Douglas Adams

Das große Vermächtnis eines genialen Humoristen und Geschichtenerzählers In Douglas Adams letztem ? unvollendetem ? Roman lässt der Autor einmal mehr Privatdetektiv Dirk Gently im Dunkeln tappen. Gently wird von jemandem angeheuert, den er nie trifft, um einen Job auszuführen, der nicht spezifiziert wird. Das Buch wird ergänzt von einer eindrucksvollen Werkschau seiner wichtigsten ? vielfach unveröffentlichten ? Artikel, Kolumnen, Kurzgeschichten und Interviews.

A rollicking, thought-provoking dictionary for the modern age, featuring definitions for those things we don't have words for, from the New York Times bestselling author behind The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams, and TV producer John Lloyd. Does the sensation of Tingrith(1) make you yelp? Do you bend sympathetically when you see someone Ahenny(2)? Can you deal with a Naugatuck(3) without causing a Toronto(4)? Will you suffer from Kettering(5) this summer? Probably. You are almost certainly familiar with all these experiences but just didn't know that there are words for them. Well, in fact, there aren't--or rather there weren't, until Douglas Adams and John Lloyd decided to plug these egregious linguistic lacunae(6). They quickly realized that just as there are an awful lot of experiences that no one has a name for, so there are an awful lot of names for places you will never need to go to. What a waste. As responsible citizens of a small and crowded world, we must all learn the virtues of recycling(7) and put old, worn-out but still serviceable names to exciting, vibrant, new uses. This is the book that does that for you: The Deeper Meaning of Liff--a whole new solution to the problem of Great Wakering(8) 1--The feeling of aluminum foil against your fillings. 2--The way people stand when examining other people's bookshelves. 3--A plastic packet containing shampoo, mustard, etc., which is impossible to open except by biting off the corners. 4--Generic term for anything that comes out in a gush, despite all your efforts to let it out carefully, e.g., flour into a white sauce, ketchup onto fish, a dog into the yard, and another naughty meaning that we can't put on the cover. 5--The marks left on your bottom and thighs after you've been sitting sunbathing in a wicker chair. 6--God knows what this means 7--For instance, some of this book was first published in Britain twenty-six years ago. 8--Look it up yourself.

Now celebrating the 42nd anniversary of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, soon to be a Hulu original series "A madcap adventure . . . Adams's writing teeters on the fringe of inspired lunacy."--United Press International Back on Earth with nothing more to show for his long, strange trip through time and space than a ratty towel and a plastic shopping bag, Arthur Dent is ready to believe that the past eight years were all just a figment of his stressed-out imagination. But a gift-wrapped fishbowl with a cryptic inscription, the mysterious disappearance of Earth's dolphins, and the discovery of his battered copy of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy all conspire to give Arthur the sneaking suspicion that something otherworldly is indeed going on. God only knows what it all means. Fortunately, He left behind a Final Message of explanation. But since it's light-years away from Earth, on a star surrounded by souvenir booths, finding out what it is will mean hitching a ride to the far reaches of space aboard a UFO with a giant robot. What else is new? "The most ridiculously exaggerated situation comedy known to created beings . . . Adams is irresistible."--The Boston Globe

Now celebrating the 42nd anniversary of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, soon to be a Hulu original series "Wild satire . . . The feckless protagonist, Arthur Dent, is reminiscent of Vonnegut heroes."--Chicago Tribune The unhappy inhabitants of planet Krikkit are sick of looking at the night sky above their heads--so they plan to destroy it. The universe, that is. Now only five individuals stand between the killer robots of Krikkit and their goal of total annihilation. They are Arthur Dent, a mild-mannered space and time traveler who tries to learn how to fly by throwing himself at the ground and missing; Ford Prefect, his best friend, who decides to go insane to see if he likes it; Slartibartfast, the indomitable vice president of the Campaign for Real Time, who travels in a ship powered by irrational behavior; Zaphod Beeblebrox, the two-headed, three-armed ex-president of the galaxy; and Trillian, the sexy space cadet who is torn between a persistent Thunder God and a very depressed Beeblebrox. How will it all end? Will it end? Only this stalwart crew knows as they try to avert "universal" Armageddon and save life as we know it--and don't know it "Adams is one of those rare treasures: an author who, one senses, has as much fun writing as one has reading."--Arizona Daily Star

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - "Extremely funny . . . inspired lunacy . . . and] over much too soon."--The Washington Post Book World SOON TO BE A HULU SERIES - Now celebrating the pivotal 42nd anniversary of the original radio show on which the book was based. Nominated as one of America's best-loved novels by PBS's The Great American Read Seconds before Earth is demolished to make way for a galactic freeway, Arthur Dent is plucked off the planet by his friend Ford Prefect, a researcher for the revised edition of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy who, for the last fifteen years, has been posing as an out-of-work actor. Together, this dynamic pair began a journey through space aided by a galaxyful of fellow travelers: Zaphod Beeblebrox--the two-headed, three-armed ex-hippie and totally out-to-lunch president of the galaxy; Trillian (formerly Tricia McMillan), Zaphod's girlfriend, whom Arthur tried to pick up at a cocktail party once upon a time zone; Marvin, a paranoid, brilliant, and chronically depressed robot; and Veet Voojagig, a former graduate student obsessed with the disappearance of all the ballpoint pens he's bought over the years. Where are these pens? Why are we born? Why do we die? For all the answers, stick your thumb to the stars Praise for The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy "A whimsical oddyssey . . . Characters frolic through the galaxy with infectious joy."--Publishers Weekly "Irresistable "--The Boston Globe

Reunited with his old friends Romana and K9, the Doctor answers a summons from Professor Chronotis, a retired Time Lord now living in Cambridge, where the sinister alien Skagra is intent on stealing an ancient and mysterious book...

"A fitting eulogy to the master of wacky words and even wackier tales . . . Salmon leaves no doubt as to Adams's lasting legacy."--Entertainment Weekly With an introduction to the introduction by Terry Jones Douglas Adams changed the face of science fiction with his cosmically comic novel The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and its classic sequels. Sadly for his countless admirers, he hitched his own ride to the great beyond much too soon. Culled posthumously from Adams's fleet of beloved Macintosh computers, this selection of essays, articles, anecdotes, and stories offers a fascinating and intimate portrait of the multifaceted artist and absurdist wordsmith. Join Adams on an excursion to climb Kilimanjaro . . . dressed in a rhino costume; peek into the private life of Genghis Khan--warrior and world-class neurotic; root for the harried author's efforts to get a Hitchhiker movie off the ground in Hollywood; thrill to the further exploits of private eye Dirk Gently and two-headed alien Zaphod Beeblebrox. Though Douglas Adams is gone, he's left us something very special to remember him by. Without a doubt." Worth reading and even cherishing, if only because it's the last we'll hear from the master of comic science fiction."--The Star-Ledger

Schräger Humor und beissende Ironie - Douglas Adams in Hochform: Privatdetektiv Dirk Gently ist in Band 2 der Mini-Serie auf der Suche nach einem Flughafenattentäter - alle Spuren führen zu Gott. Doch warum sollte Gott einen Abfertigungsschalter am Londoner Flughafen Heathrow in die Luft jagen?

At last in paperback in one complete volume, here are the five classic novels from Douglas Adams’s beloved Hitchiker series. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy Seconds before the Earth is demolished for a galactic freeway, Arthur Dent is saved by Ford Prefect, a researcher for the revised Guide. Together they stick out their thumbs to the stars and begin a wild journey through time and space. The Restaurant at the End of the Universe Facing annihilation at the hands of warmongers is a curious time to crave tea. It could only happen to the cosmically displaced Arthur Dent and his comrades as they hurtle across the galaxy in a desperate search for a place to eat. Life, the Universe and Everything The unhappy inhabitants of planet Krikkit are sick of looking at the night sky– so they plan to destroy it. The universe, that is. Now only five individuals can avert Armageddon: mild-mannered Arthur Dent and his stalwart crew. So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish Back on Earth, Arthur Dent is ready to believe that the past eight years were all just a figment of his stressed-out imagination. But a gift-wrapped fishbowl with a cryptic inscription conspires to thrust him back to reality. So to speak. Mostly Harmless Just when Arthur Dent makes the terrible mistake of starting to enjoy life, all hell breaks loose. Can he save the Earth from total obliteration? Can he save the Guide from a hostile alien takeover? Can he save his daughter from herself?

In Dirk Gently's Holistischer Detektei geht es drunter und drüber. Ein elektrischer Mönch, eine lebende Leiche, ein bettlägriger Odin oder ein Cola-Automat mit Eigenleben sind nur einige der Zutaten dieses ? Geister-Horror-Zeitmaschinen-Romanzen-Komödien-Musical-Epos? vom bekannten Autor der "Per Anhalter durch die Galaxis"-Reihe.

Now celebrating the 42nd anniversary of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, soon to be a Hulu original series "Hitchhiker fans rejoice . . . Here's] more of the same zany nonsensical mayhem."--The New York Times Book Review It's easy to get disheartened when your planet has been blown up and the woman you love has vanished due to a misunderstanding about space/time. However, instead of being disheartened, Arthur Dent makes the terrible mistake of starting to enjoy life a bit--and immediately all hell breaks loose. Hell takes a number of forms: there's the standard Ford Prefect version, in the shape of an all-new edition of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, and a totally unexpected manifestation in the form of a teenage girl who startles Arthur Dent by being his daughter when he didn't even know he had one. Can Arthur save the Earth from total multidimensional obliteration? Can he save the Guide from a hostile alien takeover? Can he save his daughter, Random, from herself? Of course not. He never works out exactly what is going on. Will you? "Douglas Adams is a terrific satirist. . . . He is anything but harmless."--The Washington Post Book World

Now celebrating the 42nd anniversary of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, soon to be a Hulu original series "A madcap adventure . . . Adams's writing teeters on the fringe of inspired lunacy."--United Press International Back on Earth with nothing more to show for his long, strange trip through time and space than a ratty towel and a plastic shopping bag, Arthur Dent is ready to believe that the past eight years were all just a figment of his stressed-out imagination. But a gift-wrapped fishbowl with a cryptic inscription, the mysterious disappearance of Earth's dolphins, and the discovery of his battered copy of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy all conspire to give Arthur the sneaking suspicion that something otherworldly is indeed going on. God only knows what it all means. Fortunately, He left behind a Final Message of explanation. But since it's light-years away from Earth, on a star surrounded by souvenir booths, finding out what it is will mean hitching a ride to the far reaches of space aboard a UFO with a giant robot. What else is new? "The most ridiculously exaggerated situation comedy known to created beings . . . Adams is irresistible."--The Boston Globe

The Bible is funny! Very funny, according to Douglas Adams. In this book, Adams demonstrates how readers can discover this often-neglected humor looking at the Bible as a whole and seeing biblical stories with all their rough edges--the unethical and ambiguous characters, the unsolved problems, and the surprising endings. Adams argues that by missing the humor and irony of the Bible, readers often miss intended meanings as well.

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - "Extremely funny . . . inspired lunacy . . . and] over much too soon."--The Washington Post Book World Now celebrating the pivotal 42nd anniversary of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy 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. . . .

Viisiosainen scifi-parodia viimein yksissä kansissa Douglas Adams ei tiennyt mitä teki, kun hän 27-vuotiaana julkaisi hulppean esikoisromaaninsa Linnunradan käsikirja liftareille. Hurjaa verbaaliakrobatiaa pursuavasta kirjasta tuli yhdessä rysäyksestä valtava bestseller, joka poiki kuunnelman, televisiosarjan, kaksi lp-levyä ja neljä jatko-osaa. Nyt Adamsin kirjasarja, maailman ainoa viisiosainen trilogia, on viimein julkaistu yhteisniteenä. Kirjoissa Arthur Dent, Ford Prefect ja kumppanit koluavat maailmankaikkeuden kaukaisinta kolkkaa myöten ja saavat siinä sivussa selville elämän tarkoituksen ja Jumalan viimeisen viestin luomakunnalleen. Linnunrata sisältää teokset Linnunradan käsikirja liftareille, Maailmanlopun ravintola, Elämä, maailmankaikkeus – ja kaikki, Terve, ja kiitos kaloista sekä Enimmäkseen harmiton. Ne luettuasi suhtaudut tieteiskirjallisuuteen varmasti uudella tavalla: suu virneessä.

First a legendary radio series, then a bestselling book, now a blockbuser movie, the immensely successful Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy needs no introduction. Reissued to coincide with the film's release, this hardback omnibus edition include all five parts of the trilogy, incorporating for the first time, Mostly Harmless, along with a guide to the guide and essential notes on how to leave the planet. This single hardback edition is indispensable for any would-be galactic traveller and for old and new fans of Douglas Adams, Doctor Who and bestselling science fiction books.

Two survivors of the Earth's destruction search for the meaning of the universe in this clever science-fiction parody.