The Plain Vanilla HGTTG Page

If you haven't even heard of the greatest book of this century, don't panic! Just rush to your favourite Alpha Centauri bookstore (all the Solar System ones have sold this one out) and grab a copy of THE HITCHHIKER'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY (HGTTG).

Where else will you find quotes like these?

• There is a theory which states that if ever anyone discovers exactly what the universe is for and why it is here, it will instantly disappear and be replaced by something even more bizarre and inexplicable. There is another theory which states that this has already happened.

• "My doctor tells me that I have a malformed public duty gland and a natural deficiency in moral fibre, ... and that I am therefore excused form saving universes."

HGTTG is based on the travels of a certain Arthur Dent, who, along with Trillian (Patricia McMillian), is the only survivor from earth, which got blown up by a group of dense, ugly, militaristic beings. No, not the Burmese junta, but the Vogons. Now, the earth was really a really really big computer formed yonks ago to find the answer to life. And the Vogons destroyed it a few seconds before it would have produced the answer....

Other characters are the bi-headed Zaphood Beeblebrox and the equally alien Ford Prefect. Plus my personal favourite, Marvin the pessimistic robot with more circuits than he knows what to do with. Together (and separately), these characters live, sometimes die, sometimes relive, explore space-time warps, meet themselves, and do anything else that comes to Mr Adams' imagination.

And HGTTG itself? It's an organization that publishes a guide (of the same name) to the universe. Not a wholly accurate guide, mind you.

The story is spread over 5 books, namely

1. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
2. The Restaurant at the End of the Universe
3. Life, the Universe and Everything
4. So long, and thanks for all the fish
5. Mostly Harmless

Some people say Adams ran out of steam after the first few books. Some even say after the first book. Here's my verdict. Book 1 scored 12 out of 10. Books 2 and 3 were also quite good, though not like Book 1. Books 4 and 5 are pretty mundane, but are required for completeness.

Here are selected chapters from the books:

• Introduction to HGTTG
• Chapter 1 of HGTTG (Book 1)
• "Hey, this is terrific! Someone down there is trying to kill us!" (Book 1)
• The Answer to life (Book 1)
• Marvin tackles the tank (Book 2)
• The Restaurant at the End of the Universe, and the Grammar of time travel (Book 2)
• A meal at the Restaurant (Book 2)
• Bistromathematics (Book 3)
• Marvin and the Mattress (Book 3)
• "Don't be alarmed... Be very, very frightened." (Book 3)
• God's last message to creation (Book 4)
• A slight boo-boo (Book 5)

I could have put all the chapters in all the books up, but Mr Adams wouldn't like that. On the other hand, there are some sites that do provide the entire texts.

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