BOOKS. don't panic

a couple years ago, when the movie was going to come out, i decided to read 'hitchhikers guide to the galaxy'. i didn't know anything about it, but i had heard it was pretty funny. i read it quickly and totally enjoyed it. i've since gone back and read most of the other books from the series. the first one was definitely the best, but all of them have their humorous charms.
recently i came across this book, a biography about douglas adams, the author of the 'hitchhikers' books. its written by neil gaiman, which is a name you can always trust. it was quite interesting. i didn't know anything about mr. adams, but was quite enthralled by this account of his life. gaiman writes it in the same sort of dry british wit that characterizes adams writings. it was interesting to learn about how the story started, as a radio show for the BBC. it morphed over time to include a television series, a set of books, and a computer game, each of which tells the story differently. adams was by all accounts a major procrastinator, often waiting until two weeks before a book was due to even begin writing (which explains why the books are so uneven). it seems he was also a man who loved technology. he was involved in creating a 'hitchhikers guide' on the internet which anyone could contribute to, basically creating wikipedia before wikipedia! this book shares his works, which were unfortunately cut short when he passed away eight years ago. a very funny and interesting look at a funny and interesting man.