Chumble Spuzz
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It's a good book, a very lightweight read so you can zoom through it if you're not in a mood for something taxing. My only criticism is the chapter dealing with Mostly Harmless, where the book suddenly seems to run out of research and impetus. The chapters dealing with the other books etc are relatively in-depth, featuring biographical detail relevant to DNA's life at the time, interview quotes from editors, friends and the man himself, and so on. For the chapter on Mostly Harmless all of this very conspicuously dries up and the author has to pad-out his account of this period with a fairly pointless plot summary. Shame!
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Sort of a biography of Douglas Adams
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Don't Panic is sort of a biography of Douglas Adams. But it concentrates almost exclusively on The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, and the events and circumstances in Adams's life that contributed to the creation and development of the Hitchhiker-phenomenon. It was originally published back in 1988, then revised in 1993, and now revised again, after the untimely death of Adams.
Don't Panic is written in the same style as the Hitchhiker novels, and is at times quite amusing. There are no less than 31 short chapters (the first one is chapter 0) in the book, dealing with various distinct subjects. This is followed by five appendixes. There are a lot of direct quotations from various people surrounding Adams, and from Adams himself, but there is never any information given about when or where these people said these things, which is a major drawback.
There is a lot of trivia here, but a lack of depth, and the book does seem to repeat certain myths (for example, the well-known one that Adams first got the idea for Hitchhiker while lying drunk in a field in Innsbruck). Still, if you're a fan of Adams, this is essential reading.
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42
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I originally bought this book when it was first published in 1987. It has now been revised and brought up to date to reflect Douglas Adams' more recent work and, of course, his death in May 2001. The book, despite its title, is really a biography of Douglas Adams and not just The HitchHiker's Guide to the Galaxy (H2G2), although as this is his major work, it obviously features quite heavily. Also covered though are other works including the Dirk Gently books and The Meaning of Liff (not to mention his early work for Monty Python!) There is some good information on Adams' early life and works obtained through interviews with people like Simon Brett, John Lloyd (who were influential in giving Adams his break in radio) and of course, Douglas himself. Interesting items include a copy of the original H2G2 synopsis and comparisons between the different versions i.e. books, radio, TV, stage and records. Also of interest is the first story Douglas Adams ever had published, a short story on the letters page of Eagle Magazine in 1965. The book is well written by Neil Gaiman, better known for his novels and comic book stories. Altogether an essential read for all fans of H2G2 and Douglas Adams.
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