If you do, chances are that you, according to the logic -- or lack thereof -- of Douglas Adams' zany 5-book "trilogy" -- are thus very well prepared to escape from the Earth one terrible Thursday afternoon and be whisked away shortly before the Vogons demolish the planet to make way for a new hyperspace bypass.

It also helps a great deal if one of your best friends turns out to be an alien from Betelguese and not an out of work actor from Guilford. It also helps a great deal more if your friend is named Ford Prefect and is a roving researcher for that handy and impractical reference work, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Perhaps one of the best-selling references ever -- beating out the Encyclopedia Galactica and the memoirs of "adult entertainer" Eccentrica Gallumbits from Eroticon Six -- The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy will be the repository of knowledge and wisdom even as you, like Adams' hapless protagonist Arthur Dent, criss-cross the galaxy in stolen spacecraft, wander through weird and exotic worlds (including primitive Earth), and meet strange and fascinating beings such as:

Zaphod Beeblebrox, rogue, con artist, ladies' man, and infamous party crasher (and President of the Galaxy!)
Trillian, aka Tricia McMillan, a beautiful girl Arthur had met at a party in Islington and went off with a two-headed party crasher who claimed to be from outer space before Arthur could ask her for her phone number.

Slartibartfast, the designer of the Earth, whose proudest achievement was earning an award for designing the Norweigian fjords.
Prostetnic Vogon Jeltz, commander of the Vogon Construction Fleet detailed to demolish the late, mostly harmless Earth; a bureaucrat so rigid that he wouldn't lift a finger to save his grandmother from from the Ravenous Bugblatter Beast of Traal without going through a lot of paperwork...and trust me, Vogon paperwork rituals ensure certain devourment for Vogon grandmothers.

The late comic author first conceived this mix of science fiction/parody as a BBC radio series which was so successful it spun off five novels, a TV miniseries (which has aired here on PBS stations), abridged audio albums, and interactive software. This Wings Books omnibus edition contains the five novels of the increasingly inaccurately named "Hitchhiker's Trilogy" -- The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, The Restaurant at the End of the Universe, Life, the Universe, and Everything, So Long and Thanks for All the Fish, and Mostly Harmless. It also comes with a bonus -- but less funny -- story, Young Zaphod Plays It Safe.

So if you want to survive the Earth's demise and see the galaxy, make sure you are wearing something more substantial than pajamas and a ratty bathrobe, watch the skies for flying saucers, start worrying when all the dolphins on the planet vanish, and keep your eyes peeled for an electronic gizmo with the words "Don't Panic" printed in large friendly letters on the cover.

And for Pete's sake, always, always know where your towel is!


Great book   January 3, 2003
 44 out of 46 found this review helpful

I read this book expecting a lot - I had heard numerous references that were supposedly to this book, so I decided to finally read it and find out what all the hype was about.
I'm glad to say I wasn't disappointed. Quite to the contrary, the book exceeded my expectations. It's beautifully crafted, and the humor is so whimsical and Pythonesque, that it's both clever and absurd at the same time.
It was especially great to read one seemingly absurd part of a story (like a detailed description of a flowerpot hitting the ground), and then, several books later, find out how it ties with the story. Adams does an excellent job and bringing things together - reading these series is like watching a puzzle unfold in front of your eyes.
Another great aspect was finally reading about the many references found to the story - you'll never look at number 42 the same way.
While many people have given negative reviews to the last book (Mostly Harmless), I thought that while it was a bit hard to follow, it wasn't any different from any other H2G2 book.
If you're a Python fan, you owe it to yourself to read this book (Adams wrote several skits with the Pythons and was a close friend). If you're not, you might still like it, if you like whimsical, clever humor.


You Almost Can't Ask For Anything More   April 16, 2005
 17 out of 17 found this review helpful


While reading this book, you will frequently find yourself debating a few things in your mind. One of those things is: "I really need sleep, but I need to read this book more, I just don't know what to do..."

This book is really a collection of all five books in the Hitchhiker's trilogy (um, ya, five books shouldn't be in a trilogy but thats how this series works), written by Douglas Adams. However, I had no previous experience with these books or with Douglas Adams and I thoroughly enjoyed reading them in this form. I couldn't image having read one of the books, then having to wait to get the other one. This series really is meant to be read in its entirety. The entire story flows throughout each book and needs to be read in order too.

So here is the story, a terrible accident is about to befall earth which drags the main character, Arthur Dent, on a wild romp throughout a hilarious Galaxy. Arthur just wants to get back home to Earth which leads to the stunning climax. This series is full of one liners, two liners, and even some three liners. If your a fan of British comedy, British satire, sci-fi, or just great literature then Douglas Adams weaves a tale that will appeal to you.

The first book in the series, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy really should be required reading in school, it really is that good.

Most "funny books" wouldn't even attempt to dissect the absurdity of our so-called civilization, this is what sets the Hitchhiker series apart from anything else. At points you see that while it may be funny -- all it really is, is insightful. The ridiculousness of humanity is displayed brilliantly -- through aliens. You'll find yourself laughing out loud.

As far as the ending to everything, it is one of the best endings of any series ever (in my opinion of course). It really instills an important moral, whether you get it at first or not, you may have to think about it a while. The ending also wraps up everything and makes perfect logical sense. The spontaneous happenings will have you on the edge of your seat until the very end too.

This series deals with what it really means to be alive and what the meaning of life really is. Isn't that really what everyone wants to know anyways? The answer might be so funny you'll die laughing!

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is being made into a movie too, due out in 2005. I don't see how it could live up to the high standard set by this book but we will have to see.

If you enjoy this I'd highly recommend THE LOSERS CLUB: Complete Restored Edition by Richard Perez, a somewhat unrelated (not sci-fi) but very amusing and FUN book. Short, quick, and funny -- that's how I like them.

Overall, The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy really is great! A must read by everyone!





A delightful read!   February 28, 2003
 14 out of 14 found this review helpful

I was hooked on the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy from the first page of the first book. This collection of all books is a fantastic set. For me these stories really joke with our very existence on Earth and remind me how very much there is to this universe that we don't know. They are pleasant, fast reads and very humorous. Nothing can touch the first book on humor, but others do a good job. I didn't really like So Long and Thanks for All the Fish too much, and the Zaphod short story is a waste. The other books are delightful and a good read. I highly recommend this book as a gift to dorky guys who are interested in technology and space. My girlfriend got it for me and it was right on the mark! Farewell, Douglas Adams, and we thank you!


You Almost Can't Ask For Anything More   January 22, 2005
 11 out of 11 found this review helpful


While reading this book, you will frequently find yourself debating a few things in your mind. One of those things is: "I really need sleep, but I need to read this book more, I just don't know what to do..."

This book is really a collection of all five books in the Hitchhiker's trilogy (um, ya, five books shouldn't be in a trilogy but thats how this series works), written by Douglas Adams. However, I had no previous experience with these books or with Douglas Adams and I thoroughly enjoyed reading them in this form. I couldn't image having read one of the books, then having to wait to get the other one. This series really is meant to be read in its entirety. The entire story flows throughout each book and needs to be read in order too.

So here is the story, a terrible accident is about to befall earth which drags the main character, Arthur Dent, on a wild romp throughout a hilarious Galaxy. Arthur just wants to get back home to Earth which leads to the stunning climax. This series is full of one liners, two liners, and even some three liners. If your a fan of British comedy, British satire, sci-fi, or just great literature then Douglas Adams weaves a tale that will appeal to you.

The first book in the series, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy really should be required reading in school, it really is that good.

Most "funny books" wouldn't even attempt to dissect the absurdity of our so-called civilization, this is what sets the Hitchhiker series apart from anything else. At points you see that while it may be funny -- all it really is, is insightful. The ridiculousness of humanity is displayed brilliantly -- through aliens. You'll find yourself laughing out loud.

As far as the ending to everything, it is one of the best endings of any series ever (in my opinion of course). It really instills an important moral, whether you get it at first or not, you may have to think about it a while. The ending also wraps up everything and makes perfect logical sense. The spontaneous happenings will have you on the edge of your seat until the very end too.

This series deals with what it really means to be alive and what the meaning of life really is. Isn't that really what everyone wants to know anyways? The answer might be so funny you'll die laughing!

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is being made into a movie too, due out in 2005. I don't see how it could live up to the high standard set by this book but we will have to see.

If you enjoy this I'd highly recommend The Losers' Club by Richard Perez, a somewhat unrelated (not sci-fi) but very amusing and FUN book. Short, quick, and funny -- that's how I like them.