The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy

Best space book ever. Douglas Adams was a genius.

Preview of the film on the Sunday Times DVD today.

Hope they've done it justice.

Early reports suggest they have

Good news - Stephen Fry sounds great as the guide.

I've got the original series on VHS I think.

It was ace, as is RED DWARF

Juliette Binoche wrote: It was ace, as is RED DWARF

How is your personality crisis going, Juliette?

I should never have had the Mushroom tea

Juliette Binoche wrote: I should never have had the Mushroom tea

Oh dear, it's going to be a long night!

Not as long as LSD Tea.

I have a question. Outside the book itself, I have seen references to Arthur wearing a dressing gown at the beginning of the book, but I don't see any actual reference to it in the book. Does this come from the TV series? Or did I miss some mention in the book?

I have never noticed this, Patrick. It's quite a revelation to me.

I feel sure that there must references to the dressing gown later in the trilogy, but cannot be sure.

Certianly in the TV series, film and folklore Arthur Dent dresses only in a dressing gown.

It hadn't occurred to me that one was meant to imagine him in a dressing gown throughout. I may need to reread the book with that image in mind.

I do not have a copy of the book to hand.

The more I think about it, the more I am becoming convinced that the garment is mentioned at some point; either when he gets out of bed, is hypnotised and taken to the pub or returns from the pub and lies in front of the excavator.

Perhaps, however, you are correct. The reader may be required to imagine that Arthur has not risen from his bed fully clothed and surmised that some form of nightwear is being worn. The continuous nature of the narrative from that point until the destruction of the earth, and therefore of Arthurs complete wardrobe, should tell the reader all he needs to know.

Please let me know, you have raised my interest.

I was particularly looking for some reference the second time I read it because the appendix on the making of the movie referred to it. At least up to the point where he's lying in front of the bulldozer I don't think it's there. But obviously there's no reference to him getting dressed either.

I have another question. Is more of an explanation provided in later books as to why Arthur was the one person on Earth Ford picked out to save? It's stated that they were friends, but it's also suggested that Ford had other friends.

If this is something that is developed more later on, don't tell me the details, since I obviously haven't read the later books yet.

Of course this will be revealed later on

Thanks, Big. I'm relieved to learn it's not going to be just a loose end.

I seem to remember that two small white mice may hold the key to this revalation.

The same two white mice that I have already met, I assume? Was it Benjy and Frankie?

Well, I will find out soon enough, I suppose.

Looking forward to it. Hopefully it's veddy British like the book and not a bunch of rappers bouncing around.

His (New Young) Holiness, The Pope wrote: Looking forward to it. Hopefully it's veddy British like the book and not a bunch of rappers bouncing around.

Ford is an American. And Trillian, obviously. And Zaphod too, I think. The Guide is Stephen Fry though - can't get much more English than him.

Type something in - what does the Guide entry say?

I'll type in NEW ORDER...

MOSTLY CHARTLESS

BIGINOIL wrote: Type something in - what does the Guide entry say?

I'll type in NEW ORDER...

MOSTLY CHARTLESS

A bit premature. The Billboard chart for this week's releases won't be out until a week from Thursday.

Then it will be time enough to say:

TOTALLY CHARTLESS

BIGINOIL wrote: I have never noticed this, Patrick. It's quite a revelation to me.

I feel sure that there must references to the dressing gown later in the trilogy, but cannot be sure.

Certianly in the TV series, film and folklore Arthur Dent dresses only in a dressing gown.

In book 3, in fact, there are several explicit references to the dressing gown.

That's quite a result; it's a good number of years since I read the books.

Anyone seen the film yet? How does the bloke from the office perform? I would guess that he gets the "bemused" side of Arthur spot on, but not sure how he'll cope with "pompous".

The BBC News website has some interesting stuff on the film, the making etc. The director gives an interview where he admits that he had to tell the special effects people to make the effects "less real" in order to fit in with the mood of the film.