The secret behind The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy’s success is that is not just science fiction

[Peikko 1,575]

It is 30 years since The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy first aired on radio and its appeal endures – Irish novelist Eoin Culfer is to write another sequel. The Guardian finds Douglas Adams’ continuing popularity perplexing: how could science fiction be so popular? The answer is that The Hitchhikers Guide is a surreal, peculiarly English comedy – more Bertie Wooster than Day of the Triffids. Douglas Adams joked that blowing up the Earth in episode one narrowed his options. That is not so. The cyber setting gave him limitless scope to export Arthur Dent’s Paul Pennyfeather-inspired ineptitude and English silliness to the ends of the universe. The setting is a vehicle for Adams’ comedy. The sole reason for having Arthur Dent parry the advances of the triple-breasted ####### Eccentrica Gallumbits on the planet Eroticon Six, is that it is far funnier than if he were beset by tarts whilst walking down Piccadilly – an everyday occurrence after a certain hour in the evening.

And as the extra-terrestrial absurdity unfolds, the narrative remains human and very definitely English in its ambitions – an eclectic mix of cricket, rich tea biscuits, booze, sexual frustration and the promise of an exceptional meal at the end of a journey to nowhere. The cream of Adams’ weird jest is the comedic use of the number 42, which, like Python’s Dead Parrott sketch, is inexplicably hilarious. George Lucas, for all his imagination, could not have dreamt of something quite so silly.

Link

Link to Beeb Hitchhikers site.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Yeah I heard about the sequel. It'll sell loads and probably be #######.

[Peikko 1,575]

The Guardian review says it's not - of course whether one should do such a thing is probably the most pertinent question. Like these new Pooh stories...does the world need more of something that already exists?

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

All it really comes down it to is how much they expect it will sell on top of the original books. There isn't really any other consideration there.

Point being its easier to milk something thats already a proven success than it is to look for the next big thing.

[Peikko 1,575]

Well, yes, of course

[Chica Yeyé 41]

All it really comes down it to is how much they expect it will sell on top of the original books. There isn't really any other consideration there.

Point being its easier to milk something thats already a proven success than it is to look for the next big thing.

WORD.

which is, by the way, one of the biggest plagues killing SciFi these days

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Well most genre fiction is heavily derivative. Science Fiction is probably the worst for that.

[Chica Yeyé 41]

Well most genre fiction is heavily derivative. Science Fiction is probably the worst for that.

Sad and true. Few authors got through the troubles of creating sensical worlds anymore. Sensical within themselves that is.

[Peikko 1,575]

I agree with the article in the OP, that Hitchhiker's isn't science fiction, not really

[The_Dude 1,142]

I'm on the fence about the sequel. I loved the genius of Douglas Adams and seriously doubt that it can be replicated by anyone else.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

I agree with the article in the OP, that Hitchhiker's isn't science fiction, not really

Hitch-hiker's isn't, no.

[Chica Yeyé 41]

I'm on the fence about the sequel. I loved the genius of Douglas Adams and seriously doubt that it can be replicated by anyone else.

yup. Sequels by other authors are usually the sh1ts. Like all those "Foundations" after Asimov was dead. ####### were they thinking?!?!?! i f you cannot come up with an entire world by yourself, don't write. Or write romance, but no SciFi

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

I'm on the fence about the sequel. I loved the genius of Douglas Adams and seriously doubt that it can be replicated by anyone else.

yup. Sequels by other authors are usually the sh1ts. Like all those "Foundations" after Asimov was dead. ####### were they thinking?!?!?! i f you cannot come up with an entire world by yourself, don't write. Or write romance, but no SciFi

Well there's umpteen Dune sequels by Frank Herbert's son.

One of Bram Stoker's relatives just did a sequel to Dracula.

[Rhiannercakes 14]

How ironic, I'm reading this series right now.

There was a book by Marion Zimmer Bradly (spelling might not be correct) that was amazing. She started writing another book but died in the process. Someone else picked up the book to finish writing it and totally destroyed it. It was such a shame.

I don't think I'll read the sequel for this series, I LOVE the wit in the Hitchhiker's series, and I doubt someone could match it.

[Chica Yeyé 41]

I'm on the fence about the sequel. I loved the genius of Douglas Adams and seriously doubt that it can be replicated by anyone else.

yup. Sequels by other authors are usually the sh1ts. Like all those "Foundations" after Asimov was dead. ####### were they thinking?!?!?! i f you cannot come up with an entire world by yourself, don't write. Or write romance, but no SciFi

Well there's umpteen Dune sequels by Frank Herbert's son.

One of Bram Stoker's relatives just did a sequel to Dracula.

Do not, repeat, do not get me started on the Dune sequels.... :ranting::ranting: