Douglas Adams, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

Nicola Bowring (The Nottingham Trent University); Bella Martins (The Nottingham Trent University); Jenni Ramone (The Nottingham Trent University)

Ed. by Jenni Ramone, The Nottingham Trent University
The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.2.1.09: English Writing and Culture: Postwar and Contemporary Britain , 1945-present.
Vol. editors: Gina Lyle (University of York), Graham MacPhee (University of Manchester), Kerry Myler (Birmingham Newman University), Jenni Ramone (The Nottingham Trent University)

Dates

First circulation or publication Oct 1979

Places

United Kingdom (Country of Origin; Publication/ performance)

Genres and Modes

Novel

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Douglas Adams was struck with the idea for the title of the sci-fi novel he had been writing when lying drunk in a field in Innsbruck, Austria, gazing at the stars. At the time, he was carrying a travel guide with him titled

The Hitch-hiker’s Guide to Europe

and, as he was staring up at the vast universe, he decided that there should be a

Hitchhiker’s Guide to The Galaxy.

The book became one of the most highly regarded novels in pop culture. Marilette van der Colff describes Adams as a “comic voice with a distinct intellectual character” (2010, 5). This voice also proved successful;

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy

started as a comedy radio show, broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in the 1970s and in response to its popularity on air, it was developed into a novel. After this came a…

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1042 words

Citation: Bowring, Nicola, Bella Martins, Jenni Ramone. "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 05 December 2024 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=41357, accessed 30 December 2024.]

Douglas Adams, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

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