It’s exceedingly annoying that a percentage of the world only know the man’s work from the film which generally tossed out his best writing and jokes in favour of material that was really quite bland. The ending’s a failure too. At the very least see if you can borrow the radio series from someone.

Other bits of writing can be found here:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/U42

Including a guide to making the perfect cup of tea which I follow to this day and really works.

And grab a copy of Salmon of Doubt. It is proof undeniable that he is irreplaceable.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys Douglas Adams’ sense of humor and observation.

Another excellent Douglas Adams book, which is written in a similar vein, is called Last Chance to See. It details his experiences while traveling throughout the world to seek out endangered animals. It’s entertaining and enlightening. Highly recommended.

Douglas Adams’ “quotes” don’t have as much magic as when you’re reading the books.

You HAVE to read the books.

FWIW, here’s some odd Douglas Adams facts.

And grab a copy of Salmon of Doubt. It is proof undeniable that he is irreplaceable.

My favorite quote, though, is this: “What Do You Get When You Multiply Nine By Six?” This is, of course, the Question that yeilds the Answer to Life, The Universe, and Everything: 42. Yes, 9×6=54. That is what makes it so beautiful. However, and I don’t know if he realized this or not, but 9×6 in base 13, as oppossed to base 10 like we normally use, is actually 42.

RIP

He was a genius.

[:-]

“What to do if you find yourself stuck with no hope of rescue: Consider yourself lucky that life has been good to you so far. Alternatively, if life hasn’t been good to you so far, which given your present circumstances seems more likely, consider yourself lucky that it won’t be troubling you much longer.”