So Long and Thanks For All the Fish

[LadyHitchhiker]

Oooooooh Douglas Adams...

[DoctorDodge]

I do have a confession to make: although I've listened to the BRILLIANTLY random 1st radio series, I have yet to read the books. Perhaps that's to do with the fact that I've heard the books are very similar to the radio series.

Or perhaps I was feeling just...disillusioned after seeing the god-awful film that had Martin Freeman, Zooey Deyschanel AND the voice of Alan Rickman as the voice of Marvin, which should've made it nothing short of brilliant, and yet the whole movie seemed to get the whole thing...wrong somehow.

Or is that just me?

However, the movie had little to do with Douglas Adams (ironic considering that he wanted to get it made for so long), and everything I've seen and heard are brilliant, so as soon as i've finished the current pile of books I'm reading (and that's quite a big pile, another obstacle in my aim of reading all his great books before I die, as well as reading the other Artemis Fowl books) I'll definitely give them a go!

[sarajean]

waitwaitwait.

you haven't read the books?!

[DoctorDodge]

Well, i'm incredibly slow reader, and the past few years i've been rather distracted by reading as much Stephen King as possible.

Now, obviously, with the big fucking books that he writes, you must admit I do have a SLIGHTLY good reason for not having read the books!

[jayson]

However, the movie had little to do with Douglas Adams (ironic considering that he wanted to get it made for so long)...

well, i have to take some exception here.

though i didn't particularly care for the movie, to say that it had little to do with dna is wholly inaccurate. while not the last writer to touch it, adams was certainly the originator of the screenplay and the creator of many of the changes within. i suppose without comparing and contrasting his final script with the film itself it's hard to tell exactly how much was his, but from all i've read, i got the impression he had a major hand in the development of the script which was shot.

as for the "new" book, i still see it the same way. it may indeed be very entertaining. it may be hilarious. what it will not be is a new h2g2 book. only douglas adams can write one of those. if this book is to use the same characters, it can, at best, be the best fan fiction ever.

[DoctorDodge]

Sorry, I just assumed that after he died and without his brilliant vision the filmmaker's changed what they liked with all of Douglas Adams ideas and thought that was the reason why it didn't quite work (even when they used the awesome theme tune). I was aware that he had been working on a movie adaptation for a very long time, I'm just surprised that he would've been the one who would've made all those changes. I still think the film would've been much better if he was alive to guide the making of it himself.

I think the best way to describe why the film isn't any good is how Joss Whedon described Alien Resurrection, which he himself wrote the script for.

It wasn't a question of doing everything differently, although they changed the ending; it was mostly a matter of doing everything wrong. They said the lines...mostly...but they said them all wrong. And they cast it wrong. And they designed it wrong. And they scored it wrong. They did everything wrong that they could possibly do.

Although maybe I'm putting dna on a pedastal just because he wrote not only one hell of a great radio series, but also wrote two of the best Doctor Who stories ever. And that's saying something!

[sarajean]

Now, obviously, with the big fucking books that he writes, you must admit I do have a SLIGHTLY good reason for not having read the books!

but...all 5 h²g² books can fit in one volume that's only a little over 800 pages (and that's with the additional short story). i'm not...i guess i just don't understand your statement. none of his books were really all that long.

[DoctorDodge]

Now, obviously, with the big fucking books that he writes, you must admit I do have a SLIGHTLY good reason for not having read the books!

but...all 5 h²g² books can fit in one volume that's only a little over 800 pages (and that's with the additional short story). i'm not...i guess i just don't understand your statement. none of his books were really all that long.

I meant spending time on King's books.

[LadyHitchhiker]

I was under the impression that there are a LOT of DNA's writings left out there. What if it's just that, mostly just his writing, with a little finishing off? What if there had been a specific outline that Eoin Colfer followed?

I think Eoin was hired to finish the series because DNA did not like how bleak the series seemed to be ending and so therefore that is why the widow of Sir Adams was allowed to finish the series. Let's just pray it is everything that Douglas Adams would have wanted in it.

No, it won't be a true Douglas Adam's work, but my heart has hope for it.

[Brice]

New Hitchhiker's Guide book coming out on the 12th of this month!

So !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I hope it's great! But regardless, I will buy it and read it.

They can call it what they like, but unless Adams came back to life there will be no new hitchhiker's guide book.

Perhaps, Brice, but look on the bright side: it's written by Eoin Colfer. Now, it's been a while since I read the Artemis Fowl books, but if they're half as brilliant as I remember, I'd say that Colfer is definitely the man to write a new Hitchhiker's book and "gets" Adams brilliantly clever sense of humour.

Not that I'm saying that it would be as good as the original books. Just that it would be one of the funniest books released this year!

Slightly off topic, but if anyone is interested in more Douglas Adams, I'd definitely give the two Doctor Who stories he wrote a watch. The Pirate Planet is hilarious, bold, and brilliantly clever (with Tom Baker), and the City of Death is not only all those things and more, but is also one of the greatest. Who stories. Ever. (With Tom Baker.) If you love Hitchhiker's, you'd also love the only 2 full stories that Douglas wrote for Doctor Who. Trust me on this!

Not having read Colfer I can only say it wouldn't matter to me who wrote it.

[DoctorDodge]

Currently reading the 1st book, and unsurprisingly just as funny as the first radio series. To those who've listened and read both, which is funnier: the original radio series or the novels?

[LadyHitchhiker]

I have never heard the radio series, but am dying to. I have read all the books, I saw the tv series, I watched the movie, I listened to the audio of the first book. But I have failed to be able to get access to the radio series. *sighs*

[DoctorDodge]

Just finished reading the first book. Brilliant, but with it being an adaptation of the first half of the first radio series, I pretty much knew the entire plot beforehand, so there weren't really any surprises. Still, it's been a while since I've listened to the radio series (it's on audio cassette) and unsurprisingly it was an absolute joy to read, so I'll definitely read The Restaurant at the End of the Universe, soon as (a) I have some money and (b) I've finished all the other books in my very, very large pile of novels that i'm currently in the middle of reading.

Well, maybe soon as i've finished one or two books in the pile, anyway!

[candy]

doc, the radio series followed the book very closely so you won't come across any surprises, but i found the book itself to be a little more descriptive than the radio or the bbc series.

Personally i found the books funnier than either of the above, but thats not to say they were not funny in their own right - Unlike the film, but i agree with the statement above - the casting jarred against me, the script was very good, but unfortunatley seemed wrong coming form the people that were cast. But that is also me being very biased as i watched and loved the orignal series
dr who trivia/retaurant of the end of the universe tv adaptions spoiler

Spoiler:

in restuarant at the end of the universe, the cow who offers itself to be eaten is played by peter davidson, who was in the middle of filming his stint as the Dr, as he was married to sandra dickinson he wanted to do a cameo role but the ptb would not let him as he was the Dr, so he filmed as the cow so no one could see it was him

[DoctorDodge]

Yeah, i read about that, candy. Saw the tv series, and you just couldn't recognise him really, could ya? Even if you knew it was him, it was hard to believe it!

[LadyHitchhiker]

Just read the new "Hitchhiker's Guide" book. I thought it was actually pretty good. There were a few times when it really didn't feel like him, but hardly any. The way he wrapped it up I still think there could be a sequel, though!

[rosie real]

stg says to tell you that he finished the new h2g2 book, "...and another thing", last night. his official response is "meh".

perhaps he'll write more when he's not channeling through me, i.e. able to log into the site himself. kthxbai.

[LadyHitchhiker]

Spoiler:

A little too many "guide" interruptions

for my liking.

[LadyHitchhiker]

Happy towel day, friends!

[Brice]

I forgot my towel.

[candy]

i had my towel but forgot it was towel day!

[LadyHitchhiker]

Anyone who likes Dear Douglas Adams may like Tom Holt's Blonde Bombshell. I almost cried it was so good.

[candy]

i love Tom Holt, i have not read that one though

He does remind me an awful lot of DA

[LadyHitchhiker]

Ooooooooooooooooooooooh... so I should like more books of his? Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

[LadyHitchhiker]

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