# Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy; I think I've been "whooshed" **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 10, 2003, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hitchikers-guide-to-the-galaxy-i-think-ive-been-whooshed/160394 "2003-03-10T20:30:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Tree\_Boy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9dc877/32.png) [@Tree\_Boy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tree_Boy)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2003, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hitchikers-guide-to-the-galaxy-i-think-ive-been-whooshed/160394/1 "2003-03-10T20:30:13Z")
_ **Spoliers ahead** _ Ok, so after seeing so many Dopers speak glowingly about this little story, I decided to read it. I was quite amused, laughed out loud a few times and thought it worthwhile enough that I am about to go check out The Restaurant at the End of the Universe. My question(s) though, is why this book is regarded as highly insightful/philisophical? From what I can gather, this Adams’ fellow was an animal rights activist (evident by his “deforestation” method of destroying Earth, claiming chimps and mice were doing the experiments on us etc.) and that he had some pretty strong opinons about our cultural values/capitalism and so on. Now, what I don’t get is exactly what his opinion of those traits are. Is his view typical of Brits or is the fact that he is British not a factor at all? Is he taking jabs at Americans or Earthlings in general? Am I too young (Im 23) or naive or not cynical enough or just plain too lazy to decipher his metaphors to find the answers to these questions? I did put a lot of thought into the way he dealt with the age old question of “What is the meaning of life” and I concluded that he believes the search for the answer is not as important as the search for the motivation for such a question. Sort of the “it is the journey, not the destination” that counts philosophy. Anyone else get this from Adams? So please, any Dopers who feel they are intimately in tune with the underpinnings and agendas that make up this great story, share your insights with me. ---
**Author:** ![beajerry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@beajerry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beajerry)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2003, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hitchikers-guide-to-the-galaxy-i-think-ive-been-whooshed/160394/2 "2003-03-10T20:38:50Z")
Don’t try to make too much of it or you’ll ruin it. It’s just good humorous writing. Enjoy it. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2003, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hitchikers-guide-to-the-galaxy-i-think-ive-been-whooshed/160394/3 "2003-03-10T20:41:51Z")
As the great philosopher once said, “It’s a joke, son.” Adams did a lot of things solely for laughs. The idea that the mice are performing experiments isn’t animal rights; it’s a venerable type of gag known as “The Old Switcheroo.” It’s not a metaphor for anything, and it’s no more philosophical than “The Philosopher’s Song” in Monty Python. Adams’s philosophical underpinning is simple: make it funny. Trying to read anything more is an exercise in futility and narcissism. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2003, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hitchikers-guide-to-the-galaxy-i-think-ive-been-whooshed/160394/4 "2003-03-10T20:47:09Z")
It’s just supposed to be funny – it’s not deep. Some of us feel that Adams took a great deal from Robert Sheckley’s book **Dimension of Miracles** to make THHGTTG – it, too, features an earthman who has been whisked off the planet and tries to find his way among the inghabited worlds, being menaced, accompanied by weird folks who are only marginally concerned with his welfare, and stumbling across a world builder in the process. ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2003, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hitchikers-guide-to-the-galaxy-i-think-ive-been-whooshed/160394/5 "2003-03-10T21:23:59Z")
As the others have said: Douglas Adams’s fiction books aren’t meant to be philosphical or political statements. They’re just absurdist humor, and a great example thereof. ---
**Author:** ![Sauron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce7236/32.png) [@Sauron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sauron)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2003, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hitchikers-guide-to-the-galaxy-i-think-ive-been-whooshed/160394/6 "2003-03-10T21:47:21Z")
Well, except for that part about explaining why we’re all here. Adams was serious about that, and he got it right, too. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2003, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hitchikers-guide-to-the-galaxy-i-think-ive-been-whooshed/160394/7 "2003-03-10T22:05:47Z")
And to clarify, are not the “mice” actually pan-dimensional beings whose extrusions into our reality are merely perceived as mice? ---
**Author:** ![kasuo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8c91f0/32.png) [@kasuo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kasuo)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2003, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hitchikers-guide-to-the-galaxy-i-think-ive-been-whooshed/160394/8 "2003-03-10T22:09:51Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Otto \* > \*\*And to clarify, are not the “mice” actually pan-dimensional beings whose extrusions into our reality are merely perceived as mice? \*\* Yeah, and I think they enjoy playing Brocking Ultra-Cricket. Hmm… I feel like playing that now… ::hits neighbor and runs:: ---
**Author:** ![Moe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moe/32/2972_2.png) [@Moe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moe)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2003, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hitchikers-guide-to-the-galaxy-i-think-ive-been-whooshed/160394/9 "2003-03-10T22:23:33Z")
I don’t think you’ve been whooshed. Basically he’s poking fun at the futility of trying to figure out the meaning of life. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2003, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hitchikers-guide-to-the-galaxy-i-think-ive-been-whooshed/160394/10 "2003-03-10T22:28:15Z")
**Tree Boy** : if you like the novel, you should the old interactive fiction game from Infocom. Sorry, I can’t link to a site where it’s avilalable, that could be considered promoting a violation of copyright. ---
**Author:** ![Wearia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/13edae/32.png) [@Wearia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wearia)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2003, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hitchikers-guide-to-the-galaxy-i-think-ive-been-whooshed/160394/11 "2003-03-10T23:36:46Z")
[The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy Game](http://www.douglasadams.com/creations/infocomjava.html) ---
**Author:** ![Wearia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/13edae/32.png) [@Wearia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wearia)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2003, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hitchikers-guide-to-the-galaxy-i-think-ive-been-whooshed/160394/12 "2003-03-10T23:55:05Z")
Oh, forgot to add that since its on the official site I doubt this copy is in violation of the copyright. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2003, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hitchikers-guide-to-the-galaxy-i-think-ive-been-whooshed/160394/13 "2003-03-11T00:39:32Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Otto \* > \*\*And to clarify, are not the “mice” actually pan-dimensional beings whose extrusions into our reality are merely perceived as mice? \*\* They really are particularly clever hyper intelligent pan dimensional beings. There is a theory which states that if ever anyone discovers exactly what the Universe is and why it is here, it will instantly disappear and be replaced by something even more bizzarre and inexplicable. There is another which states that his has already happened. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![GrinnaGirla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@GrinnaGirla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrinnaGirla)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2003, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hitchikers-guide-to-the-galaxy-i-think-ive-been-whooshed/160394/14 "2003-03-11T01:47:24Z")
I have loved all of Adams’ novels, Hitchhiker’s Guide and the Dirk Gently novels and so on. If you haven’t yet, read _The Salmon of Doubt_. It was published mid last year, about a year after he passed away. It is well worth the read! It is not one book, but a compilation of stuff he had written over the years for magazines, interviews and stuff of that sort. ---
**Author:** ![Avalonian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ee7513/32.png) [@Avalonian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Avalonian)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2003, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hitchikers-guide-to-the-galaxy-i-think-ive-been-whooshed/160394/15 "2003-03-11T06:20:59Z")
I re-read the Hitchhiker’s series after Adams died, and loved it yet again. I’ve recommended it to many friends. Perhaps my favorite story of reading it happened to one such friend… she was playing bassoon in an orchestra practice session, and reading in the long pauses between her parts. At one point, she forgot to control her laughter and burst out laughing in the middle of the performance. Can’t do much better than that. 🙂 And **Wearia** , thank you for finding that link! I didn’t know the old Infocom game was available online! ---
**Author:** ![irishgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@irishgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/irishgirl)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2003, 11:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hitchikers-guide-to-the-galaxy-i-think-ive-been-whooshed/160394/16 "2003-03-11T11:27:45Z")
Tree Boy, as long as you have a towel handy and don’t panic, everything will be ok. ---
**Author:** ![gex\_gex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/94ad74/32.png) [@gex\_gex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gex_gex)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2003, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hitchikers-guide-to-the-galaxy-i-think-ive-been-whooshed/160394/17 "2003-03-11T11:59:19Z")
> [@](#): > > _originally posted by RealityChuck_ > Adams did a lot of things solely for laughs. The idea that the mice are performing experiments isn’t animal rights; it’s a venerable type of gag known as “The Old Switcheroo.” It’s not a metaphor for anything, and it’s no more philosophical than “The Philosopher’s Song” in Monty Python. This is for the most part true, but _Salmon of a Doubt_ shows that Douglas Adams was quite concerned about the environment and animal rights (though, I feel, in a more environmental way rather than a “animals are people too!” way). ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2003, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hitchikers-guide-to-the-galaxy-i-think-ive-been-whooshed/160394/18 "2003-03-11T12:18:05Z")
Adams has written at least one serious book, _Last Chance to See_, which is a collection of writings about endangered species and such. It’s also very funny in places. Highly reccomended. ---
**Author:** ![mallocks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f4b2a3/32.png) [@mallocks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mallocks)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2003, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hitchikers-guide-to-the-galaxy-i-think-ive-been-whooshed/160394/19 "2003-03-11T13:32:52Z")
I liked the HHGTTG series, although I think they got less inspired towards the end… and I agree with cmkeller, I don’t think we should try and put meanings on his work, it’s just fun 😃 ---
**Author:** ![ElwoodCuse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/edb3f5/32.png) [@ElwoodCuse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElwoodCuse)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2003, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hitchikers-guide-to-the-galaxy-i-think-ive-been-whooshed/160394/20 "2003-03-14T19:45:38Z")
The part about man using the Babel Fish to disprove God is probably based somewhat on DNA’s own beliefs and experiences–he was pretty outspoken about being an atheist. TSOD has an interview from an atheist magazine with him republished in it. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hitchikers-guide-to-the-galaxy-i-think-ive-been-whooshed/160394.md?page=2)