# The Late Great Douglas Adams **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 2, 2003, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-late-great-douglas-adams/216435 "2003-12-02T04:32:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![justplainDave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/4bbf92/32.png) [@justplainDave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/justplainDave)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2003, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-late-great-douglas-adams/216435/1 "2003-12-02T04:32:46Z")
Help me out here, can somebody tell me why a novel by one of the greatest humor writers of all time, Douglas Adams is out of print after a mere 15ish years in the first place? I am talking, of course, about Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency. I have been looking for it for about three years now unsuccessfully, because it is out of print in the US. I admit I haven’t hit the used book stores too hard, but since his tragic and untimely death just a few years ago, why has the publishing company not seen fit to rerelease his works, especially since posthumous releases tend to do well, if not at least in tribute to the man himself. Somebody help me out. I have found a used copy, and it should be arriving in the mail soon, but come on, doesn’t anyone else think that his books should have been reprinted since the tragedy? ---
**Author:** ![Earthling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/90db22/32.png) [@Earthling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earthling)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2003, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-late-great-douglas-adams/216435/2 "2003-12-02T04:44:52Z")
Appears that it’s still available in [Britain](http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0330301624/qid=1070340014/sr=2-3/ref=sr_2_3_3/202-2035110-3315006). Ordering from the US to [amazon.co.uk](http://amazon.co.uk) is not a problem, but it’s a moot point since you already have a copy coming. As to why it’s no longer in print stateside, I don’t know. ---
**Author:** ![Briny\_Deep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/briny_deep/32/17188_2.png) [@Briny\_Deep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Briny_Deep)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2003, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-late-great-douglas-adams/216435/3 "2003-12-02T05:10:50Z")
? [http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0671746723/qid=1070341813/sr=1-1/ref=sr\_1\_1/103-4651023-1027027?v=glance&s=books](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0671746723/qid=1070341813/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/103-4651023-1027027?v=glance&s=books) ---
**Author:** ![Helena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c68b51/32.png) [@Helena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helena)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2003, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-late-great-douglas-adams/216435/4 "2003-12-02T05:47:15Z")
I think of Dirk everytime I help someone move furniture, especially when there are stairs involved. ---
**Author:** ![Gmork](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f19dbf/32.png) [@Gmork](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gmork)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2003, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-late-great-douglas-adams/216435/5 "2003-12-02T05:51:58Z")
New copies are still available in some bookstores down here. I was talking to someone the other week about posthumous releases, he said he had read something about there possibly being a re-release of most or all of Adams’ written work after the H2G2 film - should it ever go ahead. If I run into him again soon, I’ll try and get a cite for you. ---
**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:** [December 2, 2003, 8:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-late-great-douglas-adams/216435/6 "2003-12-02T08:51:00Z")
Does that mean that _The Long Dark Teatime of the Soul_ is out of print as well? Those were two wonderful books. They have a permanent place in my home. ---
**Author:** ![Phnord\_Prephect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/df705f/32.png) [@Phnord\_Prephect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phnord_Prephect)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2003, 9:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-late-great-douglas-adams/216435/7 "2003-12-02T09:13:43Z")
I think of Dirk every time I find a horse in my bathroom. ---
**Author:** ![Horseflesh](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horseflesh/32/7502_2.png) [@Horseflesh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horseflesh)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2003, 9:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-late-great-douglas-adams/216435/8 "2003-12-02T09:21:38Z")
I think of Dirk every time I confront a Norse god. ---
**Author:** ![Gadfly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/aeb1de/32.png) [@Gadfly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gadfly)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2003, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-late-great-douglas-adams/216435/9 "2003-12-02T12:29:45Z")
I think of Dirk every time I jump off a pier. ---
**Author:** ![Profane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e47774/32.png) [@Profane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Profane)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2003, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-late-great-douglas-adams/216435/10 "2003-12-02T12:39:04Z")
I think of Dirk every time I get attacked by an eagle. I just reread both those books last week. I know it’s blasphemy, but I like them even more that the HGTG series, and wish he had written more. ---
**Author:** ![Esan\_Nigma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Esan\_Nigma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Esan_Nigma)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2003, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-late-great-douglas-adams/216435/11 "2003-12-02T12:52:15Z")
I think of Dirk everytime I read my horoscope. 😃 Anyone here a member or contributor to [www.h2g2.com](http://www.h2g2.com)? ---
**Author:** ![Fretful\_Porpentine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fretful_porpentine/32/2873_2.png) [@Fretful\_Porpentine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fretful_Porpentine)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2003, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-late-great-douglas-adams/216435/12 "2003-12-02T14:27:42Z")
Am I right in thinking my own favorite Adams book, _Last Chance to See_, is also out of print? A great shame if it is. And I like the Dirk Gently books, especially the first one, better than HGTG. If that’s blasphemy, so be it. ---
**Author:** ![Frank\_2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8c91f0/32.png) [@Frank\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank_2)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2003, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-late-great-douglas-adams/216435/13 "2003-12-02T14:44:35Z")
I think of Dirk everytime I’m following a car. ---
**Author:** ![slortar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6bbea6/32.png) [@slortar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slortar)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2003, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-late-great-douglas-adams/216435/14 "2003-12-02T15:00:05Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by LunaSea \* > \*\*I think of Dirk every time I get attacked by an eagle. > I just reread both those books last week. I know it’s blasphemy, but I like them even more that the HGTG series, and wish he had written more. \*\* I agree. They just always felt more tightly plotted than HGTG. And more consistently funny. ---
**Author:** ![Selkie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbce88/32.png) [@Selkie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Selkie)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2003, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-late-great-douglas-adams/216435/15 "2003-12-02T15:07:18Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Fretful Porpentine \* > \*\*Am I right in thinking my own favorite Adams book, _Last Chance to See_, is also out of print? A great shame if it is. > \*\* Even the suggestion that _:ast Chance to See_ was out of print caused me to panic, but a quick check over at [Amazon.com](http://Amazon.com) indicates it’s still in print. Whew. My favorite Adams book, too. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![SmackFu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@SmackFu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmackFu)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2003, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-late-great-douglas-adams/216435/16 "2003-12-02T15:18:41Z")
So is anything actually out of print here? ---
**Author:** ![Cliffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cliffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cliffy)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2003, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-late-great-douglas-adams/216435/17 "2003-12-02T19:32:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Frank #2 \* > \*\*I think of Dirk everytime I’m following a car. \*\* Teacher! **Frank #2** stole mine. Back when I was unemployed and had a lot of time on my hands I used to use Dirk’s Zen driving method all the time. I found more than a few used bookstores that way – they often tend to be hidden in run-down strip malls that are off the beaten path and which you’d never find if you weren’t following some lady in a station wagon with a full load of girls on their way to soccer practice. –Cliffy ---
**Author:** ![SmackFu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@SmackFu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmackFu)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2003, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-late-great-douglas-adams/216435/18 "2003-12-02T20:37:52Z")
That is the BEST way to get unlost. Around here, everyone is either going to a highway or going home. So 50/50 chance of getting the good outcome, which will let me use my precious map for the remainder of the trip. ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2003, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-late-great-douglas-adams/216435/19 "2003-12-02T20:48:35Z")
Just to be contrarian… I think of Ford every time I look for a towel. ---
**Author:** ![smoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@smoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smoke)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2003, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-late-great-douglas-adams/216435/20 "2003-12-02T21:53:52Z")
I think of Dirk every time I eat someone else’s biscuits. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-late-great-douglas-adams/216435.md?page=2)