Forty years to the day of its first broadcast, there's a new BBC radio series.
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy deserves a special place in the geek pantheon. It's the story of hapless BBC radio editor Arthur Dent, his best friend Ford Prefect, and the adventures that result when Prefect saves Dent when the Earth is unexpectedly destroyed to make way for a galactic bypass. Written by the late, great Douglas Adams, HHGTTG first appeared as a radio series in the UK back in 1978. On Thursday—exactly 40 years to the day from that first broadcast—it made its return home with the start of Hexagonal Phase, a radio dramatization of the sixth and final book of an increasingly misnamed trilogy.
Source: ArsTechnica
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The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy Returns—With the Original Cast
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(Score: 4, Informative) by wonkey_monkey on Tuesday March 13 2018, @06:18PM (6 children)
It's bit hard to declare this to be a dramatisation of the final book, given that said book was written by someone else several years after Douglas Adams' death.
It's not bad, though. Doesn't quite have that quintessential (or is quandary?) Douglas Adamsness to it, but it's not awful.
systemd is Roko's Basilisk
(Score: 2) by The Archon V2.0 on Tuesday March 13 2018, @06:38PM (1 child)
> Doesn't quite have that quintessential (or is quandary?) Douglas Adamsness to it
Neither did Mostly Harmless, IMO, so that's not exactly a damning review. (Not exactly praise, either.)
(Score: 3, Interesting) by wonkey_monkey on Tuesday March 13 2018, @09:19PM
If I remember correctly, I think Douglas Adams would have agreed.
systemd is Roko's Basilisk
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 13 2018, @07:05PM (1 child)
Do you mean the final book is something almost, but not quite entirely unlike awful?
(Score: 4, Insightful) by Thexalon on Tuesday March 13 2018, @07:20PM
This actually demonstrates perfectly why trying to imitate another writer usually fails. You can reference the original guy's memorable sentences, you can use the same characters, but you still won't quite get the essence of it.
And that happens even when the writer doing the imitating is a good writer, or even a better writer than the person they're trying to imitate. You can't help but write like yourself, no matter how hard you try.
The only thing that stops a bad guy with a compiler is a good guy with a compiler.
(Score: 2) by Hawkwind on Tuesday March 13 2018, @07:49PM
Granted it was an interesting decision to have the sixth book written, but that said here's a vote for it. Loved reading Eoin Colfer's books while my kids were growing up, for many of the same reasons as HHGTTG.
(Score: 2) by kazzie on Wednesday March 14 2018, @06:13AM
It is based on Eoin Colfer's sequel, but the adapter (Dirk Maggs, who also adapted books 3-5 for radio) also included extra bits from Douglas Adams' papers.
(Score: 2, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 13 2018, @07:56PM (9 children)
Some like the New Testament, some like the quoran, some like the Old testament, some like kamasutra, some like mahabharata, some like pali diamond sutra, some like playboy, some like 4chan.
Me? HHGG is the penultimate life guide, augmented with the Big Lebowski.
What, we splitting hairs here?! It's time to admit that you are a god damn fucking moron.
I told you dumbass not to press that big red inviting button, didn't I?! Fucking vogon.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 13 2018, @10:27PM (1 child)
And some realize it is all pointless bullshit, and long for sweet, sweet, death.
(Score: 2, Touché) by khallow on Wednesday March 14 2018, @04:14AM
But apparently not strongly enough to actually kill themselves, I see. Maybe death isn't so sweet, eh?
(Score: 3, Interesting) by bzipitidoo on Tuesday March 13 2018, @10:40PM (3 children)
How about a poll! Which is the best Guide to Life?
1. The Bible/Koran
2. Necronomicon
3. Kama Sutra
4. Lord of the Rings
5. Game of Thrones
6. Atlas Shrugged
7. HHGG
8. Star Trek/Star Wars
9. Foundation, Dune, and/or Ender's Game
10. Ann Landers/Dear Abby
11. Twitter and 4chan
12. Mein Kampf
13. other
Uh, Big Lebowski? Yeah, it's a great movie, but ... that good?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 14 2018, @12:21AM (1 child)
Take it easy, man.
Would you fucking take it easy?!
(Score: 2) by bzipitidoo on Wednesday March 14 2018, @02:31PM
Dang, left the Hippie movement out of the list. Good catch.
14. Summer of Love/Woodstock Festival
(Score: 2) by Webweasel on Wednesday March 14 2018, @11:26AM
Yeah, but that's your opinion man.
Priyom.org Number stations, Russian Military radio. "You are a bad, bad man. Do you have any other virtues?"-Runaway1956
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 14 2018, @12:06AM (1 child)
if HHGG is the penultimate life guide, what do you think is the ultimate life guide?
(Score: 3, Touché) by Bogsnoticus on Wednesday March 14 2018, @12:21AM
Discworld
Genius by birth. Evil by choice.
(Score: 2) by tangomargarine on Wednesday March 14 2018, @03:25PM
Is this some bombardment metaphor, or do you just not know how to spell "canon"? I'm assuming the latter.
"Is that really true?" "I just spent the last hour telling you to think for yourself! Didn't you hear anything I said?"
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 14 2018, @04:44AM (1 child)
Wow, I linked off with all speed to listen to the first episode - SH voices the Guide 2. Then I look on the news and.. Stephen Hawking has just passed away. Shocked.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 14 2018, @06:11AM
Battery... Battery...