Sporadic Thoughts on Douglas Adams

PennyLane

Adams says there is a knack to flying, which is learning to throw yourself at the ground and miss. This prompts me to wonder: is it as much a knack as an innate skill to be so badly equiped for life that you can't even hit the ground for trying?

Thorbar

You really didn't spend a lot of time thinking about Mr Adams did you?

GuanYin

Perhaps the ground moved....

Electric Mole

He also said that anyone who wants to be President has absolutely no right to be it. Now that rings true.

PennyLane

To Thorbar: Are you friggin kidding? Do you know how many times I've read the books? I'll tell you: a whole lot.
To Skye: Yeah, but it'd have to move quite a bit for you to miss entirely. I mean, dang.
To Mole: Indeed. Indeed. *Is American. Is ashamed of president.*

simu

The ships hung in the sky in much the same way that bricks don't.

Brillo!

I had to get a pencil to underline all the good quotes when I was reading the h2g2. Alas, I do not have the books at hand now to get more cool quotes and it's not the same going to on-line fansites.

K!LL!@N

Have to say i've loved all the Hitchiker's series, on Mostly Harmless now and in a way i'm not looking forward to finishing it cos it'll all be coming to an end.

I laughed from the moment i opened the cover "book one in a trilogy of five".

Wonderfully descriptive in a unconventional way.

The kind of books that make me laugh out loud on the train.

I've a terrible memory for quotes.

What's his other stuff like?

Killian

mike65

What's his other stuff like?

He did'nt do much else! Adams became infamous for his lack of speed. The only other major works from Adams are the two Dirk Gently books and Last Chance to See which is non-fiction about rare animals etc.

I have the 2nd Gently book "Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul" and quite liked it he descriptive powers are good esp the Norse Gods stuff but the plotting is rather weak as I recall...proberly should read it again.

http://science-fiction-reviews.com/book/Dirk-Gently-s-Holistic-Detective-Agency.html

http://science-fiction-reviews.com/book/Long-Dark-Tea-Time-Of-The-Soul.html

Mike.

Q_Elexra

Originally posted by simu
Brillo!

I had to get a pencil to underline all the good quotes when I was reading the h2g2. Alas, I do not have the books at hand now to get more cool quotes and it's not the same going to on-line fansites.

Yeah it's the subtle things really

Arthur's consciousness approached his body as from a great distance, andreluctantly. It had some bad times in there. Slowly, nervously, it entered and settled down in to its accustomed position.
Arthur sat up.
'Where an I?' he said.
'Lords Cricket Ground,' said Ford.
'Fine,' said Arthur, and his conciousness stepped out again for a quick breather. His body flopped back on the grass

That's one of my fave bits.

Electric Mole

Originally posted by K!LL!@N
I laughed from the moment i opened the cover "book one in a trilogy of five".

My editions said a trilogy of four and I have to say it probably would have been better that way.

I liked Dirk Gently. In the first page when the Professor says "Where's that friend of yours, Svlad" and he says "Svlad? Oh you mean Dirk" that made me snort liquid out through my nose. He probably didn't even mean it to be a joke.

Let's not forget the Meaning Of Liff and the Deeper Meaning Of Liff.

PennyLane

Originally posted by mike65
He did'nt do much else! Adams became infamous for his lack of speed. The only other major works from Adams are the two Dirk Gently books and Last Chance to See which is non-fiction about rare animals etc.

Actually, He collaborated on Last Chance To See, and also collaborated on two other books: The Meaning of Liff and The Deeper Meaning of Liff. These books were dictionaries of small, weirdly named English towns that they used to put names to all those weird, unnamed feelings that we all know about, like that vague discomfort you get when you sit in a seat that's still warm from someone else's bum. Sadly, I don't remember any of the words. Some were illustrated. :-)

PennyLane

Oh, and I nearly forgot. He was working on a third Dirk Gently novel when he died (tragically, at a heart attack at 49 while working out). It was tentatively titled The Salmon of Doubt, and that has been published as a grouping of various articles, speeches, and musings of his, along with what he had so far of his novel. It was actually thought that perhaps it would became the sixth instalment of the series, despite the finality of the ending of the fifth, which is kind of morose. (He said he'd been having a bad year when he wrote that book, and that six seemed like a better number to end with anyway.)
At any rate, cheesy though it sounds, the Salmon of Doubt changed my life. I was seeking religion, and I certainly found it in that book: I'm now happily atheist. And Mozart sounds even better. Read that book. Now.

mike65

Originally posted by PennyLane

At any rate, cheesy though it sounds, the Salmon of Doubt changed my life. I was seeking religion, and I certainly found it in that book: I'm now happily atheist. And Mozart sounds even better. Read that book. Now.

Okay I will, anyone who is converted to athiesm by Douglas Adams is a good judge! I can take or leave Mozart

Mike

Dont be at yourself

Douglas Adams had a huge affect on my life. I probably read Hitchhiker's Guide for the first time when I was 12, and must have reread through them nearly every year since then. He really opened my eyes to a great many things and showed me that there is more to humour than fart jokes and canned laughter.

And that essay on religion really is a fantastic read, it really gives you a new perspective on things.

echomadman

http://www.americanatheist.org/win98-99/T2/silverman.html

yeah old Douglas crystallised my opinions on organised religion a long time ago aswell, good interview on that site, IIRC its reprinted in The Salmon of Doubt aswell