There is a theory which states that if anyone discovers exactly what the universe is and why it is here, it will instantly disappear and be replaced by something even more bizarre and inexplicable. There is another theory which states that this has already happened. 
- —Douglas Adamssrc
Douglas Adams (b. March 11, 1952 – d.May 11, 2001) was a celebrated British author and humorist, best known for writing the comedic science fiction novel The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.
Professional History
Douglas Adams was a British writer known for the dry comedic wit and nihilistic philosophy in his works. He worked as a contributor and bit player for Monty Python's Flying Circus, but first gained recognition for his work as a writer and script editor for Doctor Who at the BBC, for which he wrote the serials "The Pirate Planet", "City of Death", and "Shada", the latter of which was not completed at the time due to industry disputes.
While working at the BBC, Adams found great success and praise for his work writing the satirical sci-fi radio series The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy in 1978, which he later turned into two celebrated novels, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and The Restaurant at the End of the Universe. He later reworked one of his rejected Doctor Who storylines, "The Krikkitmen", into his third Hitchhiker's Guide novel, Life, the Universe and Everything, which was also celebrated, though not as widely known as the first two.
Hitchhiker's Guide was turned into a TV series and video game, both under Adams' supervision. He also wrote the comedic detective novels Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency and The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul. He also penned two further Hitchhiker's Guide novels, So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish and Mostly Harmless, and eventually authorized the first three Hitchhiker's Guide novels to be adapted to comic form by writer John Carnell and artists Steve Leialoha and Neil Vokes at DC Comics in the 1990s. In 1998, Adams wrote and designed the computer game Starship Titanic, a novel adaptation of which was released the same year, written by Monty Python alum and cast member of the game, Terry Jones.
In 2001, Adams passed away from a heart attack, leaving his third Dirk Gently novel, The Salmon of Doubt, to be published unfinished posthumously, along with some notes and short stories he'd written. In the years following his death, Hitchhiker's Guide was turned into a feature film, the radio series continued based on his remaining three books, author Eoin Colfer wrote a sixth novel, titled And Another Thing..., with the permission of Adams' widow, and Dirk Gently was adapted to television twice. In 2017, "Shada" was finally completed with animated segments for the portions not filmed and broadcast, and a year later, "The Krikkitmen" was given a direct novelization by author James Goss.
The annual holiday Towel Day was also commemorated in his honor two weeks after his death, in which fans of his works carry around a towel with them throughout the day in reference to the importance of towels in Hitchhiker's Guide.
Work History
External Links
- https://www.douglasadams.com/
- Douglas Adams at IMDb
- Douglas Adams at Wikipedia.org
- Douglas Adams at the Hitchhiker's Wiki
- Douglas Adams at the Doctor Who Wiki