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Post by Don Quixote on Aug 19, 2005 22:16:03 GMT -5
I like Douglas Adams as a writer. He's probably one of my favorite authors of the past thirty years (Just before Jeff Shaara on my list). I'm currently finishing up 'Long Dark Teatime...' and I must say, I like the Dirk Gently books a great deal. However, I've never read any of the 'Meaning of Liff's or 'Last Chance to See'. So, as it stands, I like 'So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish' just a bit more than 'Long, Dark Teatime of the Soul'. The world's a darker place without ya Doug  |
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Post by In_Stereo on Aug 19, 2005 22:27:07 GMT -5
Hey, who knew DQ was such a hoopy frood! I also happen to know where my towel is at all times.
Well, the HGTTG series was always fun, and inspired a lot of my writing. But I'm actually voting for the first Dirk Gently book, because it was more of an intellectual work that really forced you to use the big gray thing between your ears. (actually I can't figure out which DG book I prefer-- both had the same amount of tough, unanswered questions that I needed to read the book twice to figure out)
You know, just a minute, DQ, I'll be right back, there's this rattling noise coming from the trunk.
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Post by Don Quixote on Aug 19, 2005 23:00:28 GMT -5
I sure wish I could see what In_Stereo posted below the text... DAMN YOU DIAL-UP!
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Post by In_Stereo on Aug 19, 2005 23:22:06 GMT -5
I sure wish I could see what In_Stereo posted below the text... DAMN YOU DIAL-UP! (nothing, just blank space, cause you see, it's like I died when I went to check the noise, like Gordon.) |
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Post by Don Quixote on Aug 19, 2005 23:23:18 GMT -5
ah. That thing with Gordon was cool... all he had to do is finish his phone call...
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Post by GodoHell on Aug 20, 2005 0:46:59 GMT -5
Don't forget...he did some writing for Monty Python, although that was never put into book form.
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Post by mummifiedstalin on Aug 20, 2005 11:45:24 GMT -5
I went with the original radio scripts. Some of the later stuff in that which never made it into the novels is great. But after that, it'd be Life, the Universe, and Everything. After that, it blurs. But I'm with In_Stereo on the greatness of Gently. I know too many people who've read HGttG, but not those. Their loss...
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Post by Afgncaap5 on Aug 20, 2005 20:04:19 GMT -5
If I was going to vote for what I thought the *best* Douglas Adams book was, then I'd have to go with either Last Chance To See or Dirk Gentley's Holistic Detective Agency. As it is, though...since you said "favorite", I'll be going with Life, The Universe, And Everything.
But to be fair, I've not read The Meaning Of Liff yet. It's just possible that single book will surpass The Greater Meaning Of Liff in excellence, and even my pick for favorite. But until I read it, I'll stick with this vote.
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donmac
Moderator Emeritus 
Beedee Beedee Beedee This Sucks!
Posts: 1,290
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Post by donmac on Aug 21, 2005 11:25:21 GMT -5
I go with the first Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy novel, with The Restaurant at the End of the Universe next. Those two, IMO, are the "must-reads" of DNA's writings.
Next, I'd go with Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency. I think it's a better book than the final three H2G2 books and better than the 2nd Dirk Gently book, The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul (which I thought was a bit under-written). It's too bad he didn't finish the 3rd Dirk Gently book - the few chapters that are in The Salmon of Doubt are great! (I know that before his death Adams said he was thinking of converting this to a H2G2 book instead, but the completed chapters are all Gently in tone and character.)
And I'm a huge fan of the BBC Radio series version of H2G2, particularly the first one (Primary Phase), but it's such a collaborative effort there, that I can't give all of the credit to Adams. But, in the non-book "media" versions of H2G2, I think this first radio series is the best (better than the later radio series, the BBC TV miniseries, and definitely better than the lame-o movie from a few months ago).
And now that BBC Radio has completed adapting all of the H2G2 books, I think it's time for them to start adapting the two Dirk Gently books to radio!
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Post by Shep on Aug 21, 2005 11:49:53 GMT -5
I really like most of Adams' work.
I voted "Other," however, because Adams also wrote probably my all-time fav Doctor Who ep, the Tom Baker classic "City of Death."
It's a smart, hillarious story. Highly recommended!
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Post by 3col3 on Aug 21, 2005 12:52:38 GMT -5
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Post by Don Quixote on Aug 21, 2005 22:29:28 GMT -5
Finished 'Long Dark Teatime' this afternoon. This is probably equal in awsomeness to 'So Long...' in my opinion. I'm a bit confused though about the end. Did Toe Rag and the Sythe guy really get away and were stopped by the God of Guilt (Dirk's Refigerator)?
Do they still sell 'Meaning...' and 'Deeper Meaning...'? I know 'Last Chance to See' is almost impossible to find though.
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Post by Shep on Aug 23, 2005 7:50:10 GMT -5
Nice! I knew about the upcoming release, but not all the extras. Thanks. |
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Post by Afgncaap5 on Aug 23, 2005 15:50:22 GMT -5
Finished 'Long Dark Teatime' this afternoon. This is probably equal in awsomeness to 'So Long...' in my opinion. I'm a bit confused though about the end. Did Toe Rag and the Sythe guy really get away and were stopped by the God of Guilt (Dirk's Refigerator)? Do they still sell 'Meaning...' and 'Deeper Meaning...'? I know 'Last Chance to See' is almost impossible to find though. I saw them in a book store a few months back, but that may have only been because of the Hitchhiker's movie. |
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Post by In_Stereo on Aug 31, 2005 23:27:45 GMT -5
Finished 'Long Dark Teatime' this afternoon. This is probably equal in awsomeness to 'So Long...' in my opinion. I'm a bit confused though about the end. Did Toe Rag and the Sythe guy really get away and were stopped by the God of Guilt (Dirk's Refigerator)? Well, DQ, to quote Pugilism and the Third Autistic Cuckoo... it can mean whatever you want it to mean. I think that really happened; Adams probably added the part about Dirk's dream to clarify what it meant in this world. (because, as the old lady said, wherever there is something unresolved in this world, it can turn into a great and powerful new god in Asgard.) The bit I don't get is this: how many stones were there in Wales, and why was it significant? Also, why, as Kate said, was it a good thing that Odin now had a bad heart and high cholesterol? Was he supposed to be dying, too? Excuse me, I have to let this damn eagle out... |
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