Douglas Adams

Two quirky detective stories from Britain's best sci-fi writer and author of The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Douglas Adams. Dirk Gently is a detective - well, a sort of detective.

From Douglas Adams (The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy) and John Lloyd (Blackadder, QI), this is the 42nd anniversary edition of The Meaning of Liff. Revised, updated and ready to change your life. In life, there are hundreds of familiar experiences, feelings and objects for which no words exist, yet hundreds of strange words are idly loafing around on signposts, pointing at places. The Meaning of Liff connects the two. BERRIWILLOCK (n.) – An unknown workmate who writes ‘All the best’ on your leaving card. ELY (n.) – The first, tiniest inkling that something, somewhere has gone terribly wrong. GRIMBISTER (n.) – Large body of cars on a motorway all travelling at exactly the speed limit because one of them is a police car. KETTERING (n.) – The marks left on your bottom or thighs after sunbathing on a wickerwork chair. OCKLE (n.) – An electrical switch which appears to be off in both positions. WOKING (ptcpl.vb.) – Standing in the kitchen wondering what you came in here for.*****Praise for Douglas Adams:‘Sheer delight’ – The Times‘One of the world’s sanest, smartest, kindest, funniest voices’ – Independent on Sunday‘Magical . . . read this book’ – Sunday Express‘A pleasure to read’ – The New York Times

Arthur Dent naaseb Maale pärast pikka rännakut läbi universumi, avastades, et Maa, mis pidi olema hävitatud, on endiselt alles. Kõik on nagu vanasti, kui välja arvata kummalised ja kohutavad ebakõlad reaalsuses. Just siis, kui Arthur üritab neid kõigest väest eirata, kohtub ta salapärase naisega, kes tundub teadvat rohkem, kui ta välja näitab. Kahekesi asuvad nad otsima Jumala Viimast Sõnumit Oma Loodule. Ja kõigi traditsioonide vastaselt leiavad nad selle... Douglas Adamsi kultussari "Pöidlaküüdi reisijuht Galaktikas" on popkultuuri vaieldamatu klassika. Arthur Denti galaktilised seiklused ja äpardused on paelunud uudishimulikke hingi üle terve maailma. "Nägemiseni, ja aitäh kala eest" on sarja neljas raamat.

Planeet Krikkiti õnnetud elanikud on väsinud öötaevasse vahtimisest ja nii nad otsustavadki selle hävitada. Nüüd peavad viis vaprat päästma Universumi totaalsest hävingust. Arthur Dent, tagasihoidlik kosmosereisija, kes õpib lendama, visates end lihtsalt maapinnale ja sellest mööda. Tema parim sõber Ford Prefect, kes otsustab hulluks minna, et näha, kas talle see meeldib. Slartibartfast, Tõelise Aja Kampaania võitmatu asepresident, kes reisib laevas, mida käitab irratsionaalne käitumine. Zaphod Beeblebrox, kahe peaga, kolme käega endine Galaktika president. Ja lõpuks Trillian, seksikas kosmosekadett, kelle süda on lõhestatud Piksejumala ja väga masendunud Beeblebroxi vahel. Kuidas see kõik lõpeb? Kas üldse lõpeb? Ainult see visa meeskond teab vastust, kui nad üritavad vältida lõplikku maailmalõppu ja päästa elu, nagu meie seda teame ... ja ei tea! Douglas Adamsi kultussari "Pöidlaküüdi reisijuht Galaktikas" on popkultuuri vaieldamatu klassika. Arthur Denti galaktilised seiklused ja äpardused on paelunud uudishimulikke hingi üle terve maailma. "Elu, Universum ja Kõik" on sarja kolmas raamat.

Kui sa täna hommikul oled juba teinud kuut ilmvõimatut asja, siis miks mitte panna kogu loole punkt Millitees - Universumi Lõpu restoranis? Täpselt seda Arthur Dent ja tähelaeva Kuldsüda ülejäänud meeskond plaanivadki teha. Enne tuleb neil vaid põgeneda vogonite eest, pääseda Galaktika kõige totaalsemalt kurjust täis maailmast ning õpetada kosmoselaevale, kuidas valmistada üks korralik tass teed. Ja kas keegi üldse taipas restorani laua kinni panna? Douglas Adamsi kultussari "Pöidlaküüdi reisijuht Galaktikas"on popkultuuri vaieldamatu klassika. Arthur Denti galaktilised seiklused jaäpardused on paelunud uudishimulikke hingi üle terve maailma. "Universumi Lõpu restoran" on sarja teine raamat.

The mega-cult-blockbuster-bestseller joins the SF Masterworks list.

THE NO. 1 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLERWhen Douglas Adams died in 2001, he left behind 60 boxes full of notebooks, letters, scripts, jokes, speeches and even poems. In 42, compiled by Douglas’s long-time collaborator Kevin Jon Davies, hundreds of these personal artefacts appear in print for the very first time. Douglas was as much a thinker as he was a writer, and his artefacts reveal how his deep fascination with technology led to ideas which were far ahead of their time: a convention speech envisioning the modern smartphone, with all the information in the world living at our fingertips; sheets of notes predicting the advent of electronic books; journal entries from his forays into home computing – it is a matter of legend that Douglas bought the very first Mac in the UK; musings on how the internet would disrupt the CD-Rom industry, among others.42 also features archival material charting Douglas’s school days through Cambridge, Footlights, collaborations with Graham Chapman, and early scribbles from the development of Doctor Who, Hitchhiker’s and Dirk Gently. Alongside details of his most celebrated works are projects that never came to fruition, including the pilot for radio programme They’ll Never Play That on the Radio and a space-inspired theme park ride. Douglas’s personal papers prove that the greatest ideas come from the fleeting thoughts that collide in our own imagination, and offer a captivating insight into the mind of one of the twentieth century’s greatest thinkers and most enduring storytellers.

Starship Titanic is a laugh-out-loud sci-fi adventure written by Terry Jones (Monty Python), based on the game Starship Titanic by Douglas Adams, bestselling author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

The Restaurant at the End of the Universe is the second part in Douglas Adams' smash hit sci-fi comedy and cult classic series. This stunning gift edition is illustrated by Costa Award winning Chris Riddell.'One of the greatest achievements in comedy. A work of staggering genius'' – David WalliamsIf you've done six impossible things this morning, why not round it off with breakfast at Milliways, the Restaurant at the end of the Universe? Which is exactly what Arthur Dent and the crew of the Heart of Gold plan to do. There's just the small matter of escaping the Vogons, avoiding being taken to the most totally evil world in the Galaxy and teaching a space ship how to make a proper cup of tea. And did anyone actually make a reservation?

This beautifully illustrated edition of the New York Times bestselling classic celebrates the 42nd anniversary of the original publication--with all-new art by award-winning illustrator Chris Riddell. Nominated as one of America's best-loved novels by PBS's The Great American Read It's an ordinary Thursday morning for Arthur Dent . . . until his house gets demolished. The Earth follows shortly after to make way for a new hyperspace express route, and Arthur's best friend has just announced that he's an alien. After that, things get much, much worse. With just a towel, a small yellow fish, and a book, Arthur has to navigate through a very hostile universe in the company of a gang of unreliable aliens. Luckily the fish is quite good at languages. And the book is The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy . . . which helpfully has the words DON'T PANIC inscribed in large, friendly letters on its cover. Douglas Adams's mega-selling pop-culture classic sends logic into orbit, plays havoc with both time and physics, offers up pithy commentary on such things as ballpoint pens, potted plants, and digital watches . . . and, most important, reveals the ultimate answer to life, the universe, and everything. Now, if you could only figure out the question. . . .

'A pleasure to read' New York TimesDirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency by Douglas Adams, author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, is a much-loved cult classic, that has spawned radio dramas, television, theatre and comic book adaptations across the globe.*****What do a dead cat, a computer whiz-kid, an Electric Monk who believes the world is pink, quantum mechanics, a Chronologist over two hundred years old, Samuel Taylor Coleridge (poet), and pizza have in common? Apparently not much; until Dirk Gently, self-styled private investigator, sets out to prove the fundamental interconnectedness of all things by solving a mysterious murder, assisting a mysterious professor, unravelling a mysterious mystery, and eating a lot of pizza – not to mention saving the entire human race from extinction along the way (at no extra charge). To find out more, read this book (better still, buy it then read it) – or contact Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency.'A thumping good detective-ghost-horror-who dunnit-time travel-romantic-musical-comedy-epic' - Douglas Adams. Continue this surreal series with The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul and the unfinished The Salmon of Doubt.

'One of the greatest achievements in comedy. A work of staggering genius' – David WalliamsGorgeous 42nd Anniversary gift edition of Douglas Adams's pop-culture classic, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, stunningly illustrated throughout by Costa Award-winner Chris Riddell. 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 Arthur's best friend has just announced that he's an alien. At this moment, they're hurtling through space with nothing but their towels and a book inscribed in large, friendly letters: DON'T PANIC. The book is The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and the weekend has only just begun . . . Douglas Adams's mega-selling pop-culture classic sends logic into orbit, plays havoc with physics and twists time, but most importantly it's very, very funny.

The Salmon of Doubt is Douglas Adams's indispensable guide to life, the universe and everything. It includes short stories and eleven chapters of a Dirk Gently novel that Douglas Adams was working on at the time of his death, and features an introduction by Stephen Fry. 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. 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. Start from the beginning of the surreal Dirk Gently series with Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency.

'Sheer delight' - The Times*****The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul is a witty detective story perfect for fans of his phenomenally successful The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. When a passenger check-in desk at Terminal Two, Heathrow Airport, shot up through the roof engulfed in a ball of orange flame, the usual people tried to claim responsibility. First the IRA, then the PLO and the Gas Board. Even British Nuclear Fuels rushed out a statement to the effect that the situation was completely under control, that it was a one in a million chance, that there was hardly any radioactive leakage at all and that the site of the explosion would make a nice location for a day out with the kids and a picnic, before finally having to admit that it wasn't actually anything to do with them at all. No rational cause could be found for the explosion – it was simply designated an act of God. But, thinks Dirk Gently, which God? And why? What God would be hanging around Terminal Two of Heathrow Airport trying to catch the 15:37 to Oslo?'A thumping good detective-ghost-horror-who dunnit-time travel-romantic-musical-comedy-epic' - Douglas Adams, on Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency. The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul is the second Dirk Gently book by Douglas Adams. Continue this surreal series with the unfinished The Salmon of Doubt.*****Praise for Douglas Adams:'Magical' - Sunday Express ‘One of the world’s sanest, smartest, kindest, funniest voices’ – Independent on Sunday'A pleasure to read' - New York Times

This all-new Target novelisation is based on the televised version of The Pirate PlanetThe 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... For a much expanded version based on Douglas Adams' first draft scripts, check out BBC Books' hardback edition of The Pirate Planet".

A phenomenon across all formats, this 42nd anniversary paperback omnibus contains the complete Hitchhiker's Guide trilogy in five parts, charting the whole of Arthur Dent's odyssey through space and time. Share and enjoy. Collected together in this omnibus are the five titles that comprise Douglas Adams' wildly popular and wholly remarkable comedy science fiction 'trilogy', introductions to each book, expanded material from the Douglas Adams archives plus a bonus short story, Young Zaphod Plays It Safe, and a special undeleted scene . . . The Hitchhiker's Guide to the GalaxyOne 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 UniverseWhen 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. This publishing phenomenon began as a radio drama and now exists in a number of wildly contradictory versions (including a TV series, a movie and a towel) - this version, produced by Douglas Adams' original publisher, is, at least, definitively inaccurate.

Don’t Panic! Reissued for the first time in 40 years, two unique recordings of Douglas Adams's sci-fi comedy drama. When Earthman Arthur Dent learns that first his house and then his planet are about to be bulldozed, it’s the beginning of an interplanetary adventure for him and his friend, Ford Prefect. After fleeing Earth they hitch a lift with hoopy frood Zaphod Beeblebrox, who hurtles from one improbability to another - literally. With Trillian and Marvin the Paranoid Android in tow, the answer to Life, the Universe and Everything is soon revealed: 42. But what was the question…? Following the success of the BBC radio series, Douglas Adams adapted his scripts for these two full-cast albums, with incidental radiophonic music provided by Paddy Kingsland. First released by Original Records in 1980, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and The Restaurant at the End of the Universe star Peter Jones as The Book, Simon Jones as Arthur Dent, Geoffrey McGivern as Ford Prefect and Mark Wing-Davey as Zaphod Beeblebrox. Produced by Geoffrey Perkins and Tim Souster, the cast also includes Cindy Oswin, Stephen Moore, Richard Vernon, Valentine Dyall, David Tate, Jim Broadbent, Bill Wallis, Roy Hudd, Frank Middlemass, Stephen Greif and others. Hang onto your towel – it’s going to be the ride of a lifetime.

First a legendary radio series, then a bestselling book, then a blockbuster movie, the immensely successful Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams needs no introduction. A phenomenon across the galaxy, this paperback omnibus contains the complete Hitchhiker's in five parts, charting the whole of Arthur Dent's odyssey through space and time. Share and enjoy!'One of the greatest achievements in comedy' - David WalliamsThis boxset collection includes:The Hitchhiker's Guide to the GalaxyOne Thursday lunchtime the Earth gets unexpectedly demolished to make way for a new hyperspace express route. 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 UniverseWhen 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 realized 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.