The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (novel series)

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The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is a series of novels that Douglas Adams developed from the radio play The Hitchhiker's Guide to Space and which he continued in several volumes until "Part 5 of the four-volume trilogy" was published in 1992. The individual parts are:

The first four parts were translated into German by Benjamin Schwarz , the fifth part was translated by Sven Böttcher . The Anhalter series also includes the short story The young Zaphod plays it safe (original title Young Zaphod Plays it Safe ), which can be seen as a link between the 4th and 5th volume. The story is available in two slightly different versions and has appeared in different anthologies, including the legacy volume Lachs im Zweifel ( ISBN 3-453-40045-3 ).

In October 2009, the sixth volume of the series under the name was And by the way something ... ( And Another Thing ... ) published ( ISBN 978-3-453-26640-7 ). The author of the book is Eoin Colfer , whom Adams' widow Jane Belson gave authorization to do so. The German translator is Gunnar Kwisinski.

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

→ Main article: The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy

In The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, the characters (Arthur Dent, Ford Prefect, Tricia "Trillian" McMillan, Zaphod Beeblebrox and the robot Marvin) visit the legendary planet Magrathea , home of the now collapsed "planetary building" industry. There they meet Slartibartfaß, a planetary architect (known for his fjords in Norway). He tells them about a race of hyper-intelligent, pan-dimensional beings who built a computer called Deep Thought to get the answer to the " ultimate question of life, the universe and all the rest ". After calculating 42 as the answer , they decided to build an even better computer to find out what " the Ultimate Question " was - but their efforts never bore fruit.

This even better computer, often mistakenly misinterpreted as a planet due to its size and the use of biological components, was Earth, which was destroyed five minutes before the end of its ten million year computation. The hyper-intelligent, pan-dimensional beings that turned out to be mice want to dissect Arthur's brain to reconstruct the question, but he escapes and heads for the restaurant at the end of the universe .

The book is based on the first four radio episodes. It was first published in 1979 (in English as a paperback , in German 1981).

The restaurant at the end of the universe

→ Main article: The restaurant at the end of the universe

In this restaurant “end” is understood in two senses. On the one hand, it is spatially located on the outermost edge , but above all, you can be guided over the temporal end of the universe (and back) in an “every evening” reality show . Douglas Adams plays here, as elsewhere in his work, quite freely with the traditional understanding of space and time and takes on ironically the curiosity of today's people targeted.

Life, the universe and everything else

→ Main article: Life, the universe and all the rest

Life, the Universe and all the rest was published in 1982 as the third part of the Anhalter series (original title Life, the Universe and Everything ).

At the beginning of the book, Ford and Arthur escape from prehistoric earth through a space-time continuum . Together with Slartibart barrel, they set out to save the universe from extinction by the inhabitants of the planet Krikkit . In the distant past, because of their dangerousness, these were locked into a time bubble from which they are now trying to escape. On the way they meet Marvin, Zaphod and Trillian. Together they manage to save the universe without having to destroy Krikkit.

Take care and thank you for the fish

→ Main article: Take care, and thank you for the fish

Take care and thank you for the fish ( So Long, and Thanks For All the Fish ) is the fourth part of the The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy trilogy *.

Arthur Dent returns to earth that actually exploded to find out if it is still the same as before. It is, but the dolphins have disappeared.

The book is about some time after the third part of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy ( Life, the Universe and All the Rest ) and thus offers the transition to the fifth part of the series: To Rupert and back .

The supporting character of the rain god Rob McKenna is mentioned for the first time in this book.

The same goes for Fenchurch. Like Arthur Dent, she is a person who has endured strange things. The two get to know and love each other.

* The story The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy was originally only in three parts and ended after the third volume: Life, the Universe and all the rest . This fact brought the novel series the name "Four-part trilogy with additional volume". Since the publication of the fifth volume, fans have been using the term The Four-Part Trilogy in five volumes .

Once to Rupert and back

→ Main article: To Rupert and back

Once Rupert and back (original title: Mostly Harmless ) is the fifth part of the series.

Tricia McMillan is Trillian in another universe where she didn't leave Earth with Zaphod Beeblebrox . She is kidnapped by a group of Grebulonian researchers to Rupert, a planet in our solar system that is still far outside of Pluto. Since they all lost their memory in an accident and can no longer remember the goal of their mission, they have declared the complete monitoring of the earth to be their task. However, non-stop television does not satisfy them, which is why they are looking for a way to adapt horoscopes of the earth to Rupert's other astrological conditions.

Meanwhile, Ford Prefect is currently trying to deposit its expense report at the hitchhiker's headquarters, but the hitchhiker recently fell victim to a takeover. The new management has decided to bring out an "improved" version of the travel guide. On the spur of the moment, Ford steals the prototype and sends it to Arthur Dent .

After a spaceship crash, Arthur Dent lives on a technologically very backward planet, where he devotes himself to perfecting the art of sandwich-making. Shortly after he receives the package from Ford, he also gets a visit from Trillian, who also introduces him to his daughter Random. This opens Ford's package and, with the help of the new “hitchhiker”, leaves his planet. Together with Ford, who has just arrived, Arthur leaves the planet to look for his daughter. Eventually, all of the main characters meet on Earth in the Stavromula Beta , where all circles come full circle.

International distribution

The series of novels has since been translated into many languages. So far published translations in Bulgarian (Пътеводител на галактическия стопаджия), Czech (Stopařův průvodce Galaxií), French (Le routard galactique), Greek (Γυρίστε το Γαλαξία με Ωτο-στόπ), Hungarian (Galaxy Útikalauz stopposoknak), Italian (Guida galattica by gli autostoppisti), Japanese ( 銀河 ヒ ッ チ ハ イ ク ・ ガ イ ド), Latvian (Galaktikas ceļvedis stopētājiem), Norwegian (Haikerens guide til Galaksen, first published as På tommeltotten til melkeveien), Portuguese (galactic Boleidia Pela Galostáxui), Romanian (À galactic Boleidia Pela Galostáxui) autostoppistui Russian (Автостопом по Галактике), Serbian (Autostoperski vodič kroz galaksiju), Slovenian (Štoparski vodnik po Galaksiji), Spanish (Guía del autoestopista galáctico), and Turkish (Otostopo Rehiçunberi Galaks).

bibliography

The following bibliography mainly contains the German translations and adaptations of the novel series.

  • 1 The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy (1979, in: The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy ; also: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy , 1980; also: The Illustrated Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy , 1994)
  • 2 The Restaurant at the End of the Universe (1980)
    • English: The restaurant at the end of the universe. Rogner & Bernhard, 1982, ISBN 3-8077-0192-3 .
    • Audiobook: The Restaurant at the End of the Universe. Complete reading by Christian Ulmen. Director: Kai Lüftner. Translated by Benjamin Schwarz. The Hörverlag, Munich and [Hamburg] 2010, ISBN 978-3-86717-423-7 .
  • 3 Life, the Universe and Everything (1982)
    • German: Life, the universe and all the rest. Translated by Benjamin Schwarz. Rogner & Bernhard at Zweiausendeins, 1983, ISBN 3-8077-0205-9 .
    • Audio book: Life, the universe and everything else. Complete reading by Andreas Fröhlich . Director: Kai Lüftner. Translated by Benjamin Schwarz. The Hörverlag, Munich and [Hamburg] 2012, ISBN 978-3-86717-591-3 .
  • 4 So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish (1984)
    • German: Take care, and thanks for the fish. Translated by Benjamin Schwarz. Rogner & Bernhard at Zweiausendeins, 1985, ISBN 3-8077-0211-3 .
    • Audiobook: Take care and thank you for the fish. Complete reading by Andreas Fröhlich. Director: Kai Lüftner. Translated by Benjamin Schwarz. The Hörverlag, Munich and [Hamburg] 2013, ISBN 978-3-86717-592-0 .
  • 5 Mostly Harmless (1992)
  • 6 by Eoin Colfer : And Another Thing… Hyperion Books, 2009, ISBN 978-1-4013-2358-5 .
  • Young Zaphod Plays It Safe (short story, 1986, in: The Utterly Utterly Merry Comic Relief Christmas Book )
English collective editions
  • The Hitchhiker's Trilogy (collective edition from 1–3; 1984; also: Douglas Adams Trilogy , 1995; also: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - Omnibus 1 , 2017)
  • The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy: A Trilogy in Four Parts (collective edition from 1–4; 1986; also: The Universe of Douglas Adams , 1989)
  • The Hitchhiker's Quartet (collective edition of 1–4 and short story; 1986; also: The More Than Complete Hitchhiker's Guide , 1987)
  • The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy: A Trilogy in Five Parts (collective edition from 1–5; 1995; also: Mostly Brilliant , 2002; also: The Hitchhiker's Trilogy , 2000; also: The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy: The Nearly Definitive Edition , 2014; also: The Complete Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: The Trilogy of Five , 2012; also: The Hitchhiker Trilogy , 2002)
  • The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide (collective edition of 1–5 and short story; 1996; also: The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy , 2002; also: Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: The Complete Trilogy of Five , 2017)
German collective issues
  • The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy / The Restaurant at the End of the Universe. Ullstein, 1995, ISBN 3-548-23834-3 (collective edition of 1 and 2).
  • The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: all 5 novels in one volume! Heyne General Series # 20093, 2001, ISBN 3-453-20961-3 (collective edition from 1–5).
  • Radio play edition from 1–4: The Hitchhiker's Guide to Space. BR / SWF / WDR. The Hör-Verlag, Stuttgart:
    • Part 1/2: An end to the earth. Director: Ernst Wendt. Translation by Benjamin Schwarz. 1995, ISBN 3-89584-131-5 .
    • Part 3/4: The girl and the whale. Director: Ernst Wendt. Translation by Benjamin Schwarz. 1995, ISBN 3-89584-132-3 .
    • Part 5/6: A tango at the end of the world. Director: Ernst Wendt. Translation by Benjamin Schwarz. 1995, ISBN 3-89584-133-1 .
    • Part 7/9: The sofa on Lord Cricket's Ground. Director: Hartmut Kirste. Radio play adaptation and translation by Walter Andreas Schwarz. 1996, ISBN 3-89584-171-4 .
    • Part 10/12: The Krikkit Party. Director: Hartmut Kirste. Radio play adaptation and translation by Walter Andreas Schwarz. 1996, ISBN 3-89584-171-4 .
    • Part 13/15: The unusual thing about Fenchurch. Director: Hartmut Kirste. Radio play adaptation and translation by Walter Andreas Schwarz. 1996, ISBN 3-89584-171-4 .
    • New edition parts 1–6: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. The restaurant at the end of the universe. The Hörverlag, Munich 2005, ISBN 3-8445-0562-8 .
    • New edition part 7–15: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy 2: Life, the Universe and All the Rest / Take care and thank you for the fish. 2012, ISBN 978-3-8445-1021-8 .
    • Milena Maitz: workshop report . From the studio into space. 1996, ISBN 3-89584-171-4 .
Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Radio Scripts
  • 1 The Original Hitchhiker Radio Scripts (1985; also: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: The Original Radio Scripts , 1986; also: The Original Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Radio Scripts , 2020)
  • 3 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Tertiary Phase (2005)
  • 4 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Quandary Phase (2005)
  • 5 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Quintessential Phase (2006)
  • The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Radio Scripts: v. 2: The Tertiary, Quandary and Quintessential Phases (2005)
Video

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ BBC NEWS New Hitchhiker's author announced , (accessed March 2, 2009).
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams


The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy  • The restaurant at the end of the universe  • Life, the universe and all the rest  • Take care and thank you for the fish  • Rupert and back  • And something else, by the way… (posthumously by Eoin Colfer )