The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is to return. Jane Belson, Douglas Adams' widow, has given her approval for Eoin Colfer, author of the Artemis Fowl novels, to write the sixth book in what will be "The trilogy of six" called And Another Thing...
DON'T PANIC! H2G2 is back!
Nothing like pissing on somebody's grave to set the tills ringing.
Well I'm working on 4th chapter of the Lord of the Rings, The Phantom Orcs Revenge Clone Attack.
What a stupid rotten, worthless, waste of the licence fee.
They've chosen a commerical, children's writer to do a 6th part of one of the most cerebral pieces of satire ever. Pratchett, Jasper Fiord and Gaiman all have similar styles to Adams.
Why have I got a sneaky suspicion they all tols the BBC to sod off.
What ever next Dara O'Brian to fill in for Wogan when he dies?
Quote: sootyj @ September 17 2008, 8:57 AM BSTWell I'm working on 4th chapter of the Lord of the Rings, The Phantom Orcs Revenge Clone Attack.
What a stupid rotten, worthless, waste of the licence fee.
They've chosen a commerical, children's writer to do a 6th part of one of the most cerebral pieces of satire ever. Pratchett, Jasper Fiord and Gaiman all have similar styles to Adams.
Why have I got a sneaky suspicion they all tols the BBC to sod off.
What ever next Dara O'Brian to fill in for Wogan when he dies?
I'm not sure if the BBC has anything to do with it.
Licence fee? Has this got anything to do with the BBC? I thought they were just reporting it.
It looks like it is not just the people on the forum complaining. Another person, according to The Today Programme who is not too please about it coming back is one "Arthur Dent" (first audio clip).
Shite miss read the article as I was shooting out the door, I apologise to the BBC.
Still a bunch of arse.
Is it me or is everyone getting nostalgic with people complaining "Oh, it's not going to be as good as the original"?
Everyone adapts something in a different way, and no doubt people will be saying that he is not the best man for the job or that the whole thing should be left alone.
But then again, this new novel could be great. Yes, it could be rubbish, and no doubt a lot of people will still complain about it being done in the first place, but it could still be a great novel.
I suppose the best thing to say would be, "Never judge a book by it's cover."
Well HG2TG with Pratchett or Gaiman at it's head would be double plus up good.
But a dreary sub Rowling writer of hack fiction?
I disagree with Pratchett as a possible. A combination of Gaiman and Robert Rankin might be interesting though, assuming Gaiman could rein in Rankin's more juvenile running gags.
As a huge fan of Douglas Adams I am a bit numb over this news to say the least. I have given it some more thought this morning over a strong coffee.
I think your title should be changed to simply, 'PANIC!'. At the moment I just can't see how this will work. Yes Colfer will be able to write it but the finished article may seem more like a piece of fan fiction than a Hitchhikers.
I remember Douglas's story Starship Titanic was written as a novel by Terry Jones. It had Douglas's name plastered on it 'in big friendly letters' with Terry Jones in smaller lettering at the bottom. The book was ok to be fair but from reading it, it just lacked the scientific comic wonderment that DNA brought to his work. This is my fear for And Another Thing. Yes it may have the same characters and premise, it may be well written and funny. But will it have that special sparkle that fans of the story have grown up with?
As Han Solo would say..."I've got a bad feeling about this."
Def.
Yes, PANIC NOW!
Quote: Ian Wolf @ September 17 2008, 9:47 AM BSTIs it me or is everyone getting nostalgic with people complaining "Oh, it's not going to be as good as the original"?
Don't think it's anything to do with nostalgia, more to do with, perhaps, the realisation that this is more about the money/franchise than it is about the original artistic conceit. Which was by somebody else.
As for 'not as good as the original', arguably, the last three books weren't as good as the original. Where they?
The answer, apart from 42, is that people should leave things alone and get on with something else.
I say we put a hit out on Eoin Colfer. Who's with me?
Quote: Aaron @ September 17 2008, 11:06 AM BSTI say we put a hit out on Eoin Colfer. Who's with me?
Right in line, chief.