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Recommended Reading: 600 Classics Reviewed

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

by Douglas Adams

1979

Novel

Science Fiction, Humor

Douglas Adams' tale of an Englishman, his alien best friend, the two-headed president of the Galaxy, his human girlfriend, and a manic depressive robot traveling the galaxy together while already sounding wildly astounding, is full of even more surprises than one could ever imagine.

Seconds before Earth is destroyed by an interstellar demolition crew, Arthur Dent's best friend, an alien from Betelgeuse Seven, pretending to be an out-of-work actor, saves their lives by “hitching” a ride aboard the very same ship sent to destroy earth. Arthur soon finds out that his friend, Ford Prefect, actually works as an editor for the most famous book in the galaxy, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Utilizing Ford's knowledge, and a lot of improbable events, the two friends escape the hostile ship and find themselves aboard the stolen ship of Ford's semi-cousin, and the president of the galaxy, Zaphod Beeblebrox.

Along with Zaphod, his human girlfriend Trillian and a manic depressive robot named Marvin, the five companions travel in search of a mythical planet called Magrathea. Legends tell that over five million years ago Magrathea had been used by the extremely wealthy in order to build custom-made planets. Once upon the planet, Arthur and his companions discover that the Magratheans had recently begun building a new Earth. While astonishing as that sounds, Arthur also discovers that the entirety of Earth's existence was an experiment run by ultra-intelligent lab mice. The story ends with Arthur and his friends narrowly escaping death on Magrathea, and heading for lunch at the Restaurant at the End of the Universe.

While primarily a science fiction novel, the hysterically funny Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy also delves into philosophical rants about the meaning of life. It is impossible for the first time reader to anticipate what is going to happen next, and this off the cuff absurdity is what truly makes Adams' work a classic.

Citation Types

Type
Format
MLA 9th
Adams, Douglas. "The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy." Recommended Reading: 600 Classics Reviewed, edited by Editors of Salem Press, Salem Press, 2015. Salem Online, online.salempress.com/articleDetails.do?articleName=6CR_0241.
APA 7th
Adams, D. (2015). The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. In E. Salem Press (Ed.), Recommended Reading: 600 Classics Reviewed. Salem Press. online.salempress.com.
CMOS 17th
Adams, Douglas. "The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy." Edited by Editors of Salem Press. Recommended Reading: 600 Classics Reviewed. Hackensack: Salem Press, 2015. Accessed September 15, 2025. online.salempress.com.