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.
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.
nice sum Eonwe,
Adams also taught us about the value of a well mixed drink.
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…
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.
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.”)
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.
And watch some Tom Baker era Doctor Who. Douggie boy was a writer for te show at that time.
Ditto.
Both books are great though and while Sheckley’s was (IMO) far better written, Adam’s had a lot more belly laughs.
Fenris
Because he invented the Infinite Improbability Drive, dog gone it!
AND Bistromatics!
<nitpick>
Bistromathics
</nitpick>
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.
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. 
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?
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
Just MHO, but I think Adams owes more to A.A. Milne than he might have been willing to admit.
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.
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
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.