Science Fiction Annotation

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy

By Douglas Adams

Synopsis:

Arthur Dent wakes up to find bulldozers ready to tear down his house to make way for a new freeway. While he is lying in the mud in front of a bulldozer protesting, his friend, Ford Prefect, walks up and convinces him that it is supremely important they go down to the pub for some beer immediately. Ford uses his telekinetic powers on Arthur and the head of the construction crew to convince them to switch places, so they could grab a drink. Once at the bar, Ford tells Arthur not to worry about his house because the world is going to end in less than ten minutes. It does, and that’s when the story really gets going! The rest of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy is an Odysseus-esque romp through the galaxy filled with misadventure. The true draw of Adam’s book is the tongue-and-cheek comic mood that oozes through every paragraph.  You’ll appreciate this book if you’re in the mood for some cynical dry wit with a lot of whimsy on the side.  

Elements of Science Fiction:

Story Line

The main character Arthur, finds out his best mate is an alien who travels the cosmos writing for the best selling book in the universe, you guessed it, The Hitchhiker’s Guide To the Galaxy. Earth is demolished for an interstellar highway, but Arthur is saved by his friend, thus he is one of the few humans left in the universe. The resulting story opens up fun filled adventure through the universe. Thoughout this adventure, the universe is explained to the reader, including the answer to the meaning of life. Adam’s work is constantly humorous, needing to survive extremely absurd situations like being captured by lab mice, the smartest beings on earth and enduring a session of the universe’s second worse poetry! All the science fictions elements are here, artificial intelligent robots, spaceships that fly faster than light, and multiple-headed aliens, but the real reason you will get sucked into this book is the witty social commentary that is a flowing undercurrent through the pages of the novel.  

Setting

The readers first find themselves on modern-day Earth, but the story quickly expands to multiple worlds and cultures that science fiction fans will find bright and enjoyable. “Home-base” becomes the fastest spaceship ever conceived, called the Heart of Gold. The Heart of Gold is special because of the improbability drive, which uses the most unlikely ways in the universe to produce its speed algorithm. This algorithm was developed by an intern who combined the new science with making a cup of tea! The ship is outfitted with Sirius Cybernetics Corporation’s personality software, but as the reader learns, Sirius is one of the most hated companies in the universe because their products are always annoying! As you can see from a few of these examples, all the science fiction tropes are here in the setting, but the comedic experience is interwoven throughout every noticeable part of the book!

Pacing

Adam’s book can be read as a page-turner or more slowly to digest all of its humorous quirks. Even when lingering in the comedic mood of the book, readers will find themselves quickly entering and leaving a many scenarios. Though the settings are descriptive and brilliant, Adam’s strikes a wonderful balance between moving the story along and explaining his alien settings. Being a rather short book, most readers will find their afternoon flies by as they laugh and enjoy the pace of this work. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy can be taken seriously, but not too seriously, the author ensures you will smile along the ride.

Mood

Adams excels at many things in The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, but most excellently delivers a witty mood throughout. The tone of the book is focused on humor, those looking for a serious critique of life like those offered by popular science fiction writer Frank Herbert in Dune will find a much different novel. Nevertheless, this shows the ability of the science fiction genre to offer the reader a wide assortment of ways to experience a science fiction setting. Adams must have had a wonderful time writing the novel, so much is fueled by a lighthearted tone that the reader can really walk away from the work happier from having experienced it.

Read-A-Likes:

Peirs Anthony’s A Spell for Chameleon

Roger Zelazny’s Nine Princes in Amber

            

Phillip K. Dick’s Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?