Job Discussion Forums

nik_knack0828 · Joined: 15 Oct 2003 Posts: 109 Location: Chengde, PRC

I have been waiting months for someone to mention Douglas Adams.
You've gotta love that man. Amazing work.
Died WAY before his time. Sad

I would kill to find out his plans for the "Rhino" book (his next book). I read the beginning. It's intriguing, but too disapointing, at the same time. It's contained with a group of writings called "One Last Time Around the Galaxy" or maybe "Hitchhiking the Galaxy One Last Time" or something similar (I'm so ashamed, how could I have forgotten?). I read it last summer. Very good.
Anyone read Last Chance to See?
Another good one. It's non fiction, which makes it extra interesting.
I would kill for a babel fish right now. Just once I wish I could hear what these Chinese are saying about me while jabbering on and pointing.
Douglas Adams was a visionary. He was brilliant. He was hilarious.

If anyone really wants to read his work (AND YOU SHOULD) but is stuck in a country where it's just not viable option. Where you can't run down to the local bookstore and pick up a copy of HGTTG. You can download them from Kazaa. I know for a fact they're there.
Alas, I forgot my copy at home in Canada, and on a whim one day, I searched and I found. You may even download them from me (just till I get back home Embarassed

).
But once you are in liberal and free country, please (if you enjoyed the stories) pick up a copy on paper in support of his family and spirit.

*Can anyone suggest someone with a similar writing style? I know D.A. was one of a kind, but I love that British humour. Any ideas where I can find more?

Will. · Joined: 02 May 2003 Posts: 783 Location: London Uk

The author of the most useful acronym I have ever used.
SEP

nolefan · Joined: 14 Jan 2004 Posts: 1458 Location: on the run

did you read "Animal Farm" by Gerge Orwell? he is not british but the style is fairly close to D.A ( at least in that book)

>>We're the generation swine....a rat race..from outa space...gonna blow your mind.... >>Motley Crue<<

sidjameson · Joined: 11 Jan 2004 Posts: 629 Location: osaka

Nolefan. Orwell is THE greatest politcal writer to ever come out of Britain. Please we don't have too much to be proud of on this wet and cold lump of rock at the more unfashionable end of the Northern Atlantic, don't take George away from us.
Umm Animal Farm close to HGTTG?? Never heard that before.

lozwich · Joined: 25 May 2003 Posts: 1536

Hiyas,

Coming into this one a bit late, but here goes...

The original question was 'What is the answer to the ultimate question of life, the universe and everything?'. That's why they built the computer in the first place. But then in prehistoric earth, the question turned out to be what Denise said (or something very much like it).

I *love* Douglas Adams' writing. I love that he said the Vogon ships hung in the air in much the same way that bricks don't. I don't even know if I still own all the books anymore, but I think they got sold off in the great unloading of 2003.

Not that I've read much of his work, but sometimes I find Terry Pratchett a little Adamsian.. And also (increasingly less frequently) listening to Michael Palin narratives in his documentaries...

Ok. Off to be all nostalgic now...

Have a good day.
Lozwich.

nik_knack0828 · Joined: 15 Oct 2003 Posts: 109 Location: Chengde, PRC

Yeah, I've read Animal Farm. Good book, You gotta love Orwell.
But it's not quite the same humour, you know. Did enjoy it, and thanks for the suggestion. Smile

Aramas · Posted: Tue Mar 30, 2004 9:18 pm Post subject:

I rather liked the Dirk Gently books too.

Now I'll just switch on my personal SEP field and vanish Smile

nolefan · Joined: 14 Jan 2004 Posts: 1458 Location: on the run

Mea culpa... Embarassed

I don't usually pay attention to nationality when I read, so I always assumed that orwell was from the states..... Embarassed

I read both books in French at first so maybe the translated works came out a little different than the original. I just got HGTTG in english off of Kazaa so I will read it again and find out.

IMHO, I believe that they are similar in style but then again, what do I know? The politics in Douglas Adams' work are more subtle than in Orwell's.

been_there · Joined: 28 Oct 2003 Posts: 284 Location: 127.0.0.1

I liked the Dirk Gently series better than HGTTG...

*ducks*

Atlas · Joined: 09 Jun 2003 Posts: 662 Location: By-the-Sea PRC

Dirk Gently: Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency, Long Dark Teatime of the Soul. Shame he never wrote more! Electric monks....

Orwell was a craftsman and a brilliant political thinker. Adams is nowhere near his caliber, and couldn't write himself out of his own corners. But I've read a hell of a lot more Adams than Orwell!

Has anyone ever run into themselves at the end of the universe? How awkward!

PS as a former valet parker I often thought about the sheer hell Marvin must have endured all those hundreds? thousands? of years he did that. What a hero!

Mike_2003 · Joined: 27 Mar 2003 Posts: 344 Location: Bucharest, Romania

I used to have a link to a page where you could download the Hitchhikers series AND the whole of the LOTR in pdf format. Sadly I've lost it now...

waxwing · Joined: 29 Jun 2003 Posts: 719 Location: China

..And let's not forget the name of the man who invented the fjords Wink

It'd be fun trying to explain why that was funny to some of my students Smile

steampig · Joined: 27 Oct 2003 Posts: 28

Belgium! Ha ha the censor didn't catch that one! Sorry to be so offensive, too many pan galactic gargle blasters.

latefordinner · Joined: 19 Aug 2003 Posts: 973

Pratchett's humour is similar to Adam's but imho he's a stronger, more flexible writer. Each of his Discworld books shows something new. I shipped a box full of Discworld novels to China a few weeks ago, I can hardly wait until some of my friends reads _Interesting Times_.
Has anyone else read any of Orwell's more serious works? _Road to Wigan Pier_, perhaps? No comparison.

johnslat · Posted: Wed Mar 31, 2004 10:15 pm Post subject:

Dear latefordinner,
I've read them all (I think), except for "A Clergyman's Daughter". "1984" and "Animal Farm" both have "legs" - who can say for how long they'll continue to be read? Centuries? Millennia? Of his other "more serious work", "The Road to Wigan's Pier" and "Down and Out in Paris and London" are both stunningly good - the latter, especially, made a lasting impresion on me. And his essays are all wonderfully done ("Politics and the English Language" is a classic - not surprising for the man who coined the term "doublespeak"). Much of his work seems more and more relevant today, as "Big Brother" appears to be becoming more and more of a reality. Let's all hope that the future Orwell envisioned so chillingly in "1984" never comes to pass.
Regards,
John