Artemis Fowl scribe to pen sixth Hitchhiker's novel

Fans of Douglas Adams' Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy are likely to react strongly to the announcement that Artemis Fowl author Eoin Colfer has been given the green light to write a sixth book in the series - 16 years after the release of Mostly Harmless. According to the BBC, the project - entitled And Another Thing..., and …

[Robin]

Hmmm

What are the odds of that eh? Two to the...

[Jon Double Nice]

His first reaction...

was semi-outrage that anyone should be allowed to tamper with this incredible series.

Followed by loud 'ka-ching!'.

To paraphrase Mr Beeblebrox: "This is so unhip I'm surprised their bums don't fall off."

[Anonymous Coward]

Pale imitations?

I don't really know why this is happening, but maybe DA's widow is running short of funds?

Whatever the outcome I can't see how Eoin will be able to replicate Douglas's view of the universe. As I get older, I discover that so many of his thoughts turn out to be true or very nearly so. It's clear to me that the universe has vanished and been replaced by something even more bizarre and inexplicable, possibly several times and especially after a UK general election has been held.

Perhaps Mr Colfer needs some Vogon poetry read to him while he's trying to concentrate on writing....

[Neil Barnes]

I'm feeling very very depressed...

and I have this terrible pain in all the diodes down my left hand side.

No disrespect for Mr Coifer, but in fifty years reading science fiction I haven't come across a single instance[1] where alternate authors have used the original author's characters and made it work as well as the original. No reason to think it would be any better on t'radio, either...

My word, what are all those 'creatives' in the BBC doing? Aren't we paying them to come up with ideas? Not deja vu...

[1] where authors share a world, under the strict guidelines of the original author, it *sometimes* comes out readable.

Alien, because sometimes even Paris can't multiply six by nine...

[Matthew Ellen]

How?

How do you continue the series when all the characters bar Zaphod are dead?

[bobbles31]

People of Earth!

News obviously hasn't reached the publisher that the big DA is in fact dead and not merely out to lunch (missing presumed fed). I know that he had a thing for missing deadlines but really, he is not going to wander back in and put in a good afternoons work he's dead, gone, its really best not to think about it.

I bet that the boardroom at whatever publishing house it is, is full of people trying to decide what colour the new book will be.

I think that DA himself was fed up of the series, looking at the ending of Mostly Harmless he hardly left room for a follow up, having destroyed the Earth and its inhabitants in every concievable dimension throughout history. It's a wonderful cult fiction series and should respectfully remain so forever dredging it up in order to make money from the name is just wrong. Was the film not dire enough? Really? I mean honestly....just......BELGIUM is all I will say.

Aside from that all HHG fans should just pray.....anyone know any good religions?

[Steven Foster]

:o

I really, really want this to be good.

Please let it be good!

[Pete]

roughly translated

Fans of ....are likely to react strongly to the announcement...

we hope they'll buy it, no matter how much we charge

...and slated for publication in October 2009 ...

just in time for the american holidays and full-priced christmas sales in the UK

...has the "full support" of Adam's widow Jane Belson. ...

who is already looking through the latest Mercedes catalog.

... My first reaction was semi-outrage ...

then I saw the size of the advance they were offering

.... I feel more pressure to perform now

so I can go for another one after this

... having sold around 16 million copies worldwide

and times are tough - with luck I'll be able to chuck this writing lark

and retire

[Anonymous Coward]

FTFY

"Adam's widow Jane Belson ... enthused: 'I am delighted at this opportunity to make a shit load of money.'"

"Colfer, 43, admitted: 'My first reaction was semi-outrage ... But on reflection I realised that this is a wonderful opportunity to make a shit load of money.'"

[Dapprman]

Considering ...

... how hard Douglas Adams tried to kill of the series (I won't say how the 5th book in the trilogy ended) I'm very surprised his widow has given the go-ahead for this one.

I think this may become one juju-flop situation.

[dervheid]

There are some things...

better left alone. This is one of them.

I hope it doesn't turn out like the many other follow-ups to great works by now deceased authors (The 'Dune' series, James Bond series, to name a couple), tarnishing the memory of these great works.

I've read the Artemis Fowl Books (yes, I KNOW they're aimed at kids, but DILLIGAF), and Eoin Colfer is a talented writer, but for pity's sake, leave well alone.

[R M]

Fantastic!

I for one, look forward to this. I'd be surprised if another author could capture Adams' style though. I haven't come across one yet.

[Anonymous Coward]

Oh well

At least it can't be worse than Mostly Harmless. Such a horrible thing to do just to stop the fans asking for more.

[Marvin the Martian]

Well..

Anything to make us forget that incredibly crappy fifth book, really.

[Simon Smith]

By the Great Prophet Zarquon...

...I hope it's better than the film!!!

[Fogcat]

Why?

Just why do we NEED another HHGTG book? Surely it couldn't just be for sordid commercial reasons only? Could it?

[Chris Collins]

Hmm

Considering Mr Adams didn't want to write fourth book, let alone a fifth, I fail to see how Mr Coilfer can justify his enthusiasm. How is he going to recreate the universe to repopulate it with our favourite characters without Arthur waking up to find Patrick Duffy in the shower? Let's milk these suckers for money whilst I crimp one off into Douglas's coffin.

[Steven Raith]

Salmon of Doubt

So is this sixth book going to be entirely clean slate in terms of the existing drafts for a 'potential sixth hitchhikers book, or a dirk gently novel' which were published in Salmon of Doubt, or will it be based around some of the aforementioned partially started work?

I think I'll have to buy this just so I can have an opinion on it...

Steven R

[Andy]

Ew.

Does anyone really think that another author can duplicate Adams' style? It seems a shoddy, ridiculous notion. (And I bet the manuscript turns up on deadline too. Pah.)

I'd like to think that the Earth will develop a slight eccentricity in its orbit due to Adams' spinning in his grave...

[John Chadwick]

Outrage, what Outrage?

I doubt anyone can actually replace Douglas Adams, or imitate his style, any more that you could Terry Pratchett's or any of many other loved authors, but it doesn't mean you shouldn't build on their ideas and world with your own.

I'm personally looking forward to seeing how you follow up on "So Long and Thanks for all the Fish". Perhaps we could even have a new Dirk Gently.

So long as Eoin doesn't try to be Douglas Adams and develops the character with his own style, we could have some good reads.

Go for it.

[Anonymous Coward]

Um

Doesn't he write kids books? Isn't that a bit like asking JK Rowling to write something original and interesting? To be fair though, mostly harmless wasn't exactly brilliant was it? Exhume Douglas, add a bit of necromancy and get him writing the 3rd Dirk Gently novel, I gotta fever and I need more Thor (or Cowbell).

[Rasczak]

Series ?

The BBC got this wrong as well. It is not The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Series, it is The Hitchhikers's Guide to the Galaxy Trilogy.

[Alan Fisher]

NO NO NO!!

Douglas Adams closed off all possibility of the series continuing in Mostly Harmless; in all realities, that was the entire point! My Juvenilise a very good series of books I ask?

Leave it where it naturally ended and that should be that.

I won't be buying this book personally because as far as I'm concerned, Douglas Adams ended the series once and for all......this author should hang up his typewriter and leave the dead in peace

[Eddie Edwards]

Do not want

And that's my considered knee-jerk reaction.

[Sir Runcible Spoon]

I think this is a good thing

After all, he can't re-write the old ones and cock them up, so there's nothing to lose.

and I for one would like to welcome our depressed android overlords.

[Richard]

Rhubarb rhubarb!

Why resurrect this completed series? Seriously, it should be left alone. I suppose this Colfer chap seems to have the right attitude, but it's still unnecessary.

Nobody better try to do this to the Discworld series, once Pratchett eventually succumbs to his alzheimer's, or else I'm going to be really pissed.

[Xander]

Wait, what?

But the bird thing... the earth... it was destroyed in all possible timelines. I remember, the last book ruined the series, killing of the girl from book 4 in the opening sentence (almost) and then categorically blowing up the earth, rendering the whole series utterly pointless.

[Dave Gregory]

Please...

Can't we just let it end. What is the obsession with sequel after sequel? If you're a good author WRITE SOMETHING ORIGINAL!!

[Anonymous Coward]

Stupid idea

"Nothing travels faster than the speed of light with the possible exception of bad news, which obeys its own special laws."

[Dave Ross]

Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!

Surely it would have been better to have continued the Dirk Gently novels?

[Anonymous Coward]

Unfortunate.

He's buggered now. Even if he writes a stellar work that's indistinguishable from DNA's originals, people will still slate it on the basis that he isn't Douglas Adams.

Also, when has doing this EVER WORKED WELL?

[Alan]

Why???

I'm really not sure about this, the 3rd & 4th radio series were not at all good. And Mostly Harmless wasn't really up to much.

Are we going to have the Sci-Fi equivalent of Virginia Andrews, with other writers continuing the series writing under a dead person's name...

[Nick Palmer]

Well, not to put TOO fine a point on it...

Vol 5 was pretty ropey, IMO, and it's entirely possible that Colfer'll make a decent fist of it. Of course it's also possible that as soon as he types the first word, he'll suffer a total existence failure, that the vacuum created by the improbability will cause the solar system to compress to the size of a shaddock, and that the sun will be eaten by a small iguana. Still, worse things happen at sea, eh? Drink up...

[Anonymous Coward]

What would Marvin say?

<marvin>

I won't enjoy it

</marvin>

[Anonymous Coward]

not a big fan

the series was ok I suppose, just nothing too clever in it.

Why flog a dead horse, let's have something new.

[Duckorange]

I hereby volunteer...

... to take over the Flashman series before anybody else gets the chance to bugger it up.

[Anonymous Coward]

The 6th book already exists...

...it's at the bottom of a locked filing cabinet, stuck in a disused lavatory, with a sign on the door saying “Beware of the Leopard."

[Paul R]

Obviously

someone has run out of money and needs a few more Ningies to finally get that Pugh.

Pan Galactic Gargle Blasters all round.

[Andrew Tyler]

Nooooo.....

Let him write one in the Hitchhiker universe, like all of the other knock-off fantasy books, but leave the original storyline and characters be. Given Adams' untimely demise, the ending of Mostly Harmless is a perfect conclusion to the series.

[Paul Buxton]

I'd much prefer...

...someone to finish the Dirk Gently novel that we read a bit of in The Salmon of Doubt.

H2G2 is complete and doesn't require anymore input - all of the loose ends have been tied up: "Options collapsed, possibilities folded into each other, and the whole at last resolved itself out of existence."

[DZ-Jay]

Couldn't resist, uh?

Had to milk the franchise one more time? Couldn't let the old chap lie in peace? Perhaps it should be titled "Mostly Spent".

-dZ.

[Ferry Boat]

Is nothing sacred?

Russell the Crowe to play Bill Hicks. Some bloke to write another Hitchhiker book. It some bird related plot to take over the things we love. First a Crow now some foul Fowl thing. I'll be pulling their dead bodies out of the wire mesh on the landdrover windscreen before this is over I know I will. Is that the sound of bombs or of jets crashing?

[Wize]

There must be lots this already

Most major sci-fi works have their fan-fiction. Someone who likes the work writing something similar. It will just be a published bit of fan fiction.

[Anonymous Coward]

Space Wizards School

I hope its set in space wizards school!

[Daniel Turner]

I'm so scared

I love HHGTTG, if he screws it up I'll cry :'(

[Mr Fury]

Adams did want to do another

Adams had planned on doing a 6th H2G2 book as 'Mostly Harmless' was somewhat influenced by a relationship going titsup, and he wanted to make it up to the fans by having a less depressing end to the trilogy.

After all, Arthur Dent had a hard enough fictional life, without his creator taking out his frustrations upon him too.

So whilst I'm wary, I'll give it a chance.

[Nemo Metis]

Need I mention..

the travesty that occured some ten years ago when the Hacks Twain (Kevin J Anderson and Brian Herbert) got hold of a really bad idea to start fiddling around in the Dune universe? This idea stinks.

Flames, because that is what will be left of the book on it's launch

[Anonymous Coward]

interesting

how will he start this off given that all of the characters ceased to exist at the end of the last book.

[Richard Harris]

Possible Scenario

How about Arthur is re-incarnated as the first Agrajag? Over the lifetimes, his name morphs from Arthur to Agrajag, and irony of irony, he's killing/killed / will kill (I hate future-past-present tenses when time isn't linear!) himself each time!

Royalies please!

[Anonymous Coward]

Oi I said "Noooooooooooooooooo"

Hmmmm, I think the fifth book was pushing it, was a big of teh 5th book at all.

If it was a Dirk Gentle book I would be more interested.

I was dissapointed with the film, I cnat see this being any different.

I didnt mind the salmon of doubt, i wasnt interested in t he semi started book, but in the collection of DNA's other writtings.

If they need to make money, how about actual reprinting some of the old stuff that you cant get anymore, like "last chance to see", I would love a copy of this, it was just so wonderfully written.

Sigh

[Anonymous Coward]

@People of Earth!

Nah, they probably think DA's spending a few years dead due to tax reasons....

[Hayden Clark]

He won't work hard enough

The reason why the Trilogy was so good is that DA sweated over every single word of it. He was obsessional about getting things to read right (that's why the Radio series is so good) - not many authors will do this.

How can you better this (read it in Peter Jones' voice):

"Several billion tons of exploding Hydrogen nuclei rose above the horizon and succeeded in looking small, cold, and slightly damp"

Sounds like Wales to me!

Remember, one book he typeset himself on his Mac, and found himself re-writing sentences to make them lay out more pleasingly on the page. That obsessional.

[Martin Winchester]

Would somebody please...

Would somebody please, feed the Author, manuscript and the Suit responsible for this dreadful idea to the Ravenous Bugblatter Beast of Trall...?

Failing that... steal the manuscript, lock it in a filing cabinet, lock the filing cabinet in a disused lavatory, stick a sign on the door saying beware of the leopard and finally remove the light.

This by the way is just culture shock... wait till I get my bearings, then i'll start complaining...

Paris... because she has a terrible pain in all the diodes down her left hand side...

[Anonymous Coward]

Don't do it

The original story was a trilogy told on 5 parts. Telling it in 6 parts would be plain daft.

[Owen Williams]

Spinning in his earn

It's my heart held belief that Douglas Adams fell off his exercise bike because he hated what Hollywood were doing to his film.

Let him lie.

[Anonymous Coward]

Wibble

I teleported home one night

With Eoin and Jane and Meg.

Eoin stole Adam's heart away

And I got Jane's leg.

[Anonymous Coward]

I've just re-read DAs Reg obituary from 2001

I may be miss reading, but in a section he is quoted trying to deny he invented the internet (at least in concept) when clearly he did, in his efforts to distract from the subject in hand, he pretty much invented what we would now call an Iphone 3G. It's not a massive leap of logic to liken H2G2 to Wikipedia I guess either.

Sure, 2001 wasn't that long ago, but we were still some way off mobile internet devices with GPS built in.

It would also appear from the comments in here that he also predicted a posthumos cash in on his creations and tried to ensure he burnt every bridge possible to prevent it from happening.

As he was a ardent athiest, I can only hope that he isn't looking down on it all with disgust, and is in fact just dead.

[Ralph B]

Artemis Fowl and the Greedy Plagiarist

I wonder how he would like it if some money-grabbing 2nd-rate hack decided - oh so modestly and reluctantly - to extend the Artemis Fowl series.

DNA being dead doesn't make this right, Mr. Colfer.

[Dan]

4 Radio shows, 5.1 books, 2 tv series and a slightly dodjy film

Just for the record.

The original story was a radio show, which has the dubious honor of having both the first publication, and in the more recent radio continuation, the last publication of the story.

The radio series continues beyond the destruction of all the parallel earths by the guide 2.0....

It is not exactly giving it away that there is the basis for a continuation. It is though pointless as you will never get the style right. A book about an ancillary character maybe.

[Anonymous Coward]

NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO

Its like putting a ronnie on the Mona Lisa. Leave it the fuck alone.

Colfers is not Qualified to do this on many fronts. Adams and Colfer Share the same agent and this is the result. I happen to know Colfer and did Know Adams (both loosely). Colfer is no Adams. Thats for sure. Eions books for kids are fine, But this is not a kids book and it requires a complex mind and understanding of Scifi and Science. Not to mention narcotics. It also need someone who have suffererd from depression over the years to write. Im horrified, Is Mrs Adams needed a few quid she could have tapped the fans in other ways. This seems to be a totally mercanary effort.

No I've lost my towel.

[GrahamT]

While you're at it...

Why not write a few more Shakespeare plays, a couple of Dickens novels and Lord of the Rings part 4 - "The Return of the Ring"?

Doh! I despair. Why not leave well alone?

[Mark Errington]

@ Martin Winchester

... and finally remove the light. And the stairs.

I total agree. Bad, bad idea. Don't do it. Please !

The film was so bad I almost walked out (decided to come back for the wife and son !). No one can do Hitchhikers like DNA. Leave it alone.

Mine's the one with the electronic thumb in the pocket.

[Kaal Alexander Rosser]

We apologise for the inconvenience...

I guess he'll take up the story from where it finishes in the radio adaptation of Mostly Harmless. In order to be not quite so depressing, the ending changed - or, at least, extended... It was a bit deus ex machina, but it was a happier ending.

I'm in two minds about whether this is a good idea, I'm even more ambivalent about the choice of author (never read the Artemis Fowl books as they never appealed) but as I'm sure they'll go ahead despite the fan-base's reservations I'll reserve judgement until the piece is produced.

I just hope that they don't end up having to release a statement, post-publication, along the lines of the title...

[Hig Hurtenflurst]

Leave me out of it!

Didn't even make those derivative books!

<ahem/>

[Neil]

All this vitriol...

And I bet you all still buy it. I know I will, even though I'm unsure on the whole thing.

[Andy Worth]

Re:Series ?

"The BBC got this wrong as well. It is not The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Series, it is The Hitchhikers's Guide to the Galaxy Trilogy."

Funny trilogy......A trilogy implies 3 parts but there are already 5 parts to the Hitchhikers series.

[Dave Ross]

Drink up...

the world's about to end...

[Anonymous Coward]

Pratchett instead of Colfer

They should have gotten Terry Pratchet to do this, maybe finish off the work started by DA which was shown in the 'Salmon of Doubt'.

Terry is the only man I believe to be capable of capturing or replicating DA's unique perception and style.

Nobody else comes close.

[Anonymous Coward]

@Andy Worth

"Funny trilogy......A trilogy implies 3 parts but there are already 5 parts to the Hitchhikers series."

That's the whole point. The compendiums have "A trilogy in 5 parts" proudly displayed on the cover!

[Jonny F]

Belgium Man, Belgium!

But in a good way.

I too see trees of green and skies of blue.

[Thomas]

To all those that think this book has a hope in helll..

3 words:

Kevin

J.

Anderson

'Nuff said =/

[Rasczak]

@ Andy Worth

<quote>

Funny trilogy......A trilogy implies 3 parts but there are already 5 parts to the Hitchhikers series.

</quote>

Exactly

[Anonymous Coward]

Salmon of Doubt

It's been mentioned that the above title was a bit ropey.

I thought that had something to do with DNA dying before he'd finished the thing.

Deeply stupid idea though.

[Paul]

No. No no no no no.

Besides, if they're going to *properly* do justice to the spirit of HHGG, it can't possibly be completed in a year or less. It's not a proper Douglas Adams book unless the publisher's having cold sweats about those deadlines whooshing past. :)

[Krud]

I think you ought to know I'm feeling very depressed

Here's what I quoted when I found out about this:

"You barbarians! I'll sue the council for every penny it's got! I'll have you hung, drawn, and quartered! And whipped! And boiled! Until... until... until you've had enough. And then I will do it again! And when I've finished I will take all the little bits, and I will JUMP on them! And I will carry on jumping on them until I get blisters, or I can think of anything even more unpleasant to do..."

At least Eoin had the decency to feel mild outrage at first. I personally wouldn't want to be known as the guy who dug up this storyline's grave and desecrated it, but perhaps he figured if he didn't do it, they'd get someone else who would, and he didn't want that on his conscience either. (Because let's face it, if he'd said "no", the publishers wouldn't have gone, "Oh, well, that's that, I suppose.")

[Anonymous Coward]

I think you ought to know I'm feeling very depressed

Here's what I quoted when I found out about this:

"You barbarians! I'll sue the council for every penny it's got! I'll have you hung, drawn, and quartered! And whipped! And boiled! Until... until... until you've had enough. And then I will do it again! And when I've finished I will take all the little bits, and I will JUMP on them! And I will carry on jumping on them until I get blisters, or I can think of anything even more unpleasant to do..."

At least Eoin had the decency to feel mild outrage at first. I personally wouldn't want to be known as the guy who dug up this storyline's grave and desecrated it, but perhaps he figured if he didn't do it, they'd get someone else who would, and he didn't want that on his conscience either. (Because let's face it, if he'd said "no", the publishers wouldn't have gone, "Oh, well, that's that, I suppose.")

[Anonymous Coward]

I'll take the "Wait and See" approach

> How do you continue the series when all the characters bar Zaphod are dead?

They're not. You didn't listen to the radio series in completion, did you?

Yes, I'm aware of "The Salmon of Doubt" too. It doesn't count as it appears to be a Dirk Gently novel.

In any case, Like many others I'll approach this with a wait and see. I do enjoy the trilogy (or pentalogy, if that's a valid word), and sadly, I kinda liked the movie too (I actually bought the soundtrack CD and put a copy of it on my MP3 player which I listen to every now and then). I also agree that Terry Pratchett would probably be a better choice for this project. Heck, I don't even like the name Artemis Foul!

Thumb. Because apparently the effects of the LHC, which includes the disruption of time, space and all sensibilities of mankind, is starting to manifest itself. Still, I'll wait and see.

[Anonymous Coward]

October 2009

If this actually makes it out by October 2009 it will be a travesty. To be written true to the spirit of DNA at least seven deadlines must be missed consecutively.

[Pete Spicer]

Another thought

I like Artemis Fowl. I love HHGG. But I just can't see Coifer doing the job properly; his style just isn't in it.

There is only one author that IMHO could *possibly* step up to the plate: Jasper Fforde. The style of writing in The Eyre Affair et al is very much like Adams'.

Fforde definitely has the imagination and the scope to do it justice, but I can't see how either he or Coifer could pull it off unless they pull a Lucas and reinvent some of the details.

[Daniel Krza]

So where ...

... is Webster Phreaky, demanding that we beware of the Leopard?

[J]

Just wrong...

Wrong, wrong, wrong... Evil even. Write something new, would you?

[fords]

If they insist on doing this...

...I second Terry Pratchett. Nobody else comes close to DNA's style.

However. Do I think that the idea is bad? Yes!

Will I buy the book anyway? Probably :-/

[Colin Wilson]

Stop moaning !

No, i'd probably prefer them to leave it as is too, but if you haven't read DA's "Last Chance To See" I can highly recommend it :-)

(I think at least one of the species covered is now officially extinct :-( )

[Dave McKewan]

Smoking spin....

All we need now is to attach some diodes (a la Dilbert) to where ever DA is buried and we'd solve the world's engery problems for good. For sure DA is spinning quite well by now.

WTF! Leave well alone!

Paris, because *even* she isn't so stupid to try this on for size.

[Andy Taylor]

Am I alone?

I liked the film, it was yet another different telling of the story, with most of the "new" plot devices and characters actually written by DNA himself.

I'm not too sure about this book idea though.

[Anonymous Coward]

LHC

Hopefully the LHC will be up to full speed before the 6th book is out, the world will be turned inside out and we'll be plunged into a parallel universe where sequels of dead author's works are banned.

[wsm]

Started off wrong already

They've even chosen a lame title. DA himself, caught off-guard during an interview, said he would call a sixth novel, "...well, something else." Which is what this will be--something other than a DA work.

[Anonymous Coward]

Brain the size of a planet ...

but even Marvin isn't THAT paranoid to write a new book

I think that both Belson and Colfer have been drinking one too many pan-galactic gargle blasters and have started up that bloody computer again to re-calculate the meaning of life, the universe and everything monetary (yes, it ran windows 98 second edition if you MUST know!)

[Anonymous Coward]

Nooooo!!!!!!!!!!

After being suckered and buying the new Dune abominations, there's no way I'll buy this. Maybe I'll download it, but I'm really not interested - It's not written by DNA, therefore it can't be a hitchhiker book. Not interested. This abomination is not getting my money.

I wouldn't be suprised if they approached Terry Pratchet first, he does seem like the logical choice, but unfortunately for their bank accounts Terry had a modicum of integrity and told them no.

@ "It's not a massive leap of logic to liken H2G2 to Wikipedia I guess either."

Where it's inaccurate, it is at least "definitively inaccurate"

[Brian Meehan]

froopy

I have been a fan of HHG2TG for years, and my 9-year old is currently burning thru the fowl books.

I am looking forward to turning him on to the Hitch Hikers trilogy's six (or more) books.

[Anonymous Coward]

The whole concept

Is an abomination. Sacrelige I tells ya!!!

[Anonymous Coward]

DON'T PANIC

Reading all the moaning coming from the esteemed writers above I have two words for you all:

DON'T PANIC

It could be an utter pile of stinking poo; but until it comes out lets just chill out.

[James]

Weve already had a DNA book written by someone else...

The truely awful tome that is starship titanic. Set in the H2G2 universe, this book went along side the monumentally champion game, but was written by Monty Pythons Terry Jones.

This books existance upsets me. I've never hated reading a book so much in my life, other than maybe the bible, and im a SERIOUSLY huge DNA fan.

Poor chap, h2g2 episode 6 will never ever be accepted because DNA isnt here to give approval.

However, we all know we'll all buy it. Blatantly need to know how much it sucks for ourselves.

Paris because even she disgrees with this book.

[Stuart]

O Freddled gruntbugglies

"maybe DA's widow is running short of funds?"

I'm sure that's the only reason. It's a ghastly idea, so stupid it could have come from the mind of the Ravenous Bugblatter Beast of Traal itself. I bear the would-be author no ill-will, but I hope that this abomination ends up rotting like a pair of fetid dingo kidneys on the desk of the Complaints Division. To the would-be publishers, all I have to say is SHARE AND ENJOY, or at least the top half of that phrase.

[Bob Ginger]

Ambivalent, but mainly against...

It was plain that by the end of "Mostly Harmless", DA was kackered, pissed-off and sick of just cranking the handle.

In "So Long and Thanks For All the Fish", he snipes briefly at authors who pad their text with tedious, superflous description. In "Mostly Harmless", he was doing this himself, in great, inelegant, indigestible chunks. I reckon he just wanted to:

a) Hit the word count

...and...

b) Wrap the whole thing up in a non-resurrectable manner and move onto something new.

Maybe, a new author, not being so jaded, *could* inject some fresh thinking, and that might not be such a bad thing... But, I do feel that the whole thing has been done to death, especially by the originator, so the main good that will come will be in the form of royalty cheques to the Colfer fellow & the DA estate.

My vote, on the whole, is to let it lie.

[Anonymous Coward]

Well here's one HGGTG fan that won't be buying it

because I'll be downloading the ebook off the torrents out of sheer spite to the cashmongers who chose to thus desecrate DA's memory!

[Anonymous Coward]

@James

Actually i quite liked Starship Titanic - at least it did not pretend to be a H2G2 book, simple set amongst a thrown-away plot line.

I'm bemused by some of the comments here. The BBC already tweaked the plot line of "Mostly Harmless" to provide a happy ending yet i did not hear too much outrage at that.

I for one will be keeping an open mind on this. Yes, i probably will buy the book out of sheer curiosity, but i will not cast judgement upon it until i have read it.

As for the suggestions that 'Lord' Pratchett should be the chosen author...I would much prefer he focus what remaining time he has on Discworld.

[Edward]

The end is nigh

Ok so you're going to have a tough time believing this but the universe ended long ago and all survived was a hologram that subsisted purely on human imagination. It is now fading and flickering as we run out of ideas - globally. Look at the cinema. All we seem to be getting is rehashing, extending and re-interpreting the wonders of old. All Marvel characters have been resurrected, some of these many times over. The classics, written ages ago by truly creative people, have been turned into film because hardly anyone can dream up a new storyline any more. Richard Matheson's masterpiece 'I am legend' became a film, then another 2 (the 28 days/months duo) that didn't even acknowledge the original.

Now we try to revive the DNA legacy by resorting to a living (all a hologram though, remember?) writer, albeit a very capable one. I know I'll read it because although I knew the Hollywood movie of H2G2 would be shite I needed a fix. I confirmed that it was terrible when I paid to see it but still went out and bought the DVD when it was released. Some fans are sick/suckers in that way. It won't be long now. When the last original idea runs out the whole place will vanish without so much as a Big Un-bang. In this and other realities.

[Astarte]

Svlad Cjelli will be waiting for him

If you can't succeed something, precede it. Maybe the new book will be a sort of prequel to the story, possibly similar to 'Young Zaphod Plays it Safe'. In any event the great publishing house of Encyclopedia Galatica will be employing Dirk Gently to keep an eye on things.

I wish the book good luck - if it's not very good it won't sell very well. Simple.

[Anonymous Coward]

if he is such a fan ...

Colfer is claiming to be a fan of the series and of DNA.

If you are a fan and know anything about DNA you would know that he ended the series and didn't want to write anymore and there shouldn't anymore.

And no one, NOT ONE single writer in the entire history of the world can recreate or even come close to DNA's writing. I hope the people who decided that this book (and not the digital watches) are a good a idea, will get their ar*es handed to them on a fiery stick.

[Anonymous Coward]

Nothing wrong with fanfiction...

But being paid for it is bad form.

Mine's the one with the 1st draft of the Zaphod/Ford epic in the pocket *1

*1 It isn't really. Everyone knows it's Zaphod/Arthur. *2

*2 On second thoughts, there may actually be lots wrong with fanfiction.

[Glyn Heatley]

Goosnargh

That says it all really.

[Daniel B.]

Re: Adams did want to do another

Basically this would be the reason I'd actually buy a sixth H2G2 book. I just didn't like the 6th book, it wasn't that DA was tired of the series, it was more about DA being in "Marvin mode" when he wrote Mostly Harmless. Too bad the 6th one (NOT a Dirk Gentle book, even DA said it!) didn't quite make it before DA's death...

[Chika]

You have all missed the point!

wHollyWeird has already realised that it can make easy money out of revising hits and cult classics. You don't need to put any effort into thinking up new ideas and even the disapproving fans will have a look if only because they will want to be able to say "I saw it, and it was crap". All that the Beeb and company are doing is following the Merkan example.

Heh