Arthur wakes up one day to find that his house is going to be demolished to make room for a freeway. Little does he know that massive galactic bulldozers are making their way toward earth to destroy it to make room for an intergalactic freeway.
Luckily, Arthur’s friend happens to be a hitchhiking alien who had been stranded on Earth for the last fifteen years. Arthur and Ford Prefect hitch a ride with the not-so-friendly Vogon on his galactic bulldozer and the story of the Galaxy begins.
This is a lively, witty book with a refreshingly cynical look at all of mankind. No wonder Hitchhiker’s has a cult following–this book is amazing!
Who can deny the power of a book that contains this description of the President of the Galaxy: “He is apparently chosen by the government, but the qualities he is required to display are not those of leadership but htose of finely judged outrage….His job is not to wield power but to draw attention away from it.” This book is a must read.
Rating: 5 stars
Category:Quirky Science Fiction
Synopsis:Arthur Dent unwittingly sticks out his thumb for the Hitchhiking ride of his life. Witty and engaging, this book explores the secrets of the Universe (such as who really runs the Galaxy, what the dolphins are really saying, and the exact improbability of Arthur and Ford Prefect running into Zaphod Beeblebrox and Trillian in the twenty-nine seconds before they die of lack of oxygen after being ejected from the Vogon’s spaceship.)
Recommendation: More Monty Python than Science Fiction, Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy more than deserves its acclaim. Even science fiction haters (like myself) will love this book.