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Don't Panic: The Official Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Companion
Adds much extra information to the Hitchhiker trilogy, including previously unpublished radio show excerpts and a profile of Douglas Adams
181 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1986
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 510 reviews
March 4, 2009
Very enjoyable for Douglas Adams fans. A bit dated at this point (written in '88) but the history on Adams' life and works is still relevant. Plus having one of my faves write about another is just too fun. I miss Douglas, his death in 2001 at age 49 was just a huge loss.
May 18, 2013
Full disclosure on this one: my library system did not have this book so I had to inter-library loan it, and the copy they came up with for me is a first edition. They've since published an updated version of the book, re-titled Don't Panic: Douglas Adams & The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, which was published about four years after Adams's death in 2001. It probably has all sorts of extra chapters about the seventeen years of Adams' writing and fan activity since 1988, and of course, his death and legacy, that the first edition did not have. I would really like to track down a copy of the updated version, is what I'm saying.
This book was an obvious stop on my quest to read the complete Neil Gaiman bibliography, not least of which because it's one of the first things he ever published, and also because it's really interesting as a Gaiman fan (and an Adams fan) to see Gaiman freaking out hardcore about Douglas Adams and his work. His love for The Hitchhiker's Guide and its ilk is painfully obvious in every word (many of which have turns of phrase that foreshadow Gaiman's own career), which elevates the book from one of those commercial fan-guides it might have been, to something genuinely insightful. It also helps that Gaiman seems to have had access to the man himself, along with the key players involved in getting Adams's stories out to the world.
According to the picture that Gaiman paints, Adams was a brilliant man who stepped into fame reluctantly, and almost by accident. He was notoriously obscenely late on delivering manuscripts (putting new context to his famous quote, "I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by"), and he described the process of writing more akin to torture than creating art (or humor, as he liked to think of it). It was also interesting to see the differences he had with the various mediums and stories he created. He described writing Hitchhiker's Guide to be all about the jokes, but his other series, Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency was in many ways easier for him to write because the story didn't constantly have to bend around itself to land jokes. He was also rather obsessed with computers and translating his stories to games. (This is the part I'd be really interested in reading in the updated version . . . 1988 was around that time when obsession with computers and technology was starting to go from something fantastical to more of an everyday experience).
I've read Hitchhiker's Guide several times, although I haven't picked it up in almost ten years now, so I think I'm due for a re-read. It will be interesting to read it with all this background knowledge for context (also, it will be interesting to read it now that I've got a functioning brain, as opposed to whatever it is I had back in high school).
Must read for Douglas Adams fans and Neil Gaiman completionists, but it might also be interesting reading for someone new to Gaiman or Adams, depending on how interested you are in behind-the-scenes-making-of stories. Anyway I liked it.
This book was an obvious stop on my quest to read the complete Neil Gaiman bibliography, not least of which because it's one of the first things he ever published, and also because it's really interesting as a Gaiman fan (and an Adams fan) to see Gaiman freaking out hardcore about Douglas Adams and his work. His love for The Hitchhiker's Guide and its ilk is painfully obvious in every word (many of which have turns of phrase that foreshadow Gaiman's own career), which elevates the book from one of those commercial fan-guides it might have been, to something genuinely insightful. It also helps that Gaiman seems to have had access to the man himself, along with the key players involved in getting Adams's stories out to the world.
According to the picture that Gaiman paints, Adams was a brilliant man who stepped into fame reluctantly, and almost by accident. He was notoriously obscenely late on delivering manuscripts (putting new context to his famous quote, "I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by"), and he described the process of writing more akin to torture than creating art (or humor, as he liked to think of it). It was also interesting to see the differences he had with the various mediums and stories he created. He described writing Hitchhiker's Guide to be all about the jokes, but his other series, Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency was in many ways easier for him to write because the story didn't constantly have to bend around itself to land jokes. He was also rather obsessed with computers and translating his stories to games. (This is the part I'd be really interested in reading in the updated version . . . 1988 was around that time when obsession with computers and technology was starting to go from something fantastical to more of an everyday experience).
I've read Hitchhiker's Guide several times, although I haven't picked it up in almost ten years now, so I think I'm due for a re-read. It will be interesting to read it with all this background knowledge for context (also, it will be interesting to read it now that I've got a functioning brain, as opposed to whatever it is I had back in high school).
Must read for Douglas Adams fans and Neil Gaiman completionists, but it might also be interesting reading for someone new to Gaiman or Adams, depending on how interested you are in behind-the-scenes-making-of stories. Anyway I liked it.
March 6, 2018
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy was first broadcast at 22.30 on a Wednesday evening in 1978 where the BBC almost hoped that no one would hear it. Radio programmes in those days almost never got reviews either, so there was a collective dropping of jaws when it turned out that there were two in the papers that weekend praising the show. Word of mouth recommendations meant that this obscure comedy sci-fi series grew to have a cult following very soon and it was to permeate the national culture in ways that Douglas Adams could never have conceived when he had the idea in a field in Innsbruck in 1971.
Don't Panic…
So began a much-loved trilogy that just happened to spread itself across five books. But Douglas Adams created far more things than just this. Born in Cambridge in 1952 he moved to London a little while later and after his parents divorced ended up in Essex. He stood out at school, mostly because he was very tall, 6 foot at the age of 12 and finally reached 6' 5", but was also known for his stories that were published in the school paper. University beckoned and he ended up at Cambridge where he tried and failed to join Footlights. He had written material that Footlights wanted to use, but they still didn't want him in it! Post university, the desire to get into TV or radio as a writer. He was fortunate to have his Revue shown on the BBC and this lead to a brief sketch writing with Graham Chapman of Monty Python fame. Then nothing, so a series of odd jobs ensued; was his brief writing career over before it started? Thankfully no, he kept plugging away and suddenly the thing that he had desired the most was happening. The rest is history; or is it the future.
I love deadlines. I love the whooshing noise they make as they go by.
Neil Gaiman in this fondly written biography of Adams, has written a fitting tribute to the man, who was taken from us far too early. whose work has seeped into the British psyche; even my children knew the answer to everything is 42, but they didn't know where it had originated from. This has been corrected now and a second-hand set of the books was acquired and pointed out to them on the shelf and they were strongly advised to read them. The book is crammed full of facts and details such as the asteroid named in his honour was 2001 DA42. It is enough to warm the transistors in the heart of a depressed robot. A touching tribute to an author with an amazing imagination and has one of the most amusing dedications written that I have read in a while. Great stuff.
Don't Panic…
So began a much-loved trilogy that just happened to spread itself across five books. But Douglas Adams created far more things than just this. Born in Cambridge in 1952 he moved to London a little while later and after his parents divorced ended up in Essex. He stood out at school, mostly because he was very tall, 6 foot at the age of 12 and finally reached 6' 5", but was also known for his stories that were published in the school paper. University beckoned and he ended up at Cambridge where he tried and failed to join Footlights. He had written material that Footlights wanted to use, but they still didn't want him in it! Post university, the desire to get into TV or radio as a writer. He was fortunate to have his Revue shown on the BBC and this lead to a brief sketch writing with Graham Chapman of Monty Python fame. Then nothing, so a series of odd jobs ensued; was his brief writing career over before it started? Thankfully no, he kept plugging away and suddenly the thing that he had desired the most was happening. The rest is history; or is it the future.
I love deadlines. I love the whooshing noise they make as they go by.
Neil Gaiman in this fondly written biography of Adams, has written a fitting tribute to the man, who was taken from us far too early. whose work has seeped into the British psyche; even my children knew the answer to everything is 42, but they didn't know where it had originated from. This has been corrected now and a second-hand set of the books was acquired and pointed out to them on the shelf and they were strongly advised to read them. The book is crammed full of facts and details such as the asteroid named in his honour was 2001 DA42. It is enough to warm the transistors in the heart of a depressed robot. A touching tribute to an author with an amazing imagination and has one of the most amusing dedications written that I have read in a while. Great stuff.
October 10, 2020
“Douglas just doesn’t go away. The years since his passing have been packed with celebration and reinvention, some of it great, some of it less so, but that’s fine, that’s how these things work. There has been much he would have been immensely proud to see (and hear), and one cannot help but be saddened by the fact that he is unable to. Ultimately, though, he has achieved the only immortality he would have wished for and we must count ourselves lucky to have enjoyed his company, even for too brief a time, and still enjoy his legacy. So long Douglas and thanks for all the words.”
This book by Gaiman is a delight to Douglas Adams and H2G2 fans. Written much like behind the scenes making of a popular movie, this book covers the making of Douglas Adams (and H2G2, Dirk Gently and Last Chance to see) as one of the icons of humor writing and the subsequent evolution of the franchise.
When I read H2G2 first way back in 2001-02 - I was blown over. I laughed till tears rolled down my cheek and literally fell off the chair laughing. By the time I finished the 4th book - I was feeling the worry of being let down and by the 5th book - though I was clearly a fan of Mr.Adams, I was defensive about why the book didn't work. In the process, I discovered the story of the series and found out why it was a trilogy in five parts.
Over the years, I made sure to finish everything Mr.Adams wrote (I had a book of favorite quotes), heard the radio show online (Loved it!), watched the movies (Hated it!) and contributed a couple of articles on H2G2. The book made me relive the entire love and adoration as it talked about the evolution of the series and the personality of Douglas Adams.
The man made the writing process seem like a pain and we find out he was completely dismissive of the concept of deadlines. He was possessive of his creation and the people involved in bringing his idea to life across the mediums had not-so-fond memories. It is not because of, but despite, all the chaotic efforts this cult classic lives on.
A very toned down proper Gaiman makes himself invisible in this book and hence it remains a celebration of Douglas Adams. Was fun to revisit the book through the appendix chapters.
For Douglas Adams fans.
This book by Gaiman is a delight to Douglas Adams and H2G2 fans. Written much like behind the scenes making of a popular movie, this book covers the making of Douglas Adams (and H2G2, Dirk Gently and Last Chance to see) as one of the icons of humor writing and the subsequent evolution of the franchise.
When I read H2G2 first way back in 2001-02 - I was blown over. I laughed till tears rolled down my cheek and literally fell off the chair laughing. By the time I finished the 4th book - I was feeling the worry of being let down and by the 5th book - though I was clearly a fan of Mr.Adams, I was defensive about why the book didn't work. In the process, I discovered the story of the series and found out why it was a trilogy in five parts.
Over the years, I made sure to finish everything Mr.Adams wrote (I had a book of favorite quotes), heard the radio show online (Loved it!), watched the movies (Hated it!) and contributed a couple of articles on H2G2. The book made me relive the entire love and adoration as it talked about the evolution of the series and the personality of Douglas Adams.
The man made the writing process seem like a pain and we find out he was completely dismissive of the concept of deadlines. He was possessive of his creation and the people involved in bringing his idea to life across the mediums had not-so-fond memories. It is not because of, but despite, all the chaotic efforts this cult classic lives on.
A very toned down proper Gaiman makes himself invisible in this book and hence it remains a celebration of Douglas Adams. Was fun to revisit the book through the appendix chapters.
For Douglas Adams fans.
September 15, 2023
Best reading experience in a long while! In a nice compact format Gaiman manages to convey a good biography of Adams as well as a great primer to all of his writing. Worth reading in it's own right and even if you haven't read HHGTTG or Dirk Gently. Or, so I think anyway. Really, how would I know? I read all of them an absurd number of times...
Anyway, made me feel like a re-read and more than that, it made me feel like playing the notoriously hard Text Adventure again (and that's an accomplishment, because this game didn't only kill you off all the time - it did so always with an insult).
If anyone wants to experience it or revisit, it's available in an online version here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/arti...
Don't say I didn't warn you though, drink plenty of fluids and get some sleep once in a a while.
Anyway, made me feel like a re-read and more than that, it made me feel like playing the notoriously hard Text Adventure again (and that's an accomplishment, because this game didn't only kill you off all the time - it did so always with an insult).
If anyone wants to experience it or revisit, it's available in an online version here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/arti...
Don't say I didn't warn you though, drink plenty of fluids and get some sleep once in a a while.
May 24, 2020
I am having such trouble finishing new books, I decided to choose from read books on my shelves. Probably I will make the same declaration at least monthly until I learn or until this very well precedented time. Putting aside such deadly epidemics as Zika 2015-ongoing and Ebola 2014-2016 within the really bloody recent past, I bring your attention to Swine Flu (H1N1) 2009-ongoing, the AIDs pandemic 1981-ongoing, Influenza 1957-58, Influenza 1889-90, Influenza 1918, the Russian Plague 1770-1772, the Plague of Marseilles 1720-1723, the Plague of London 1665-1666, American Plagues including smallpox the 16th century, The Black Death 1346-1353, the Bubonic Plague of Justinian 541-42, the Cyprian Plague 250-271, the Antonine Plague 165-180, etc. These times are precedented as hell. There are people alive now who survived the 1918 pandemic, so not only is it precedented, there is precedent in living memory. And a note of interest, many of these pandemics are now known by the ruler who's subjects suffered the highest death rates. So there's a strong probability than despite his worst efforts to blame others, this may go down in history as Trump's Plague.
I feel better now, but there's a risk that every future reference to "unprecedented times" will result in me screaming "ahistorical willfully-ignorant ignoramus" at the top of my lungs. You will hear me: I have a professionally-trained scream.
And also, you may have noticed that the flu shows up more than once. That's because novel strains are constantly emerging, and some of those are deadly as fuck. So none of this "it's no worse than the flu" bullshit. World War I only killed 40 million soldiers and civilians. The 1918 Influenza killed 100 million people in one year.
I feel better now, but there's a risk that every future reference to "unprecedented times" will result in me screaming "ahistorical willfully-ignorant ignoramus" at the top of my lungs. You will hear me: I have a professionally-trained scream.
And also, you may have noticed that the flu shows up more than once. That's because novel strains are constantly emerging, and some of those are deadly as fuck. So none of this "it's no worse than the flu" bullshit. World War I only killed 40 million soldiers and civilians. The 1918 Influenza killed 100 million people in one year.
August 6, 2021
Don't Panic is mostly an overview of Douglas Adams' work from a "making of" standpoint, rather than looking into the works as texts, or being a biography of Adams. It's lively and interesting, and is a good overview of his creativity, his passions like computers and conservation... and his eccentricities that must have driven his co-workers nuts. It's less interesting after his passing, as various producers and writers try--and fail--to catch a spirit that has flown. The appendices are mostly skippable, but I did enjoy the character profiles and "How to Escape Earth," which was pieced together from Adams' wording on a marketing bonus item.
I'll have to track down Last Chance to See, which I was unfamiliar with before listening to this production.
Simon Jones' narration was fun to listen to. Jones himself is mentioned several times in the book, since his acting was a primary inspiration for the character of Arthur Dent, that he ended up playing on the radio and TV. Occasionally there was a hint of strangeness and lost time to it, since this is a 2020 production of a 2009 book, that in places calls back to Adams' work from over 40 years ago.
I'll have to track down Last Chance to See, which I was unfamiliar with before listening to this production.
Simon Jones' narration was fun to listen to. Jones himself is mentioned several times in the book, since his acting was a primary inspiration for the character of Arthur Dent, that he ended up playing on the radio and TV. Occasionally there was a hint of strangeness and lost time to it, since this is a 2020 production of a 2009 book, that in places calls back to Adams' work from over 40 years ago.
June 4, 2017
Neil Gaiman's Don't Panic succeeds in so far as the author manages to capture the humor of the late Douglas Adams. It lacks depth as a biography but more than blankets the various aspects and versions of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (H2 G2 ) as well as the five book trilogy. It is correctly described in one of the other reviews as the hyper-extended bonus feature that was too long to include on any of the CDs or DVD versions of the radio broadcasts, televisions shows and unfortunately the Disney movie.
If you have come looking for this book and have read this far my assumption is you are a Douglas Adams fan. H2 G2, Dirk Gently or possibly Dr. Who fans constitute the target readership for this book. Granted Douglas Adams had a very slight association with the Monty Python's crew; more of common friendships than creative participation but none of this qualifies Don't Panic for a general audience.
That portion of the book that is about Douglas Adams is clearly intended as a friends and family type biography. That is, one that is more affectionate than analytical or critical. A very large portion of the discussion of Adams the writer centers around his inability to meet any deadlines which is nothing new for people who know about Adams's history. Daiman does do a decent job of explaining Adamns and missed deadlines by providing the additional context of Adams; too often self-inflicted complex life.
Gaiman succeeds as an apologist for Douglas Adams and is someone who can speak in a voice very much like Douglas Adams. I have read as much of Adams published works as are available in America. I own and enjoy the original radio series and the original television series of H2 G2. So I was interested to get to read about the intimate background on most of what occurred in the making of -- to include electronic games and live performances.
My conclusion is that this is a fan's book. There may be some other audiences such as those who collect biographies of writers or who wish to know more about the creative / production process in any of several media. The ironic /humorous tone makes for easy reading but one can get somewhat bogged down in details.
If you have come looking for this book and have read this far my assumption is you are a Douglas Adams fan. H2 G2, Dirk Gently or possibly Dr. Who fans constitute the target readership for this book. Granted Douglas Adams had a very slight association with the Monty Python's crew; more of common friendships than creative participation but none of this qualifies Don't Panic for a general audience.
That portion of the book that is about Douglas Adams is clearly intended as a friends and family type biography. That is, one that is more affectionate than analytical or critical. A very large portion of the discussion of Adams the writer centers around his inability to meet any deadlines which is nothing new for people who know about Adams's history. Daiman does do a decent job of explaining Adamns and missed deadlines by providing the additional context of Adams; too often self-inflicted complex life.
Gaiman succeeds as an apologist for Douglas Adams and is someone who can speak in a voice very much like Douglas Adams. I have read as much of Adams published works as are available in America. I own and enjoy the original radio series and the original television series of H2 G2. So I was interested to get to read about the intimate background on most of what occurred in the making of -- to include electronic games and live performances.
My conclusion is that this is a fan's book. There may be some other audiences such as those who collect biographies of writers or who wish to know more about the creative / production process in any of several media. The ironic /humorous tone makes for easy reading but one can get somewhat bogged down in details.
April 6, 2022
“Без паника” – почит към Дъглас Адамс и неговото писане (и неписане): http://knigolandia.info/book-review/b...
“Без паника” е много различна от стандартна биография, като е важно да уточня, че преводът е по нейното последно преработено издание от 2009 г., така че стига и до напускането на почти безобидната ни планета от страна на Адамс. Изпълнена е със забавни истории за писателя, но пък и с тон информация как се прави телевизия и радио в Англия преди твърде много десетилетия, което не е чак толкова интересно – затова и честно (не твърде издателски) помолих Дамян да напише на предната корица, че в книгата е всичко, което искате – или не искате – да научите за Адамс. Но повечето неща ще искате, или поне аз исках. Исках да знам къде е учил, как е градил стила си, какви преживелици е имал и как са го отвели до идеята за “Пътеводителя” (избълбукала там на една поляна по собствените му дум), защо трилогията книги е всъщност от пет толкова различни части, нещо за другите му книги, интереси, сред които се отличава най-важното му хоби, което го вълнува от дете: да не пише.
CIELA Books
http://knigolandia.info/book-review/b...
“Без паника” е много различна от стандартна биография, като е важно да уточня, че преводът е по нейното последно преработено издание от 2009 г., така че стига и до напускането на почти безобидната ни планета от страна на Адамс. Изпълнена е със забавни истории за писателя, но пък и с тон информация как се прави телевизия и радио в Англия преди твърде много десетилетия, което не е чак толкова интересно – затова и честно (не твърде издателски) помолих Дамян да напише на предната корица, че в книгата е всичко, което искате – или не искате – да научите за Адамс. Но повечето неща ще искате, или поне аз исках. Исках да знам къде е учил, как е градил стила си, какви преживелици е имал и как са го отвели до идеята за “Пътеводителя” (избълбукала там на една поляна по собствените му дум), защо трилогията книги е всъщност от пет толкова различни части, нещо за другите му книги, интереси, сред които се отличава най-важното му хоби, което го вълнува от дете: да не пише.
CIELA Books
http://knigolandia.info/book-review/b...
April 27, 2014
first off it is misleading to say this is a guide to Hitchhikers Guide... it is a lot more. It is part celebration of Douglas Adams - a short biography and introduction to his body of work. Its part review of his publications with details on yes the Hitchhikers Guide books but also his Dirk Gently books and other books, and finally it is a guide to the series itself with a closer look at characters places and events - all in the style you would come to expect from Douglas Adams, although it is written by Neil Gaiman (who you can tell not only respects the man but also the work he has produced). All in all a fascinating and entertaining (with some real flashes of great humour) read celebrating Douglas Adams and his work. And what is more it was published before his death so I hope Mr Adams got to appreciate what he has given to the world.
October 1, 2019
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy was at one point the most important book in my life. When I was about 11, I reread the whole series monthly. My AIM screename was Zarkology1, after the great Prophet Zarquon and the exclamation 'Zark!'. So I'm only kidding a little when I say that for me, the books approach holy text.
Don't Panic by Neil Gaiman (that Neil Gaiman) is a very different approach to the story behind the story, and the career of Douglas Adams. Adams followed in the wake of a classic tradition of absurdist British humor, most notably PG Wodehouse and Monty Python (though his actual working relationship with the Pythons was minimal). At Cambridge, he was an anti-establishment figure floating around the Footlights comedy troupe. Afterwords, he drifted into radio at the BBC, where the idea for Hitchhiker finally landed. The radio show was a cult classic, the first book an international success, and then it was off to the races, with musical theater, TV adaptation, potential movie deals, and high-tech transmedia ventures.
Gaiman keeps it light and breezy, but reading between the lines, there are struggles. Adams' problems with deadlines was legendary, but where is the line between writer's block and chronic depression? The best of Hitchhiker is in the pauses and asides, the words not written, the perfect absurdity and humanity of the gestalt. Hitchhiker touched me, and it touched millions of people, and there's not much of the 'why' or 'how' except "well, Adams mixed Star Wars and Monty Python in a way that was perfect for the times, and totally beyond the ability of studio executives to understand."
It's been 40 years since the first book was published. I don't know much, except that I know I need to find my omnibus collection and reread them for the first time in a decade.
Don't Panic by Neil Gaiman (that Neil Gaiman) is a very different approach to the story behind the story, and the career of Douglas Adams. Adams followed in the wake of a classic tradition of absurdist British humor, most notably PG Wodehouse and Monty Python (though his actual working relationship with the Pythons was minimal). At Cambridge, he was an anti-establishment figure floating around the Footlights comedy troupe. Afterwords, he drifted into radio at the BBC, where the idea for Hitchhiker finally landed. The radio show was a cult classic, the first book an international success, and then it was off to the races, with musical theater, TV adaptation, potential movie deals, and high-tech transmedia ventures.
Gaiman keeps it light and breezy, but reading between the lines, there are struggles. Adams' problems with deadlines was legendary, but where is the line between writer's block and chronic depression? The best of Hitchhiker is in the pauses and asides, the words not written, the perfect absurdity and humanity of the gestalt. Hitchhiker touched me, and it touched millions of people, and there's not much of the 'why' or 'how' except "well, Adams mixed Star Wars and Monty Python in a way that was perfect for the times, and totally beyond the ability of studio executives to understand."
It's been 40 years since the first book was published. I don't know much, except that I know I need to find my omnibus collection and reread them for the first time in a decade.
January 11, 2015
A very good insight on Douglas Adams' process of creating The Hitchhiker's universe as well as his other works (such as his contribution to Doctor Who, Last Chance to See etc), everything that encompasses that, but also on DA's own character, work process and relation to other significant people (that some readers might have heard of through other books/movies/radio programs/TV shows but weren't aware of any connection). Moreover, there are some great excerpts from the books/radio programs and some bits that never made it into any story.
May 18, 2018
An amazing book from an amazing author for an amazing author. It was hilarious, Interesting and easy to read.
June 10, 2020
I didn't.
(I brought my towel and a bottle of something.)
(I brought my towel and a bottle of something.)
July 26, 2019
"Bütün hayatım boyunca yazar olma fikrinin büyüsüne kapıldım, ama bütün yazarlar gibi yazmaktan, yazılı olandan hoşlandığım kadar hoşlanmadım."
January 29, 2022
Hitchhiker's Guide is something I liked but not necessarily something I loved; it wasn't a formative influence on me. I enjoyed the books less than the radio series (3/5 of which, I've only just become aware, were produced after Adams's death) and I remember the film adaptation very fondly, despite Gaiman's negative evaluation of it in this book. So perhaps Adams's style appeals to me most when it's tempered by other influences. But reading this has made me want to revisit his work.
I'm struck by how little success Adams had before H2G2. Even his collaboration with Graham Chapman of Monty Python, which must have felt like being on the verge of a big break, didn't really go anywhere. I can only imagine how demoralizing it was to go from that to doing manual labor for a while. The massive success of Hitchhiker's Guide seems quite sudden.
Adams can also be an inspiration for all of us who've wished to create something but find the actual process of creation an immense struggle:
Gaiman notes that only one of Adams's books was written at home. My takeaway is that if you're having trouble getting work done, you should try taking a vacation.
Before sharing some of the fan mail Adams received, Gaiman quotes some of Adams's thoughts on fame: how it's important "not to expose yourself too much to people who are going to tell you you are God's gift to the human race - which you're not." I wonder how much of the human desire to become famous is driven by a hope that others will tell us we're amazing - and a belief that if they do, it will mean it's true.
A few of my favorite tidbits from the book:
- The first theatrical adaptation of the Guide involved seating the audience on a movable hovercar. I'm jealous of those audiences.
- The TV series included an expensive animatronic second head for Zaphod, which largely went to waste both because it was frequently broken and because the actor sometimes forgot to turn it on.
- One fan letter included an elaborate argument that the Ultimate Question was encoded in Morse code within the number 2^42.
I was totally unaware of Adams's interest in endangered species (he traveled around the world to help create the documentary Last Chance to See) and also of his book The Meaning of Liff. The thing I was most eager to try after reading this, though, is the Hitchhiker's Guide game.
I'm struck by how little success Adams had before H2G2. Even his collaboration with Graham Chapman of Monty Python, which must have felt like being on the verge of a big break, didn't really go anywhere. I can only imagine how demoralizing it was to go from that to doing manual labor for a while. The massive success of Hitchhiker's Guide seems quite sudden.
Adams can also be an inspiration for all of us who've wished to create something but find the actual process of creation an immense struggle:
Writing comes easy. All you have to do is stare at a blank piece of paper until your forehead bleeds. ... All writers, or most, say they find writing difficult, but most writers I know are surprised at how difficult I find it.
Gaiman notes that only one of Adams's books was written at home. My takeaway is that if you're having trouble getting work done, you should try taking a vacation.
Before sharing some of the fan mail Adams received, Gaiman quotes some of Adams's thoughts on fame: how it's important "not to expose yourself too much to people who are going to tell you you are God's gift to the human race - which you're not." I wonder how much of the human desire to become famous is driven by a hope that others will tell us we're amazing - and a belief that if they do, it will mean it's true.
A few of my favorite tidbits from the book:
- The first theatrical adaptation of the Guide involved seating the audience on a movable hovercar. I'm jealous of those audiences.
- The TV series included an expensive animatronic second head for Zaphod, which largely went to waste both because it was frequently broken and because the actor sometimes forgot to turn it on.
- One fan letter included an elaborate argument that the Ultimate Question was encoded in Morse code within the number 2^42.
I was totally unaware of Adams's interest in endangered species (he traveled around the world to help create the documentary Last Chance to See) and also of his book The Meaning of Liff. The thing I was most eager to try after reading this, though, is the Hitchhiker's Guide game.
September 24, 2023
If you have ever stood in a field staring up at the myriad stars in the night sky and wondering just how it came to be that the humanoid life-form known as Douglas Adams managed to dream up such infinitely improbable adventures, or if you have ever stood in front of a vending machine that has just provided you with a plastic cup filled with a liquid that was almost, but not quite, entirely unlike tea, then in all likelihood you will enjoy this book.
Neil Gaiman has taken time off writing his own fantastic adventures to share with us his research into the life and times of Douglas Adams. I for one am very glad that he did as the story he so masterfully unfolds is both sympathetic and enlightening. Gaiman manages to shed not a little light on Adams' creative process and life, from the rigors and panics of his early days of script writing for Doctor Who then the Hitchhiker's radio series all the way through to the very end of his career. Gaiman does a marvelous job of not only telling the tale but also revealing something of the man who said, 'I love deadlines. I love the whooshing noise they make as they go by.'
Adams was a unique writer and a comic creator of genius. He died all too young, but this book is a great tribute to a life fully-lived and to a very human humanoid.
Neil Gaiman has taken time off writing his own fantastic adventures to share with us his research into the life and times of Douglas Adams. I for one am very glad that he did as the story he so masterfully unfolds is both sympathetic and enlightening. Gaiman manages to shed not a little light on Adams' creative process and life, from the rigors and panics of his early days of script writing for Doctor Who then the Hitchhiker's radio series all the way through to the very end of his career. Gaiman does a marvelous job of not only telling the tale but also revealing something of the man who said, 'I love deadlines. I love the whooshing noise they make as they go by.'
Adams was a unique writer and a comic creator of genius. He died all too young, but this book is a great tribute to a life fully-lived and to a very human humanoid.
March 13, 2021
It was good.
I just didn't find it that interesting.
I did enjoy some of the lore about The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, as I really love that book.
I would instead recommend that!
2.3/5
I just didn't find it that interesting.
I did enjoy some of the lore about The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, as I really love that book.
I would instead recommend that!
2.3/5
November 14, 2019
All things Hitchhiker Guide and more. Told in only the way Neil Gaiman can do!
July 11, 2020
The Douglas Adams story continues , at this point I am just fanboying, read this if you like Douglas Ideas and humor. Actually, just read Douglas Adams for humor.
There is also a lot of observation on the skill of writing and applying humor, which are to me, very valuable. Since I can’t do both.
Also, if you ever want to start the hitchhikers galaxy, listen to the audiobook, it is the way Douglas Adams had intended it to be consumed. The book came after.
There is also a lot of observation on the skill of writing and applying humor, which are to me, very valuable. Since I can’t do both.
Also, if you ever want to start the hitchhikers galaxy, listen to the audiobook, it is the way Douglas Adams had intended it to be consumed. The book came after.
May 25, 2014
Written much in the style and humor of the author it honors, Neil Gaiman’s "Don’t Panic: Douglas Adams & The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy" is a wonderful treat for fans of “The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy” and its author. The book contains supporting material from Douglas Adams himself, as well as his own words as compiled from Gaiman’s interviews with him, as well as a tireless search of the media.
Adams early aspirations were toward the stage. He saw John Cleese perform while at Cambridge and thought to himself, “I can do that… I’m as tall as he is” (page 7). Gaiman connects for the reader Adams early work with the work that would become The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. While working with Graham Chapman after the days on Monty Python’s Flying Circus, Adams amassed ideas he thought either too good to discard or too interesting to forget and they would make up elements of his later masterpiece. The Adams that Gaiman outlines for us very much worked on instinct and inspiration. Douglas said that he “Didn’t so much like writing as having written (Page 7).
"Don’t Panic: Douglas Adams & The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy" is a fanboy love letter to an author known and admired. There is, after all, a reason a day is dedicated to this internally best-selling author. “Don’t Panic: Douglas Adams and the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy” is a wonderful reference for any fan of Douglas Adams and gives us a true insight into his process, his insecurities, his challenges and ultimately his success. Written in the light and thought-provoking style of its subject, I am now inspired to go out and snap up everything Nail Gaiman has ever written.
On Page 59, Gaiman lists three opinions of why "The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy" was so successful. The consensus seems to be that it’s because it’s not like nothing the reading public had ever seen before. As someone who first read Adams as a teenager and has been searching for like authors for the better part of my life, I believe this perfect style of brilliance and madness is so hard to produce that we’ll see it infrequently as time goes on. Adams is lost to us now. Jasper Fforde remains, and up and coming authors like Ford Forkum as well, but catching the magic in the bottle that was Adams is elusive. "Don’t Panic: Douglas Adams & The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy" was a sheer delight to read and to remember the man that was Douglas Adams.
Adams early aspirations were toward the stage. He saw John Cleese perform while at Cambridge and thought to himself, “I can do that… I’m as tall as he is” (page 7). Gaiman connects for the reader Adams early work with the work that would become The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. While working with Graham Chapman after the days on Monty Python’s Flying Circus, Adams amassed ideas he thought either too good to discard or too interesting to forget and they would make up elements of his later masterpiece. The Adams that Gaiman outlines for us very much worked on instinct and inspiration. Douglas said that he “Didn’t so much like writing as having written (Page 7).
"Don’t Panic: Douglas Adams & The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy" is a fanboy love letter to an author known and admired. There is, after all, a reason a day is dedicated to this internally best-selling author. “Don’t Panic: Douglas Adams and the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy” is a wonderful reference for any fan of Douglas Adams and gives us a true insight into his process, his insecurities, his challenges and ultimately his success. Written in the light and thought-provoking style of its subject, I am now inspired to go out and snap up everything Nail Gaiman has ever written.
On Page 59, Gaiman lists three opinions of why "The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy" was so successful. The consensus seems to be that it’s because it’s not like nothing the reading public had ever seen before. As someone who first read Adams as a teenager and has been searching for like authors for the better part of my life, I believe this perfect style of brilliance and madness is so hard to produce that we’ll see it infrequently as time goes on. Adams is lost to us now. Jasper Fforde remains, and up and coming authors like Ford Forkum as well, but catching the magic in the bottle that was Adams is elusive. "Don’t Panic: Douglas Adams & The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy" was a sheer delight to read and to remember the man that was Douglas Adams.
September 8, 2016
This was, oddly, the very first Neil Gaiman book I read. It was in the Hazen High School Library and it said “Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” on the cover, and that was good enough for me.
The connection between H2G2 and Doctor Who is no surprise, and yet it’s really quite surprising. The third book in the five part trilogy? Had its genesis as a Doctor Who script. (95). The actress who played Trillian in the television show was married to “Peter Davison, the fifth and blandest Dr Who. He played the Dish of the Day, a bovine creature which implores diners to eat it.” (80). Ford Prefect – Ford Prefect! was “a reaction against Dr Who, because Dr Who is always rusing about saving people and planets and generally doing good works, so to speak; and I thought the keynote of the character of Ford Prefect was that given the choice between getting involved and saving the world from some disaster on the one hand, and on the other hand going to the part, he’d go to the party every time, assuming that the world, if it were worth anything, would take care of itself.” 162.
A poignant reread, ten years after we lost DNA.
The connection between H2G2 and Doctor Who is no surprise, and yet it’s really quite surprising. The third book in the five part trilogy? Had its genesis as a Doctor Who script. (95). The actress who played Trillian in the television show was married to “Peter Davison, the fifth and blandest Dr Who. He played the Dish of the Day, a bovine creature which implores diners to eat it.” (80). Ford Prefect – Ford Prefect! was “a reaction against Dr Who, because Dr Who is always rusing about saving people and planets and generally doing good works, so to speak; and I thought the keynote of the character of Ford Prefect was that given the choice between getting involved and saving the world from some disaster on the one hand, and on the other hand going to the part, he’d go to the party every time, assuming that the world, if it were worth anything, would take care of itself.” 162.
A poignant reread, ten years after we lost DNA.
December 19, 2023
Вот я даже не знаю, можно ли найти эту книгу целенаправленно. Мне кажется, Гейман написал специально что-то незаметное и спрятал книгу в темных каталогах книжных магазинов. Или может быть я сужу по себе... "История создания книги «Автостопом по Галактике» попалась мне совершенно случайно. Я прочитал весь цикл "Автостопа" Дугласа Адамса и захотел скупить все остальное, что написал этот замечательный автор. И вдруг на глаза попадается "Автостоп", но почему написанный Нилом Гейманом. Странно, правда? Гейман решил переписать нетленку что ли? А нет, как оказалось, в молодые годы Гейман работал обычным журналистом, и как-то раз по заданию редакции он познакомился с Дугласом Адамсом, брал у него интервью, собирал разные вырезки. А теперь вот решил весь собранный материал издать отдельной книгой, чтобы мы узнали, с чег8о написал автор и как развивал уникальную вселенную "Автостопа".
Что собой представляет книга? Поэтапная биография и самого Дугласа Адамса и его популярного цикла. Немного детства, немного первых неудачных опытов найти свое профессиональное место. Удивительно, но оказалось, что я ничего об авторе не знаю (хотя почему-то был уверен, что знаю много). Адамс дружил с Джоном Клизом и даже писал несколько сценариев для позднего Монти Пайтона. Как это прошло мимо меня? Многие, в том числе и я, были уверены в том, что сначала была книга, а только потом пошли радиопостановки и фильмы. А вот и совсем нет! Сначала как раз было радиопостановка. которая произвела настоящий фуррор среди слушателей и любителей фантастики. И только потом, когда Дугласу предложили написать книгу умные люди, он начал над ней работу. И как же тяжело ему далось письменное творчество! Все переписывалось сто раз, сроки постоянно срывались... И в это трудно поверить, потому что так все складно написано у Адамса, как будто с ним все время пребывала самая лучшая муза из всех существующих.
Что хорошего в книге - подробная информация о том, как занимался Дуглас Адамс занимался творчеством. С кем встречался, чем вдохновлялся, какие были проблемы. Я действительно не знал, что для Англии это был культовый автор, похороны которого даже транслировали онлайн на BBC.
Что не очень хорошего - мне не хватало в книге интересных, необычных историй из жизни автора. В книге огромное количество упоминаний совершенно неизвестных имен, которые в какое-то время приложили свои усилия к популяризации "Автостопом по галактике". Кто озвучивал, кто играл, кто заменял, кто был секретарем, кто-то просто мимо проходил. но сделал важное замечание. Местами очень сухо.
Очень познавательная книга. если вам нравится то, что делал Дуглас Адамс. От Геймана тут ничего нету (это если вдруг кто клюнет именно на автора книги, а не на то, про кого она написана). Чисто для фанатов. И спасибо за проделанную работу (чуть было не написал "рыбу"), Нил. 7/10
Что собой представляет книга? Поэтапная биография и самого Дугласа Адамса и его популярного цикла. Немного детства, немного первых неудачных опытов найти свое профессиональное место. Удивительно, но оказалось, что я ничего об авторе не знаю (хотя почему-то был уверен, что знаю много). Адамс дружил с Джоном Клизом и даже писал несколько сценариев для позднего Монти Пайтона. Как это прошло мимо меня? Многие, в том числе и я, были уверены в том, что сначала была книга, а только потом пошли радиопостановки и фильмы. А вот и совсем нет! Сначала как раз было радиопостановка. которая произвела настоящий фуррор среди слушателей и любителей фантастики. И только потом, когда Дугласу предложили написать книгу умные люди, он начал над ней работу. И как же тяжело ему далось письменное творчество! Все переписывалось сто раз, сроки постоянно срывались... И в это трудно поверить, потому что так все складно написано у Адамса, как будто с ним все время пребывала самая лучшая муза из всех существующих.
Что хорошего в книге - подробная информация о том, как занимался Дуглас Адамс занимался творчеством. С кем встречался, чем вдохновлялся, какие были проблемы. Я действительно не знал, что для Англии это был культовый автор, похороны которого даже транслировали онлайн на BBC.
Что не очень хорошего - мне не хватало в книге интересных, необычных историй из жизни автора. В книге огромное количество упоминаний совершенно неизвестных имен, которые в какое-то время приложили свои усилия к популяризации "Автостопом по галактике". Кто озвучивал, кто играл, кто заменял, кто был секретарем, кто-то просто мимо проходил. но сделал важное замечание. Местами очень сухо.
Очень познавательная книга. если вам нравится то, что делал Дуглас Адамс. От Геймана тут ничего нету (это если вдруг кто клюнет именно на автора книги, а не на то, про кого она написана). Чисто для фанатов. И спасибо за проделанную работу (чуть было не написал "рыбу"), Нил. 7/10
May 1, 2022
Listened to the audiobook via Borrowbox.
The details:
Read by: Simon Jones (the original Arthur Dent)
Unabridged.
the book
This book discussed everything Douglas Adams and the origins of Hitchhikers franchise. It's interjected with interviews, essays, snippets from Hitchhikers plays, books and TV Shows. Full of information and spans the timeline of everything Douglas. It was good to listen to and I'm glad I did because it is dull at times. Not everything interested me so I totally would have taken much longer than 2 days to read, had I not listened to it.
I love Neil Gaiman. This was his first book and you can definitely see how passionate he was and had so much respect for this franchise.
the narrator
Narrated by the first Arthur, probably gave a nostalgic full circle vibe for OG fans. He had a lovely voice and kept my ears peaked, even in the parts I felt were dull.
Pick it up, give it a go and enjoy! >(^_^)<
Gén
The details:
Read by: Simon Jones (the original Arthur Dent)
Unabridged.
the book
This book discussed everything Douglas Adams and the origins of Hitchhikers franchise. It's interjected with interviews, essays, snippets from Hitchhikers plays, books and TV Shows. Full of information and spans the timeline of everything Douglas. It was good to listen to and I'm glad I did because it is dull at times. Not everything interested me so I totally would have taken much longer than 2 days to read, had I not listened to it.
I love Neil Gaiman. This was his first book and you can definitely see how passionate he was and had so much respect for this franchise.
the narrator
Narrated by the first Arthur, probably gave a nostalgic full circle vibe for OG fans. He had a lovely voice and kept my ears peaked, even in the parts I felt were dull.
Pick it up, give it a go and enjoy! >(^_^)<
Gén
February 28, 2021
The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy is one of those things that won't fade away. In large part, the future bestseller Neil Gaiman suggests in this work first published in the mid-1980s that Hitchhikers status in popular culture is because of its creator: the late, much-missed Douglas Adams. Charting the course of Adams's life, career, and legacy, Gaiman (along with eventual updaters David K. Dickson, M.J. Simpson, and Guy Adams) takes readers on a journey. One that charts how an aspiring and thinking he had washed-out comedy writer/performer created and expanded across multiple media the Hitchhikers series. More than that, Don't Panic covers everything from Adams's script work on Doctor Who to Dirk Gently and the non-fiction Last Chance to See, to name but a few of the projects covered. Even more remarkable for a book written by four writers across nearly three decades, it comes across pretty much seamless, not to mention in a pastiche style of its subject's writing style.
The result is a first-class read for fans of Adams's work, offering plenty of insights into his books and scripts, not to mention the man himself.
The result is a first-class read for fans of Adams's work, offering plenty of insights into his books and scripts, not to mention the man himself.
February 1, 2020
This is non fiction book pulling together the complete story of how Douglas Adams wrote the various incantations of 'The Hitchhikers Guide to The Galaxy'. Neil Gaiman had access to a lot of Douglas's notes, source material and interviewed a lot of people to put together this book. It's a fascinating tale and explains a lot of differences between the story in each version. Basically, Adams rewrote a lot to make it work for different mediums. For example, some scenes in the original radio would have been prohibitively expensive, or impossible, on TV or film.
An interesting read for all fans of The Hitchhikers Guide universe. For me, some of the original scripts and drafts in the appendices were a bit of overkill, but otherwise entertaining.
An interesting read for all fans of The Hitchhikers Guide universe. For me, some of the original scripts and drafts in the appendices were a bit of overkill, but otherwise entertaining.
June 11, 2020
Οξυδερκής ανάλυση όχι μόνο των πέντε βιβλίων της τριλογίας (sic) του Douglas Adams " Γυρίστε το Γαλαξία με Ωτοστόπ", αλλά και του τρόπου σκέψης του συγγραφέα συνολικά. Ο Gaiman καταφέρνει με το γνωστό black humour του να καλύψει τα κενά που μας άφησαν τα βιβλία (προσωπικά, το δικό μου κενό είναι ότι δεν υπάρχουν άλλα), αλλά και να μας βάλει πίσω από τη σκηνή στην προσπάθεια για το γύρισμα της ομώνυμης σειράς και ταινίας, καθώς και της δημιουργίας των video games.
Θα μπορούσε να είναι ένα πολύ βαρετό ανάγνωσμα, επειδή εμένα όμως μου άρεσε περισσότερο η βιογραφία του Τιμ Ρόμπινς για παράδειγμα, παρά τα ίδια του τα βιβλία, καταλαβαίνετε ότι μου φάνηκε πολύ ενδιαφέρον!
Θα μπορούσε να είναι ένα πολύ βαρετό ανάγνωσμα, επειδή εμένα όμως μου άρεσε περισσότερο η βιογραφία του Τιμ Ρόμπινς για παράδειγμα, παρά τα ίδια του τα βιβλία, καταλαβαίνετε ότι μου φάνηκε πολύ ενδιαφέρον!
January 25, 2019
My first Neil Gaiman book. A gift from a nice girl I met in college.
August 29, 2020
Nothing I didn't know already to be honest, this book was more like comfort food for me.
April 29, 2018
A true fan book, concerning every form of the HGTTG, from radio series, books and many different adaptations, as well as the author's other work. It was a bit tiresome sometimes, especially regarding the visual adaptations, since I haven't seen any, but still quite entertaining and informative. Love the appendix part.
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