So Long, Mr Adams, And Thanks For The Fish

RudeDawg · 05-13-2001, 02:23 AM

RIP

He will be sorely missed.

"So long, Mr. Adams. And Thanks for the Fish"

The New York Times article follows.

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/obit...rchpv=aponline

Date: May 12, 2001
Douglas Adams, Author of "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy," Dies at 49
The Associated Press

Science fiction writer Douglas Adams, died today of a heart attack in Santa Barbara, Calif.

Filed at 8:45 a.m. ET

LONDON (AP) -- Douglas Adams, whose cult science fiction comedy ``The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy'' drew millions of fans and spawned a mini-industry, has died at age 49.

The British-born Adams died Friday of a heart attack in Santa Barbara, Calif., his London spokeswoman, Sophie Astin, said Saturday.

The ``Hitchhiker's Guide,'' which began life as a British Broadcasting Corp. radio series in 1978, is a satirical adventure about a group of interplanetary travelers; it opens with the Earth being destroyed to make way for an intergalactic highway.

It was turned into a book, which sold 14 million copies around the world, and later into a television series.

The book was followed by several sequels, including ``The Restaurant at the End of the Universe,'' ``Life, the Universe and Everything'' and ``So Long, and Thanks For All the Fish.''

The books blended satire, memorably named characters such as Zaphod Beeblebrox and Marvin the Paranoid Android, and witty philosophy, at one point supplying the answer to ``the ultimate question of life, the universe and everything.'' The answer was 42.

Adams later recalled how he first thought of the book during a teen-age trip around Europe.

``I was hitchhiking around Europe in 1971, when I was 18, with this copy of 'A Hitchhiker's Guide to Europe,''' he said.

``At one point I found myself lying in the middle of a field, a little bit drunk, when it occurred to me that somebody should write a Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. It didn't occur to me that it might actually be me years later.''

The book came 24th in a poll of the top 100 books of the 20th century conducted by the Waterstone's bookstore chain and Channel 4 television.

Geoffrey Perkins, the BBC's head of comedy, called Adams ``absolutely one of the most creative geniuses to ever work in radio comedy.''

``He probably wrote one of the greatest radio comedy series ever, certainly the most imaginative,'' he added.

Born in Cambridge, England, in 1952 and educated at Cambridge University, Adams began his career as a writer and script editor at the BBC, including work on BBC TV's ``Doctor Who.''

He followed the ``Hitchhiker's Guide'' with several books about ``holistic detective'' Dirk Gently; ``Last Chance to See,'' a book about endangered species; and, with John Lloyd, the hilarious alternative dictionary ``The Meaning of Liff.''

He also founded a multimedia company, Digital Village, which produced the ``Starship Titanic'' computer game and an online travel guide inspired by the ``Hitchhiker's Guide.''

A frequent radio broadcaster on science and technology, Adams had been working for several years on a screenplay for an oft-delayed ``Hitchhiker's Guide'' movie.

In August 1996, he told a technology conference in New Orleans that the main problem in adapting the series for film was not special effects.

``It's the nature of the story, which is picaresque, which translates to one damn thing after another, and another, and another.

``It's very hard to translate that to a 100-minute feature film,'' he said. ``Every script has a beginning and a middle and an end.''

Adams married Jane Belson, a lawyer, in 1991. The couple, who had lived in Santa Barbara since 1999, had a daughter, Polly.

------------------

The RudeDawg
Known in these Forgotten Realms as Perin LightEyes
and my girlfriends, Pamila and Pfil

[This message has been edited by RudeDawg (edited 05-13-2001).]

RudeDawg · 05-13-2001, 01:37 PM

In Honor of...
A User FRiendly tribute

http://ars.userfriendly.org/cartoons/?id=20010513

------------------

The RudeDawg
Known in these Forgotten Realms as Perin LightEyes
and my girlfriends, Pamila and Pfil

Sir Taliesin · 05-13-2001, 10:20 PM

Sad day!!!

------------------
Sir Taliesin

If they take my gun can I still use my Claymore?

Black Knight · 05-14-2001, 10:23 AM

BK

------------------

The Black Storm Cloud of the Night
Consort to a Queen
Champion of Truth, Justice and Cloudy's Way
Captain of the Knights of the Golden Dragons
Heart, Mind, and Soul
Offical Wizard and Warrior Questioner
What is this, the Spanish Inquisition?
Ironworks Answer Man

E`bola · 05-15-2001, 02:02 PM

To man who make towels usefull
And make best drink in galaxsy

catzenpewters · 05-15-2001, 03:57 PM

I have never read these books - are they humourous?

slackerboy · 05-15-2001, 08:58 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by catzenpewters:
I have never read these books - are they humourous?

we could not possibly describe these books.
in a word, yes

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Lord of the Screen Shot

Get My IronWorks Winamp skin

Balgin · 05-19-2001, 08:14 PM

Try to get the original radio version if you can, it's only about six hours long. I am still missing him, all the good things seem to have passed on in the last few years

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Balgin, the Dwarf

Mintieman · 05-21-2001, 02:04 AM

Tis a sad day

adam warlock · 05-25-2001, 09:30 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by catzenpewters:
I have never read these books - are they humourous?

after a fashion, yeah...
if you appreciate unusual sci-fi/fantasy humor

who remember the tv series? (or was it a movie?)

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05-13-2001, 02:23 AM	#1
RudeDawg 20th Level Warrior Join Date: April 9, 2001 Location: Dallas, Tx, USA Age: 56 Posts: 2,830	RIP He will be sorely missed. "So long, Mr. Adams. And Thanks for the Fish" The New York Times article follows. http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/obit...rchpv=aponline Date: May 12, 2001 Douglas Adams, Author of "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy," Dies at 49 The Associated Press Science fiction writer Douglas Adams, died today of a heart attack in Santa Barbara, Calif. Filed at 8:45 a.m. ET LONDON (AP) -- Douglas Adams, whose cult science fiction comedy ``The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy'' drew millions of fans and spawned a mini-industry, has died at age 49. The British-born Adams died Friday of a heart attack in Santa Barbara, Calif., his London spokeswoman, Sophie Astin, said Saturday. The ``Hitchhiker's Guide,'' which began life as a British Broadcasting Corp. radio series in 1978, is a satirical adventure about a group of interplanetary travelers; it opens with the Earth being destroyed to make way for an intergalactic highway. It was turned into a book, which sold 14 million copies around the world, and later into a television series. The book was followed by several sequels, including ``The Restaurant at the End of the Universe,'' ``Life, the Universe and Everything'' and ``So Long, and Thanks For All the Fish.'' The books blended satire, memorably named characters such as Zaphod Beeblebrox and Marvin the Paranoid Android, and witty philosophy, at one point supplying the answer to ``the ultimate question of life, the universe and everything.'' The answer was 42. Adams later recalled how he first thought of the book during a teen-age trip around Europe. ``I was hitchhiking around Europe in 1971, when I was 18, with this copy of 'A Hitchhiker's Guide to Europe,''' he said. ``At one point I found myself lying in the middle of a field, a little bit drunk, when it occurred to me that somebody should write a Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. It didn't occur to me that it might actually be me years later.'' The book came 24th in a poll of the top 100 books of the 20th century conducted by the Waterstone's bookstore chain and Channel 4 television. Geoffrey Perkins, the BBC's head of comedy, called Adams ``absolutely one of the most creative geniuses to ever work in radio comedy.'' ``He probably wrote one of the greatest radio comedy series ever, certainly the most imaginative,'' he added. Born in Cambridge, England, in 1952 and educated at Cambridge University, Adams began his career as a writer and script editor at the BBC, including work on BBC TV's ``Doctor Who.'' He followed the ``Hitchhiker's Guide'' with several books about ``holistic detective'' Dirk Gently; ``Last Chance to See,'' a book about endangered species; and, with John Lloyd, the hilarious alternative dictionary ``The Meaning of Liff.'' He also founded a multimedia company, Digital Village, which produced the ``Starship Titanic'' computer game and an online travel guide inspired by the ``Hitchhiker's Guide.'' A frequent radio broadcaster on science and technology, Adams had been working for several years on a screenplay for an oft-delayed ``Hitchhiker's Guide'' movie. In August 1996, he told a technology conference in New Orleans that the main problem in adapting the series for film was not special effects. ``It's the nature of the story, which is picaresque, which translates to one damn thing after another, and another, and another. ``It's very hard to translate that to a 100-minute feature film,'' he said. ``Every script has a beginning and a middle and an end.'' Adams married Jane Belson, a lawyer, in 1991. The couple, who had lived in Santa Barbara since 1999, had a daughter, Polly. ------------------ The RudeDawg Known in these Forgotten Realms as Perin LightEyes and my girlfriends, Pamila and Pfil [This message has been edited by RudeDawg (edited 05-13-2001).]

05-13-2001, 01:37 PM	#2
RudeDawg 20th Level Warrior Join Date: April 9, 2001 Location: Dallas, Tx, USA Age: 56 Posts: 2,830	In Honor of... A User FRiendly tribute http://ars.userfriendly.org/cartoons/?id=20010513 ------------------ The RudeDawg Known in these Forgotten Realms as Perin LightEyes and my girlfriends, Pamila and Pfil

05-13-2001, 10:20 PM	#3
Sir Taliesin Silver Dragon Join Date: March 4, 2001 Location: Knoxville, TN USA Age: 62 Posts: 1,641	Sad day!!! ------------------ Sir Taliesin If they take my gun can I still use my Claymore?

05-14-2001, 10:23 AM	#4
Black Knight Ma'at - Goddess of Truth & Justice Join Date: March 1, 2001 Location: Delaware OH USA Age: 48 Posts: 3,168	BK ------------------ The Black Storm Cloud of the Night Consort to a Queen Champion of Truth, Justice and Cloudy's Way Captain of the Knights of the Golden Dragons Heart, Mind, and Soul Offical Wizard and Warrior Questioner What is this, the Spanish Inquisition? Ironworks Answer Man

05-15-2001, 02:02 PM	#5
E`bola Dungeon Master Join Date: May 13, 2001 Location: Kranjsterdam, Slovenia Posts: 85	To man who make towels usefull And make best drink in galaxsy

05-15-2001, 03:57 PM	#6
catzenpewters Manshoon Join Date: March 11, 2001 Location: Victoria, BC, Canada Age: 53 Posts: 204	I have never read these books - are they humourous?

05-19-2001, 08:14 PM	#8
Balgin Elminster Join Date: March 4, 2001 Location: Bournemouth,Hampshire,England Posts: 443	Try to get the original radio version if you can, it's only about six hours long. I am still missing him, all the good things seem to have passed on in the last few years ------------------ Balgin, the Dwarf

05-21-2001, 02:04 AM	#9
Mintieman Welcomed New User Join Date: May 21, 2001 Location: Sydney NSW Australia Posts: 2	Tis a sad day

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