# 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:** 2
**Author:** ![Eonwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eonwe/32/240_2.png) [@Eonwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eonwe)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2003, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hitchikers-guide-to-the-galaxy-i-think-ive-been-whooshed/160394/21 "2003-03-14T21:52:41Z")
I think Douglas Adams’s message/philosophy could be summed up thusly: The universe is a big and scary place, that doesn’t give a hoot about you. But, with a little luck, you still can manage to have a good time. ---
**Author:** ![crinklebat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dec6dc/32.png) [@crinklebat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crinklebat)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2003, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hitchikers-guide-to-the-galaxy-i-think-ive-been-whooshed/160394/22 "2003-03-15T05:57:50Z")
_HGTTG_ is good, and lots of fun to read, but the _Dirk Gently_ books and _Last Chance to See_ are transcendent. I recommend them highly–nay, fervently. ---
**Author:** ![gorillacus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/dfb087/32.png) [@gorillacus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gorillacus)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2003, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hitchikers-guide-to-the-galaxy-i-think-ive-been-whooshed/160394/23 "2003-03-15T06:07:39Z")
nice sum Eonwe, Adams also taught us about the value of a well mixed drink. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2003, 6:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hitchikers-guide-to-the-galaxy-i-think-ive-been-whooshed/160394/24 "2003-03-15T06:54:53Z")
Y’know, in my readings and re-readings of the Hitchhiker books, I never picked up that it was the “mice” who were the ones playing ultra-cricket. Interesting… ---
**Author:** ![betenoir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/258eb7/32.png) [@betenoir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/betenoir)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2003, 7:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hitchikers-guide-to-the-galaxy-i-think-ive-been-whooshed/160394/25 "2003-03-15T07:15:14Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Tree Boy \* > \*\*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? > > \*\* Don’t be silly. He believes the answer to the meaning of life is 42. How much more plainly can he state it? And if you don’t see how something can be a joke (and stay a joke, analysis-repellent) and still be profound…well, if you have to ask, you’ll never know. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Mook](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Mr.Mook](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Mook)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2003, 8:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hitchikers-guide-to-the-galaxy-i-think-ive-been-whooshed/160394/26 "2003-03-15T08:09:27Z")
Further to GrinnaGirla’s post, The Salmon of doubt, being kind of an anthology, gives some insight to the Adams worldview. Not nearly as hilarious as the Guide though. (“He looked at him as if a small but perfectly formed elderberry bush sprang from the bridge of his nose.”) ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2003, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hitchikers-guide-to-the-galaxy-i-think-ive-been-whooshed/160394/27 "2003-03-15T13:37:56Z")
Pick up a copy of the radio broadcasts, as well. You can get them on CD and there _was_ transcripts of them available. They’re slightly different than the books, but just as funny. ---
**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 15, 2003, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hitchikers-guide-to-the-galaxy-i-think-ive-been-whooshed/160394/28 "2003-03-15T14:07:46Z")
And watch some Tom Baker era _Doctor Who_. Douggie boy was a writer for te show at that time. ---
**Author:** ![Fenris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fenris/32/498_2.png) [@Fenris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fenris)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2003, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hitchikers-guide-to-the-galaxy-i-think-ive-been-whooshed/160394/29 "2003-03-15T17:42:10Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by CalMeacham \* > \*\*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 – \*\* Ditto. Both books are great though and while Sheckley’s was (IMO) far better written, Adam’s had a lot more belly laughs. Fenris ---
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2003, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hitchikers-guide-to-the-galaxy-i-think-ive-been-whooshed/160394/30 "2003-03-15T17:51:00Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Tree Boy \* > **My question(s) though, is why this book is regarded as highly insightful/philisophical?** Because he invented the Infinite Improbability Drive, dog gone it! ---
**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 15, 2003, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hitchikers-guide-to-the-galaxy-i-think-ive-been-whooshed/160394/31 "2003-03-15T17:54:49Z")
_AND_ Bistromatics! 😛 ---
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2003, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hitchikers-guide-to-the-galaxy-i-think-ive-been-whooshed/160394/32 "2003-03-15T19:22:53Z")
\ Bistro **math** ics \ ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2003, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hitchikers-guide-to-the-galaxy-i-think-ive-been-whooshed/160394/33 "2003-03-16T00:40:05Z")
Not to get tarred and feathered or anything, but I used to be a very big fan of Douglas Adams. But then I read _Mostly Harmless._ watched the trilogy-in-five-parts come to a crashing close, and downgraded myself to being merely a happy fan. Nowadays I get my very-big-fan-of-British-comedy fix from Terry Pratchett. But the first three HHGTTG books are still major kickass. ---
**Author:** ![Achernar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e274bd/32.png) [@Achernar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Achernar)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2003, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hitchikers-guide-to-the-galaxy-i-think-ive-been-whooshed/160394/34 "2003-03-16T01:05:12Z")
Yeah, I didn’t think the last two were that great either, especially _So Long and Thanks for All the Fish_. But have you read _Dirk Gently_? I heard one reviewer say that it was too much of a rip-off of _Hitchhiker_, with Dirk and Richard echoing Ford and Arthur, respectively. I prefer to think that Adams was having trouble with the characters, so he decided to start anew with them instead of trying to get _Hitchhiker_ right. I think he did an excellent job; _Dirk Gently_ is my favorite book of the last 100 years. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2003, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hitchikers-guide-to-the-galaxy-i-think-ive-been-whooshed/160394/35 "2003-03-16T01:08:31Z")
rjung - just forget that Mostly Harmless ever happened, I know I’m happier that way. As to philosophy - there’s the SEP field, the Total Perspective Vortex, and telling the whole truth. That’s DEEP, man. Can’t remember which books those were in, though. My recommendation to Tree Boy is to finish the trilogy. As a side question, was there ever a decent comic version of HHGG? ---
**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 16, 2003, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hitchikers-guide-to-the-galaxy-i-think-ive-been-whooshed/160394/36 "2003-03-16T01:10:57Z")
I like _The Long Dark Teatime of the Soul_ it’s the second Dirk book. the title comes from the Sunday afternoon problems of Wowbagger The Infinitely Prolonged ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2003, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hitchikers-guide-to-the-galaxy-i-think-ive-been-whooshed/160394/37 "2003-03-16T11:46:07Z")
Just MHO, but I think Adams owes more to A.A. Milne than he might have been willing to admit. ---
**Author:** ![MeanJoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanjoe/32/5693_2.png) [@MeanJoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanJoe)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2003, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hitchikers-guide-to-the-galaxy-i-think-ive-been-whooshed/160394/38 "2003-03-16T11:59:40Z")
I think it can be summed up in 2 words: Mostly harmless. \* _d&R_ \*I can’t believe that is 2 posts within 10 minutes that “mostly harmless” was entirely an appropriate response. ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2003, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hitchikers-guide-to-the-galaxy-i-think-ive-been-whooshed/160394/39 "2003-03-16T14:57:12Z")
I’ve just had my own deep thought… THHGTTG would be even better if it done as a show on the radio :D:D:D ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2003, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hitchikers-guide-to-the-galaxy-i-think-ive-been-whooshed/160394/40 "2003-03-16T20:36:10Z")
I bought a secondhand THHGTTG about three months ago and loved it so much that I bought a compendium with all five books and the short story _Young Zaphod Plays it Safe_ new a month ago. I’m actually sort of regretting it. I still love the original story since it had me busting out laughing every third or fourth page and kept me interested all the way through but _The Restaraunt at the End of the Universe_ and _Life, the Universe and Everything_ have both been much less funny and haven’t kept me nowhere near as engaged. I’m actually considering just putting it down and starting a different book. I barely ever do that. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hitchikers-guide-to-the-galaxy-i-think-ive-been-whooshed/160394.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hitchikers-guide-to-the-galaxy-i-think-ive-been-whooshed/160394.md?page=3)