| conceptual fiction |
| The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams |
| Reviewed by Ted Gioia |
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The New Canon
Great literary works published
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Reviews of current books
Postmodern Mystery
Experimental works of
mystery & suspense
There are many reasons why the arbiters of literary taste have
never warmed up to science fiction. But one of the most obvious
is the overwrought heroic ambitions of the typical sci-fi story.
The protagonists of these works are inevitably involved
in grand endeavors of galactic proportions, and no matter how
remarkable the project at hand—whether the conquest of space
or time or aliens with rad weapons—the
"mission accomplished" banner is ready
to be raised high in the last chapter. Put
simply, subtlety and nuance don’t have
much of a role to play in these tales.
Needless to say, heroic enterprises of
this sort fell out of fashion long ago in the
world of literary fiction, or exist merely to
be derided and toppled. Yet, oddly
enough, even science fiction fans have
lately grown weary with grandiose
schemes and nebula-shaking theatrics.
Call it the post-Star Wars burnout, if you
will. I don’t attribute this to any greater
sophistication among readers—far from
it—or to a greater sophistication among writers either, but rather
to obvious changes in science and technology in modern times.
During the golden age of science fiction, the most exciting
scientific advances were linked to large-scale government
programs—the space race, the Manhattan project, the Project
Blue Book inquiry into UFOs, etc.—and as a result the sci-fi
stories of the day adopted similar pretensions. In more recent
times, the most noticeable advances in technology have taken
place in the world of consumer electronics—in science that can
be consumed at home, so to speak—and this has been
accompanied by a comparable shift in genre fiction. Science
fiction of our current day is increasingly anti-heroic, even
somewhat anarchic and counter-culture in its pretensions.
No book better epitomizes the post-heroic tone of sci-fi than
Douglas Adams’ The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. As the
name indicates, a certain louche bohemianism permeates its
pages. This is star-hopping on the cheap, pursued by those
aiming not to conquer the universe, but merely sample its riches
on fewer than thirty Altairian dollars per day. You can trace the
lineage of many later science fictions books, with their hip and
irreverent tone, back to this influential and much beloved
predecessor.
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy is very much a product of
its author’s unusual background—while other sci-fi writers
apprenticed as contributors to pulp fiction magazines, Adams
learned his craft writing and performing comedy (most notably
as part of Monty Python), working in television and radio, and
taking on a host of quirky jobs (bodyguard, porter, chicken shed
cleaner, etc.). In fact,The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
started out as a radio comedy series broadcast on BBC Radio
in 1978. This uncharacteristic background makes itself felt
throughout Adams’ fiction: in the lithe, sprightly tone of the
prose, in the rapid pace of the narrative, and above all in the
author's taste for the bizarre and outré. Almost every aspect of
the novel—plot, character, setting, style—is subservient to
Adams's comic intent.
But if The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy signaled the birth of
low-key, antiheroic science fiction, don’t jump to the conclusion
that large scale events of interstellar importance don’t take place
in its pages. Au contraire! When was the last time you read a
novel in which the planet of earth was destroyed in an early
chapter? Give the man his due: Adams is not afraid to leave a
trail of galactic debris in his wake as he transports his characters
from nebula to nebula.
The sudden vaporization of Mother Earth is far from the only
improbable plot twist in this book. Whales fly through outer
space, and the mystery of life is solved, more or less. Readers
are also presented with a spaceship that is propelled by an
ultra-high-tech improbability drive—with predictable (or perhaps
I should say unpredictable) results. Suffice it to say that even
Dickens would have complained about the unlikely coincidences
that occur every twenty pages or so during the course of The
Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.
Character development is not Adams’ strong suit here (but he
got more adept at it over time—check out Dirk Gently’s Holistic
Detective Agency for a more controlled and personality-driven
narrative). Ford Prefect, our lovable alien from Betelgeuse in
the constellation of Orion, is a freelance contributor to a popular
guide for galactic hitchhikers. After a regrettably long stopover
on the third planet from our own sun, Prefect thumbs a ride on a
Vogon spaceship—just in time to avoid a painful practical lesson
in eschatology—and brings along earthling buddy Arthur Dent.
No, they won’t make readers forget Sal Paradise and Dean
Moriarty anytime soon, even if the hapless duo somehow
\manages to cover Kerouacian on-the-road distances in a few
milliseconds. But in terms of offering quips and set-up lines for
cunning rejoinders, Dent and Prefect can’t be beat even by the
Beats.
Before you reach the end of the novel, you will have encountered
many unexpected things, not just our flying whale but also a
bipolar robot, mice who experiment on scientists, a planet where
they make other planets, and the worst poetry in the universe.
Whenever the story line seems about to falter—which is regular
occurrence in these chapters—Adams just pushes forward, and
usually saves the day with the sheer extravagance of his
imagination. Okay, the whale notwithstanding, this is not Moby
Dick, but in the history of speculative fiction, Adams’ immensely
popular novel stands out as a breath of fresh air, and redefined
the genre in ways that are still felt today. And, yes, all on fewer
than thirty Altairian dollars per day.
never warmed up to science fiction. But one of the most obvious
is the overwrought heroic ambitions of the typical sci-fi story.
The protagonists of these works are inevitably involved
in grand endeavors of galactic proportions, and no matter how
remarkable the project at hand—whether the conquest of space
or time or aliens with rad weapons—the
"mission accomplished" banner is ready
to be raised high in the last chapter. Put
simply, subtlety and nuance don’t have
much of a role to play in these tales.
Needless to say, heroic enterprises of
this sort fell out of fashion long ago in the
world of literary fiction, or exist merely to
be derided and toppled. Yet, oddly
enough, even science fiction fans have
lately grown weary with grandiose
schemes and nebula-shaking theatrics.
Call it the post-Star Wars burnout, if you
will. I don’t attribute this to any greater
sophistication among readers—far from
it—or to a greater sophistication among writers either, but rather
to obvious changes in science and technology in modern times.
During the golden age of science fiction, the most exciting
scientific advances were linked to large-scale government
programs—the space race, the Manhattan project, the Project
Blue Book inquiry into UFOs, etc.—and as a result the sci-fi
stories of the day adopted similar pretensions. In more recent
times, the most noticeable advances in technology have taken
place in the world of consumer electronics—in science that can
be consumed at home, so to speak—and this has been
accompanied by a comparable shift in genre fiction. Science
fiction of our current day is increasingly anti-heroic, even
somewhat anarchic and counter-culture in its pretensions.
No book better epitomizes the post-heroic tone of sci-fi than
Douglas Adams’ The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. As the
name indicates, a certain louche bohemianism permeates its
pages. This is star-hopping on the cheap, pursued by those
aiming not to conquer the universe, but merely sample its riches
on fewer than thirty Altairian dollars per day. You can trace the
lineage of many later science fictions books, with their hip and
irreverent tone, back to this influential and much beloved
predecessor.
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy is very much a product of
its author’s unusual background—while other sci-fi writers
apprenticed as contributors to pulp fiction magazines, Adams
learned his craft writing and performing comedy (most notably
as part of Monty Python), working in television and radio, and
taking on a host of quirky jobs (bodyguard, porter, chicken shed
cleaner, etc.). In fact,The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
started out as a radio comedy series broadcast on BBC Radio
in 1978. This uncharacteristic background makes itself felt
throughout Adams’ fiction: in the lithe, sprightly tone of the
prose, in the rapid pace of the narrative, and above all in the
author's taste for the bizarre and outré. Almost every aspect of
the novel—plot, character, setting, style—is subservient to
Adams's comic intent.
But if The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy signaled the birth of
low-key, antiheroic science fiction, don’t jump to the conclusion
that large scale events of interstellar importance don’t take place
in its pages. Au contraire! When was the last time you read a
novel in which the planet of earth was destroyed in an early
chapter? Give the man his due: Adams is not afraid to leave a
trail of galactic debris in his wake as he transports his characters
from nebula to nebula.
The sudden vaporization of Mother Earth is far from the only
improbable plot twist in this book. Whales fly through outer
space, and the mystery of life is solved, more or less. Readers
are also presented with a spaceship that is propelled by an
ultra-high-tech improbability drive—with predictable (or perhaps
I should say unpredictable) results. Suffice it to say that even
Dickens would have complained about the unlikely coincidences
that occur every twenty pages or so during the course of The
Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.
Character development is not Adams’ strong suit here (but he
got more adept at it over time—check out Dirk Gently’s Holistic
Detective Agency for a more controlled and personality-driven
narrative). Ford Prefect, our lovable alien from Betelgeuse in
the constellation of Orion, is a freelance contributor to a popular
guide for galactic hitchhikers. After a regrettably long stopover
on the third planet from our own sun, Prefect thumbs a ride on a
Vogon spaceship—just in time to avoid a painful practical lesson
in eschatology—and brings along earthling buddy Arthur Dent.
No, they won’t make readers forget Sal Paradise and Dean
Moriarty anytime soon, even if the hapless duo somehow
\manages to cover Kerouacian on-the-road distances in a few
milliseconds. But in terms of offering quips and set-up lines for
cunning rejoinders, Dent and Prefect can’t be beat even by the
Beats.
Before you reach the end of the novel, you will have encountered
many unexpected things, not just our flying whale but also a
bipolar robot, mice who experiment on scientists, a planet where
they make other planets, and the worst poetry in the universe.
Whenever the story line seems about to falter—which is regular
occurrence in these chapters—Adams just pushes forward, and
usually saves the day with the sheer extravagance of his
imagination. Okay, the whale notwithstanding, this is not Moby
Dick, but in the history of speculative fiction, Adams’ immensely
popular novel stands out as a breath of fresh air, and redefined
the genre in ways that are still felt today. And, yes, all on fewer
than thirty Altairian dollars per day.
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Conceptual Fiction:
A Reading List
(with links to reviews)
Home Page
Abbott, Edwin A.
Flatland
Adams, Douglas
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Allende, Isabel
The House of the Spirits
Amis, Martin
Time's Arrow
Asimov, Isaac
The Foundation Trilogy
Asimov, Isaac
I, Robot
Atwood, Margaret
The Handmaid's Tale
Banks, Iain M.
The State of the Art
Ballard, J.G.
Crash
Ballard, J.G.
The Crystal World
Bester, Alfred
The Demolished Man
Bradbury, Ray
Dandelion Wine
Bradbury, Ray
Fahrenheit 451
Bradbury, Ray
The Illustrated Man
Bradbury, Ray
The Martian Chronicles
Bradbury, Ray
Something Wicked This Way Comes
Burgess, Anthony
A Clockwork Orange
Card, Orson Scott
Ender's Game
Chabon, Michael
The Yiddish Policemen's Union
Chiang, Ted
Stories of Your Life and Others
Clarke, Arthur C.
Childhood's End
Clarke, Arthur C.
A Fall of Moondust
Clarke, Arthur C.
2001: A Space Odyssey
Clarke, Susanna
Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell
Danielewski, Mark Z.
House of Leaves
Dick, Philip K.
Flow My Tears, the Policeman Said
Dick, Philip K.
The Man in the High Castle
Dick, Philip K.
Ubik
Doctorow, Cory
Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom
Gaiman, Neil
American Gods
Gibson, William
Burning Chrome
Gibson, William
Neuromancer
Grass, Günter
The Tin Drum
Haldeman, Joe
The Forever War
Hall, Steven
The Raw Shark Texts
Harrison, M. John
Light
Heinlein, Robert
The Moon is a Harsh Mistress
Heinlein, Robert:
Stranger in a Strange Land
Heinlein, Robert
Time Enough for Love
Herbert, Frank
Dune
Huxley, Aldous
Brave New World
Le Guin, Ursula K.
The Lathe of Heaven
Le Guin, Ursula K.
The Left Hand of Darkness
Leiber, Fritz
The Big Time
Leiber, Fritz
Conjure Wife
Leiber, Fritz
Swords & Deviltry
Leiber, Fritz
The Wanderer
Lem, Stanislaw
His Master's Voice
Lem, Stanislaw
Solaris
Lethem, Jonathan
The Fortress of Solitude
Lewis, C. S.
The Chronicles of Narnia
Link, Kelly
Magic for Beginners
Márquez, Gabriel García
100 Years of Solitude
McCarthy, Cormac
The Road
Miéville, China
Perdido Street Station
Miller, Jr., Walter M.
A Canticle for Leibowitz
Mitchell, David
Cloud Atlas
Niffenegger, Audrey
The Time Traveler's Wife
Niven, Larry
Ringworld
Noon, Jeff
Vurt
Okri, Ben
The Famished Road
Pohl, Frederik
Gateway
Pynchon, Thomas
Gravity's Rainbow
Robinson, Kim Stanley
Red Mars
Rowling, J.K.
Harry Potter & the Sorcerer's Stone
Rushdie, Salman
Midnight's Children
Saramago, José
Blindness
Shelley, Mary
Frankenstein
Silverberg, Robert
Dying Inside
Silverberg, Robert
Nightwings
Simak, Clifford
City
Simak, Clifford
The Trouble with Tycho
Smith, Cordwainer
Norstrilia
Smith, Cordwainer
The Rediscovery of Man
Stephenson, Neal
Snow Crash
Stross, Charles
Glasshouse
Sturgeon, Theodore
More Than Human
Sturgeon, Theodore
Some of Your Blood
Updike, John
The Witches of Eastwick
Van Vogt, A.E.
The World of Null A
Verne, Jules:
Around the Moon
Verne, Jules:
From the Earth to the Moon
Verne, Jules:
Journey to the Center of the Earth
Wallace, David Foster
Infinite Jest
Wells, H.G.
The First Men in the Moon
Wells, H.G.
The Island of Dr. Moreau
Wells, H.G.
The Time Machine
Zelazny, Roger
Lord of Light
Special Features
Notes on Conceptual Fiction
Ray Bradbury: A Tribute
Remembering Fritz Leiber
Curse You, Neil Armstrong!
Robert Heinlein at 100
Links to related sites
The New Canon
Great Books Guide
Postmodern Mystery
Ted Gioia's web site
SF Site
io9
Graeme's Fantasy Book Review
Los Angeles Review of Books
Jospeh Peschel
The Misread City
Reviews and Responses
SF Signal
True Science Fiction
Disclosure: Conceptual Fiction and its
sister sites may receive review copies
and promotional materials from
publishers, authors, publicists or other
parties.
www.twitter.com/tedgioia
Conceptual Fiction:
A Reading List
(with links to reviews)
Home Page
Abbott, Edwin A.
Flatland
Adams, Douglas
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Allende, Isabel
The House of the Spirits
Amis, Martin
Time's Arrow
Asimov, Isaac
The Foundation Trilogy
Asimov, Isaac
I, Robot
Atwood, Margaret
The Handmaid's Tale
Banks, Iain M.
The State of the Art
Ballard, J.G.
Crash
Ballard, J.G.
The Crystal World
Bester, Alfred
The Demolished Man
Bradbury, Ray
Dandelion Wine
Bradbury, Ray
Fahrenheit 451
Bradbury, Ray
The Illustrated Man
Bradbury, Ray
The Martian Chronicles
Bradbury, Ray
Something Wicked This Way Comes
Burgess, Anthony
A Clockwork Orange
Card, Orson Scott
Ender's Game
Chabon, Michael
The Yiddish Policemen's Union
Chiang, Ted
Stories of Your Life and Others
Clarke, Arthur C.
Childhood's End
Clarke, Arthur C.
A Fall of Moondust
Clarke, Arthur C.
2001: A Space Odyssey
Clarke, Susanna
Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell
Danielewski, Mark Z.
House of Leaves
Dick, Philip K.
Flow My Tears, the Policeman Said
Dick, Philip K.
The Man in the High Castle
Dick, Philip K.
Ubik
Doctorow, Cory
Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom
Gaiman, Neil
American Gods
Gibson, William
Burning Chrome
Gibson, William
Neuromancer
Grass, Günter
The Tin Drum
Haldeman, Joe
The Forever War
Hall, Steven
The Raw Shark Texts
Harrison, M. John
Light
Heinlein, Robert
The Moon is a Harsh Mistress
Heinlein, Robert:
Stranger in a Strange Land
Heinlein, Robert
Time Enough for Love
Herbert, Frank
Dune
Huxley, Aldous
Brave New World
Le Guin, Ursula K.
The Lathe of Heaven
Le Guin, Ursula K.
The Left Hand of Darkness
Leiber, Fritz
The Big Time
Leiber, Fritz
Conjure Wife
Leiber, Fritz
Swords & Deviltry
Leiber, Fritz
The Wanderer
Lem, Stanislaw
His Master's Voice
Lem, Stanislaw
Solaris
Lethem, Jonathan
The Fortress of Solitude
Lewis, C. S.
The Chronicles of Narnia
Link, Kelly
Magic for Beginners
Márquez, Gabriel García
100 Years of Solitude
McCarthy, Cormac
The Road
Miéville, China
Perdido Street Station
Miller, Jr., Walter M.
A Canticle for Leibowitz
Mitchell, David
Cloud Atlas
Niffenegger, Audrey
The Time Traveler's Wife
Niven, Larry
Ringworld
Noon, Jeff
Vurt
Okri, Ben
The Famished Road
Pohl, Frederik
Gateway
Pynchon, Thomas
Gravity's Rainbow
Robinson, Kim Stanley
Red Mars
Rowling, J.K.
Harry Potter & the Sorcerer's Stone
Rushdie, Salman
Midnight's Children
Saramago, José
Blindness
Shelley, Mary
Frankenstein
Silverberg, Robert
Dying Inside
Silverberg, Robert
Nightwings
Simak, Clifford
City
Simak, Clifford
The Trouble with Tycho
Smith, Cordwainer
Norstrilia
Smith, Cordwainer
The Rediscovery of Man
Stephenson, Neal
Snow Crash
Stross, Charles
Glasshouse
Sturgeon, Theodore
More Than Human
Sturgeon, Theodore
Some of Your Blood
Updike, John
The Witches of Eastwick
Van Vogt, A.E.
The World of Null A
Verne, Jules:
Around the Moon
Verne, Jules:
From the Earth to the Moon
Verne, Jules:
Journey to the Center of the Earth
Wallace, David Foster
Infinite Jest
Wells, H.G.
The First Men in the Moon
Wells, H.G.
The Island of Dr. Moreau
Wells, H.G.
The Time Machine
Zelazny, Roger
Lord of Light
Special Features
Notes on Conceptual Fiction
Ray Bradbury: A Tribute
Remembering Fritz Leiber
Curse You, Neil Armstrong!
Robert Heinlein at 100
Links to related sites
The New Canon
Great Books Guide
Postmodern Mystery
Ted Gioia's web site
SF Site
io9
Graeme's Fantasy Book Review
Los Angeles Review of Books
Jospeh Peschel
The Misread City
Reviews and Responses
SF Signal
True Science Fiction
Disclosure: Conceptual Fiction and its
sister sites may receive review copies
and promotional materials from
publishers, authors, publicists or other
parties.