1: A book.
Not only is it a wholly remarkable book, it is also a highly successful one- more popular than the Celestial Home Care Omnibus, better selling than Fifty-Three More Things to Do in Zero Gravity, and more controversial than Oolon Colluphid's trilogy of philospophical blockbusters, Where God Went Wrong, Some More of God's Greatest Mistakes, and Who Is This God Person Anyway?
In many of the more relaxed civilizations on the Outer Eastern Rim of the Galaxy, the Hitchhiker's Guide has already supplanted the great Encyclopedia Galatica as the standard repository of all knowledge and wisdom, for though it has many omissions and contains much that is apocryhal, or at least wildly inaccurate, it scores over the older, more pedestrian work in two important respects.
First, it is slightly cheaper; and second, it has the words Don't Panic inscribed in large friendly letters on its cover.
2: Also a book, written by Douglas Adams, which centers on the book that the book takes its name from. Not to say that the book deals entirely with the book, but that the book is, in the book, a central part. Of the book, that is.
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the greatest book in the world
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A book never published on Earth, and until a terrible catastrophe occurred in an alternate probability in 1979, never seen or even heard of by any Earthman.
Nevertheless, a wholly remarkable book.
In fact, it was probably the most remarkable book ever to come out of the great publishing corporations of Ursa Minor- of which no Earthman had ever herd either.
No only is it a wholly remarkable book, it is also a highly successful one- more popular than "Celestial Home Care Omnibus," better selling than "Fifty-three More Things to Do in Zero Gravity," and more controversial than Oolon Colluphid's trilogy of philosophical blockbusters, "Where God Went Wrong," "Some More of God's Greatest Mistakes," and "Who Is This God Person Anyway?"
In many of the more relaxed civilizations on the Outer Eastern Rim of the Galaxy, The "Hitchhiker's Guide" has already supplanted the great "Encyclopedia Galactica" as the standard repository of all knowledge and wisdom, for though it has many omissions and contains much that is apocryphal, or at least widely inaccurate, it scores over the older, more pedestrian work in two important respects.
1. It is slightly cheaper.
2. It has the words DON'T PANIC inscribed in large friendly letters on its cover.
"The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy has a few things to say on the subject of towels."
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The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy β not an Earth book, never published on Earth, and until the terrible catastrophe occurred, never seen or heard of by any Earthman.
Nevertheless, a wholly remarkable book.
in fact it was probably the most remarkable book ever to come out of the great publishing houses of Ursa Minor β of which no Earthman had ever heard either.
Not only is it a wholly remarkable book, it is also a highly successful one β more popular than the Celestial Home Care Omnibus, better selling than Fifty More Things to do in Zero Gravity, and more controversial than Oolon Colluphid's trilogy of philosophical blockbusters Where God Went Wrong, Some More of God's Greatest Mistakes and Who is this God Person Anyway?
In many of the more relaxed civilizations on the Outer Eastern Rim of the Galaxy, the Hitch Hiker's Guide has already supplanted the great Encyclopedia Galactica as the standard repository of all knowledge and wisdom, for though it has many omissions and contains much that is apocryphal, or at least wildly inaccurate, it scores over the older, more pedestrian work in two important respects.
First, it is slightly cheaper; and secondly it has the words Don't Panic inscribed in large friendly letters on its cover.
Here's what the Encyclopedia Galactica has to say about alcohol. It says that alcohol is a colourless volatile liquid formed by the fermentation of sugars and also notes its intoxicating effect on certain carbon-based life forms.
The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy also mentions alcohol. It says that the best drink in existence is the Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster.
It says that the effect of a Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster is like having your brains smashed out by a slice of lemon wrapped round a large gold brick.
The Guide also tells you on which planets the best Pan Galactic Gargle Blasters are mixed, how much you can expect to pay for one and what voluntary organizations exist to help you rehabilitate afterwards.
The Guide even tells you how you can mix one yourself.
Take the juice from one bottle of that Ol' Janx Spirit, it says.
Pour into it one measure of water from the seas of Santraginus V β Oh that Santraginean sea water, it says. Oh those Santraginean fish!!!
Allow three cubes of Arcturan Mega-gin to melt into the mixture (it must be properly iced or the benzine is lost).
Allow four litres of Fallian marsh gas to bubble through it, in memory of all those happy Hikers who have died of pleasure in the Marshes of Fallia.
Over the back of a silver spoon float a measure of Qualactin Hypermint extract, redolent of all the heady odours of the dark Qualactin Zones, subtle sweet and mystic.
Drop in the tooth of an Algolian Suntiger. Watch it dissolve, spreading the fires of the Algolian Suns deep into the heart of the drink.
Sprinkle Zamphuor.
Add an olive.
Drink ... but ... very carefully ...
The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy sells rather better than the Encyclopedia Galactica.
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1. The original science-fiction comedy. Written by the late Douglas Adams, HGttG incorporated poignant observations about the nature of Life, the Universe and Everything with ridiculous slapstick. It began as a radio show, but was later made into a book trilogy in five parts. The one steadfast rule of the series is that logic and causality are for sissies.
2. A fictional device similar to a PDA which contains an encyclopedic database about everything you could possibly want to know about, written by underpaid or unpaid people not really concerned with accuracy (much like UrbanDictionary). It comes in a box that has the words "DON'T PANIC!" in large, friendly letters.
"Thanks to the Hitchhiker's Guide, I've become an expert in all sorts of useless crap. And I can fly."
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1. A very popular BBC radio series written by Douglas Adams, originally broadcast in 1978, with new episodes broadcast in 1980, 2004 and 2005.
2. A book released in 1979 by Douglas Adams, derived from the first series of 1. Also the blanket title for a series of four further books by Adams set in the same universe. Sometimes known as βa trilogy in five partsβ.
3. 1979 stage show derived from the first series of 1.
4. 1979 LP recording derived from the first series of 1.
5. 1981 BBC television series derived partially from the first series of 1., with some material from 2. and additional original material.
6. A 1984 computer text adventure game by Infocom, freely adapted from the beginning of the first series of 1.
7. A 2005 film from Disney, very loosely derived from the first series of 1. Widely felt to have lost most of the humor and pacing of the original in the process of adapting the material to an American audience. The death of Douglas Adams (and subsequent editing of the script by others) may have played a part in this.
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy was one of my favorite books in High School.
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