nature of being have been resolved, only one question remains - ''Where shall we have dinner?'' The Restaurant at the End of the Universe provides the ultimate gastronomic experience, and for once there is no morning after to worry about. Life, the Universe and EverythingFollowing a number of stunning catastrophes, Arthur Dent is surprised to find himself living in a hideously miserable cave on prehistoric Earth. However, just as he thinks that things cannot get possibly worse, they suddenly do. An eddy in the space-time continuum lands him, Ford Prefect, and their flying sofa in the middle of the cricket ground at Lord''s, just two days before the world is due to be destroyed by the Vogons. Escaping the end of the world for a second time, Arthur, Ford, and their old friend Slartibartfast embark (reluctantly) on a mission to save the whole galaxy from fanatical robots. Not bad for a man in his dressing gown . . . So Long, and Thanks for All the FishThere is a knack to flying. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss. It''s not an easy thing to do, and Arthur Dent thinks he''s the only human who''s been able to master this nifty little trick - until he meets Fenchurch, the woman of his dreams. Fenchurch once realised how the world could be made a good and happy place. Unfortunately, she''s forgotten. Convinced that the secret lies within God''s Final Message to His Creation, they go in search of it. And, in a dramatic break with tradition, actually find it . . .Mostly HarmlessArthur Dent has settled down on the small planet Lamuella and has embraced his role as a Sandwich Maker. However, his plans for a quiet life are thrown awry by the unexpected arrival of his daughter. There''s nothing worse than a frustrated teenager with a copy of the Hitchhiker''s Guide to the Galaxy in their hands. When she runs away, Arthur goes after her determined to save her from the horrors of the universe. After all - he''s encountered most of them before . . .

Oltre 700 episodi, 33 anni di programmazione: "Doctor Who" è la serie televisiva dei record, la più longeva saga fantascientifica di sempre. In queste pagine, lo scrittore di culto Douglas Adams ci regala un''avventura inedita, mai portata sullo schermo né tradotta in italiano. Il Signore del Tempo professor Chronotis, vecchio amico del Dottore, si è ritirato all''università di Cambridge, dove nessuno si accorgerà mai che egli vive da secoli. Ma adesso ha bisogno dell''aiuto del Dottore, della sua giovane assistente Romana e di K-9, il suo fedele computer a forma di cane. Lasciando Gallifrey, il pianeta d''origine della potente specie dei Signori del Tempo, infatti, ha portato con sé alcuni souvenir, per lo più innocui. Ma ce n''è uno molto, molto pericoloso, L''antico e venerabile codice di Gallifrey, uno dei Potenti Artefatti, risalenti ai giorni oscuri di Rassilon: un libro che assolutamente non deve cadere nelle mani sbagliate. E quelle del sinistro Skagra sono le più sbagliate che si possano immaginare. Perché lui vuole quel libro, a tutti i costi. Vuole che il professore gli sveli la verità nascosta dietro Shada, il misterioso pianeta-prigione dove vengono rinchiusi i criminali che tentano di conquistare l''universo. E si dà il caso che la conquista dell''universo è proprio il progetto di vita cui Skagra ha deciso di dedicarsi...

The first complete introduction to health monitoring, encapsulating both technical information and practical case studies spanning the breadth of the subject. Written by a highly-respected figure in structural health monitoring, this book provides readers with the technical skills and practical understanding required to solve new problems encountered in the emerging field of health monitoring. The book presents a suite of methods and applications in loads identification (usage monitoring), in-situ damage identification (diagnostics), and damage and performance prediction (prognostics). Concepts in modelling, measurements, and data analysis are applied through real-world case studies to identify loading, assess damage, and predict the performance of structural components, as well as examine engine components, automotive accessories, aircraft parts, spacecraft components, civil structures and defence system components. In particular the book: provides the reader with a fundamental and practical understanding of the material; discusses models demonstrating the physical basis for health monitoring techniques; gives a detailed review of the best practices in dynamic measurements including sensing; presents numerous data analysis techniques using model- and signal-based methods; discusses case studies involving real-world applications of health monitoring; offers end-of-chapter problems to enhance the study of the topic for students and instructors; and includes an accompanying website with MATLAB programs providing hands-on training to readers for writing health monitoring model simulation and data analysis algorithms. Health Monitoring of Structural Materials and Components is an excellent introductory text for newcomers to the subject as well as an excellent study tool for students and lecturers. Practitioners and researchers, those with a greater understanding and application of the technical skills involved, will also find this essential reading as a reference text to address current and future challenges in this field. The wide variety of case studies will appeal to a broad spectrum of engineers in the aerospace, civil, mechanical, machinery and defence communities.

Im Weltraum nichts Neues: Chaos, Kometen und keine Delphine! Arthur Dent aber, der Held der Kultserie "Per Anhalter durch die Galaxis", kann nicht mehr viel schockieren - außer vielleicht, daß er plötzlich fliegen kann.

Endlich daheim! Eigentlich sollte sich Arthur Dent freuen, denn er ist wieder auf der Erde - aber zwei Millionen Jahre vor unserer Zeit... Also nutzt er die erstbeste Chance, wieder ins All und in die Jetztzeit zurückzukehren - und das Chaos geht weiter! [buch.ch].

I dette klassiske værk af den engelske forfatter Douglas Adams når de to galakse-blaffere Arthur og Ford væk i sidste øjeblik, inden jorden udslættes. Efter en lang rejse fyldt med mange problemer lander de på den øde planet Magrathea, der dog viser sig ikke at være så øde endda ... Den engelske forfatter Douglas Adams (1952-2001) skabte med sin trilogi i fem bind om Arthur Dent en eventyrlig genre inden for science fiction, der med sin humor gav verden en ny ramme for, hvad der er logisk muligt.

Dirk Gently, detective holístico, tiene un método de trabajo basado en la interconexión entre todas las cosas. En esta novela, la inexplicable explosión que devasta una terminal del aeropuerto de Heathrow tiene relación con el misterioso cliente que acude a Dirk para que le proteja de una siniestra criatura de dos metros diez, de grandes ojos verdes, peluda y con cuernos. Pero Dirk llega con retraso a la casa de su cliente, que en el ínterin ha sido decapitado. La explicación es muy sencilla: Thor, el Dios del Trueno, está en Londres para dirimir una terrible disputa con su padre Odín, dios supremo del Valhalla, que ha decidido vender su alma inmortal a un abogado y una agente de publicidad. Y en tanto el titánico duelo entre los dioses no se decide, todo Londres se estremece al compás de sus celestiales iras. En el curso de las investigaciones, Dirk tropieza con obstáculos, pero ello no le impide trasladarse finalmente al gran salón del Valhalla. Allí se celebra un sorprendente banquete, y tal vez Dirk consiga poner las cosas en claro y resolver los enigmas de este mundo y del otro. Tras la aclamada serie de los Autoestopistas Galácticos, Douglas Adams creó un personaje que superaba, si cabe, su humor surrealista e ironía explosiva. Dirk Gently (excéntrico, inclasificable por excelencia de las absurdidades y paradojas del frenético y desbocado fin del siglo XX).

Prva knjiga kultne serije Štoparski vodnik po Galaksiji v odličnem prevodu Alojza Kodreta. Nekega četrtka v času kosila je Zemlja uničena zaradi gradnje hiperprostorske obvoznice. Arthurju Dentu, ki se je moral že navsezgodaj soočiti z rušenjem svoje hiše, ni nobeno od teh dejstev prav nič po godu. Nekaj sekund pred uničenjem Zemlje ga reši njegov prijatelj Ford Prefect, Nezemljan pod krinko, ki se predstavlja kot brezposeln igralec. Dinamični par tako začne svojo galaktično odisejado, na kateri prav kmalu sreča Zaphoda Beeblebroxa, Trillian ter depresivnega robota Marvina.

Het Transgalactisch Liftershandboek (Engels: The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy) is een komisch sciencefictionfranchise bedacht door Douglas Adams. Het begon als een radiohoorspel van twaalf afleveringen, voor het eerst uitgezonden in 1978 door BBC Radio, daarna door de BBC World Service. In 1981 werd er een zesdelige televisieserie gemaakt. Al snel volgden andere media, waaronder een computerspel, drie toneelbewerkingen, negen graphic novels, een speelfilm en heel veel merchandise. De boekenserie was echter het succesvolst: tussen 1979 en 1992 verschenen vijf delen van de reeks. In 2008 kreeg auteur Eoin Colfer toestemming van de weduwe van Douglas Adams om de reeks af te maken met een zesde deel dat dit jaar in het Nederlands verschijnt: En dan nog iets...

Četrta knjiga kultne serije Štoparski vodnik po Galaksiji v odličnem prevodu Alojza Kodreta. Knjiga vključuje vse, kar ste hoteli vedeti o prvih treh knjigah, a si niste drznili vprašati. Na koncu knjige O Življenju, Vesolju in sploh Vsem Arthur Dent izve za naslov, na katerem se nahaja Poslednje božje sporočilo stvarstvu. A žal pozabi ta pomemben podatek. Ko se znajde na planetu, ki bi lahko bila Zemlja, sreča dekle svojih sanj in se ima z njo prav v redu, a ju tare kar nekaj vprašanj, na katera si želita odgovoriti, med drugimi, kam so izginili vsi delfini in kje se nahaja Poslednje božje sporočilo.

Wenn man heute schon sechs unmögliche Dinge getan hat, warum den Tag dann nicht abrunden mit einem Essen im Restaurant am Ende des Universums? Genau das haben Arthur Dent und seine Freunde nämlich vor. Sie müssen vorher nur noch schnell den Vogonen entkommen, am übelsten Ort des Weltalls vorbei und ihrem Raumschiff beibringen, wie man eine Tasse Tee zubereitet.

Het Transgalactisch Liftershandboek (Engels: The Hitchhiker‘s Guide to the Galaxy) is een komisch sciencefictionfranchise bedacht door Douglas Adams. Het begon als een radiohoorspel van twaalf afleveringen, voor het eerst uitgezonden in 1978 door BBC Radio, daarna door de BBC World Service. In 1981 werd er een zesdelige televisieserie gemaakt. Al snel volgden andere media, waaronder een computerspel, drie toneelbewerkingen, negen graphic novels, een speelfilm en heel veel merchandise. De boekenserie was echter het succesvolst: tussen 1979 en 1992 verschenen vijf delen van de reeks. In 2008 kreeg auteur Eoin Colfer toestemming van de weduwe van Douglas Adams om de reeks af te maken met een zesde deel dat dit jaar in het Nederlands verschijnt: En dan nog iets...

Una gigantesca autostrada cosmica sta per essere costruita nei pressi del sistema solare. Un''uscita secondaria è prevista vicino a un piccolo pianeta azzurro-verde, abitato da primitive forme di vita intelligente, discendenti dalle scimmie...

The Doctor''s old friend and fellow Time Lord Professor Chronotis has retired to Cambridge University - where nobody will notice if he lives for centuries. But now he needs help from the Doctor, Romana and K-9.

Contains the unabridged texts of "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 "Young Zaphod Plays It Safe"

The Hitchhiker''s Guide to the Galaxy. 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 his best friend has just announced that he''s an alien. At this moment, they''re hurtling through space with nothing but their towels and an innocuous-looking book inscribed, in large friendly letters, with the words: DON''T PANIC. The weekend has only just begun . . .

In the fifth volume of the Hitchhiker series, Random, the daughter of Arthur Dent, leaves her remote home planet on the edge of the universe to set out on a cross-galactic odyssey in search of her ancestors'' native planet.

Plus bas que Terre ! Ayant - plus ou moins - survécu à son édifiante promenade cosmico-temporelle, le pauvre Arthur Accroc savoure l''indicible plaisir de fouler à nouveau le sol de sa planète natale. Une planète jadis détruite par les terribles Vogons, sous le prétexte fallacieux de laisser passer une autoroute intergalactique... Pas de panique ! Car l''universellement exhaustif Guide galactique saura sans doute répondre à cet étrange paradoxe. Et peut-être élucidera-t-il un mystère plus angoissant encore : pourquoi les dauphins ont-ils disparu, laissant pour ultime message un laconique Salin et encore merci pour le poisson ?

There is a knack to flying. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss. It''s not an easy thing to do and Arthur Dent thinks he''s the only human who''s been able to master this nifty little trick - until he meets Fenchurch, the girl of his dreams. Fenchruch knows how the world could be made a good and happy place. Unfortunately she''s forgotten. Convinced that the secret lies within God''s Final Message to His Creation, they go in search of it. And, in a dramatic break with tradition, actually find it. . .

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “Extremely funny . . . inspired lunacy . . . [and] over much too soon.”—The Washington Post Book World SOON TO BE A HULU SERIES • Now celebrating the pivotal 42nd anniversary of the original radio show on which the book was based. Nominated as one of America’s best-loved novels by PBS’s The Great American Read Seconds before Earth is demolished to make way for a galactic freeway, Arthur Dent is plucked off the planet by his friend Ford Prefect, a researcher for the revised edition of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy who, for the last fifteen years, has been posing as an out-of-work actor. Together, this dynamic pair began a journey through space aided by a galaxyful of fellow travelers: Zaphod Beeblebrox—the two-headed, three-armed ex-hippie and totally out-to-lunch president of the galaxy; Trillian (formerly Tricia McMillan), Zaphod’s girlfriend, whom Arthur tried to pick up at a cocktail party once upon a time zone; Marvin, a paranoid, brilliant, and chronically depressed robot; and Veet Voojagig, a former graduate student obsessed with the disappearance of all the ballpoint pens he’s bought over the years. Where are these pens? Why are we born? Why do we die? For all the answers, stick your thumb to the stars! Praise for The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy “A whimsical oddyssey . . . Characters frolic through the galaxy with infectious joy.”—Publishers Weekly “Irresistable!”—The Boston Globe