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Quick answer: If you loved The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, read The Restaurant at the End of the Universe, Good Omens, Discworld's The Colour of Magic and Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency. All are laugh-out-loud comic fantasy and science fiction full of absurdity and sharp wit.
Douglas Adams's 1979 novel follows Arthur Dent, who is rescued from the destruction of Earth by his friend Ford Prefect and sent on a ridiculous journey through space. It is silly, clever and endlessly quotable. The books below offer similar comic adventures, from sequels to other humorous classics.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Restaurant at the End of the Universe | Douglas Adams | Adult | the sequel |
| Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency | Douglas Adams | Adult | comic mystery |
| The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul | Douglas Adams | Adult | Dirk Gently sequel |
| Good Omens | Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman | Adult | comic fantasy |
| The Colour of Magic | Terry Pratchett | Adult | Discworld start |
| Redshirts | John Scalzi | Adult | science fiction comedy |
| Space Opera | Catherynne M. Valente | Adult | glitter and Eurovision |
| The Eyre Affair | Jasper Fforde | Adult | literary comedy |
| The Princess Bride | William Goldman | Adult | fairy-tale parody |
| Catch-22 | Joseph Heller | Adult | war satire |
| Slaughterhouse-Five | Kurt Vonnegut | Adult | strange and funny |
| Cat's Cradle | Kurt Vonnegut | Adult | satirical science fiction |
| Right Ho, Jeeves | P. G. Wodehouse | Adult | comic perfection |
| Old Man's War | John Scalzi | Adult | witty military science fiction |
| All Systems Red | Martha Wells | Adult | witty AI |
1. The Restaurant at the End of the Universe by Douglas Adams
Arthur and Ford continue their journey, with a dinner at the end of time. Another round of laughs.
Best for: the sequel.
2. Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency by Douglas Adams
A detective solves cases by following the interconnectedness of all things. Odd, clever and funny.
Best for: comic mystery.
3. The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul by Douglas Adams
Norse gods in modern London. Dark and witty.
Best for: Dirk Gently sequel.
4. Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman
An angel and a demon try to prevent the apocalypse. Witty and warm.
Best for: comic fantasy.
5. The Colour of Magic by Terry Pratchett
An incompetent wizard and a tourist explore the flat world. Funny and inventive.
Best for: Discworld start.
6. Redshirts by John Scalzi
Crew members realise they are minor characters in a TV show. Clever and fun.
Best for: science fiction comedy.
7. Space Opera by Catherynne M. Valente
Earth must compete in an intergalactic song contest to survive. Wild and sparkling.
Best for: glitter and Eurovision.
8. The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde
A literary detective chases a villain who kidnaps characters from books. Clever and bookish.
Best for: literary comedy.
9. The Princess Bride by William Goldman
A farm boy and his true love face pirates and giants. Witty and loved.
Best for: fairy-tale parody.
10. Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
Captain Yossarian tries to survive a war and a maddening bureaucracy. A classic of absurd comedy.
Best for: war satire.
11. Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut
Billy Pilgrim becomes unstuck in time. Dark and absurd.
Best for: strange and funny.
12. Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut
A writer researches the atomic bomb and meets odd people. Short and weird.
Best for: satirical science fiction.
13. Right Ho, Jeeves by P. G. Wodehouse
Bertie Wooster and his valet Jeeves solve friends' love lives. Light and brilliant.
Best for: comic perfection.
14. Old Man's War by John Scalzi
Seventy-five-year-olds join the colonial army. Quick and funny.
Best for: witty military science fiction.
15. All Systems Red by Martha Wells
A security robot hacks itself and just wants to watch TV. Short and charming.
Best for: witty AI.
How to Choose
For more Adams read The Restaurant at the End of the Universe and Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency. For comic fantasy pick Good Omens or The Colour of Magic. For science fiction humour choose Redshirts, Space Opera or Old Man's War. For literary satire read Catch-22 or Slaughterhouse-Five. For gentle classic comedy try Wodehouse. Comic novels reward rereading, and Adams is no exception. The Hitchhiker's Guide began as a BBC radio series in 1978 before becoming a novel, and many fans enjoy the radio version, which is available in audio form. Comic novels differ in their humour, so choose by taste. For absurd wordplay, try Adams and Pratchett. For satire of institutions, try Heller and Vonnegut. For quick, light comedy, try Wodehouse. For modern science fiction humour, try Scalzi and Wells. Many have excellent audiobooks, including Stephen Fry's reading of the Hitchhiker books.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy about?
Arthur Dent escapes the destruction of Earth and travels the galaxy with Ford Prefect.
Who wrote it?
Douglas Adams.
When was it published?
1979.
How many books are in the series?
Five in the original series by Adams, plus one by Eoin Colfer.
What is the answer to life, the universe and everything?
Forty-two.
Is it a good book for beginners to science fiction?
Yes, it is funny and easy to read.
Was it a radio show first?
Yes, on BBC Radio 4.
What should I read next?
Try The Restaurant at the End of the Universe.
Is the Hitchhiker's Guide a trilogy?
It is famously called a trilogy in five parts, since there are five books.
Why is the answer forty-two?
In the story it is the answer given by a supercomputer, and the joke is that nobody knows the question.