Part of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, book 1
First published 2002
Arthur Dent wakes up to bulldozers threatening his house, but this turns out to be the least of his problems. His friend Ford Prefect reveals he's actually an alien researcher for a galactic travel guide, and Earth is about to be demolished by Vogon bureaucrats to clear space for an intergalactic highway. Ford pulls Arthur onto the Vogon ship moments before Earth explodes, beginning a bizarre journey through space. They meet Zaphod Beeblebrox, the two-headed president of the galaxy who has stolen a ship powered by infinite improbability. Along with Marvin, a chronically depressed robot, and Trillian, another Earth survivor, they search for answers about life, the universe, and everything. Arthur struggles to comprehend the absurd cosmos he's been thrust into, where mice run experiments on humans and the meaning of existence might be disappointingly simple.
Genres: science-fiction, adventure, fantasy, comedy
Vibes: fast-paced, thought-provoking, whimsical
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, found-family
Setting: Earth, Galaxy
Period: 20th-century
180 pages · Paperback · Pan Macmillan