Did you hear about this? He died of a heart attack last night.

I'm speechless. How incredibly awful.

-- Anonymous, May 12, 2001

Answers

Bumping this onto the new replies list or no one will ever see it.

-- Anonymous, May 12, 2001

Will I look like a complete ass if I admit I cried?

Salon is my start page, when I sign online. It's listed under the newswire stories. I just sat there, looking at "'Hitchhiker' Douglas Adams dead at 49," and I was horrified.

He's too young. He didn't write any more Dirk Gently books. He was smart and funny. He was the author who started me down the slippery slope to science fiction and fantasy. It's been a long time since I've picked up any of his books, but he has been, forever, a model and motivation and inspiration and ideal.

And, goddamit. I cried.

-- Anonymous, May 12, 2001

I didn't cry. But I almost did when I told my sister he had died. I am so sad. I have to read a Dirk Gently story now.

-- Anonymous, May 12, 2001

:(

[quoting]

They rounded the foot of Quentulus Quazgar Mountains, and there was the message written in blazing letters along the crest of the Mountain. There was a little observation vantage point with a rail built along the top of a large rock facing it, from which you could get a good view. It had a little pay-telescope for looking at the letters in detail, but no one would ever use it because the letters burned with the divine brilliance of the heavens and would, if seen through a telescope, have severely damaged the retina and the optic nerve. They gazed at God's Final Message in wonderment, and were slowly and ineffably filled with a great sense of peace, and of final and complete understanding.

Fenchruch sighed. 'Yes,' she said, 'that was it.'

They had been staring at ut for fully ten minutes before they became aware that Marvin, hanging between their shoulders, was in difficulties. The robot could no longer lift his head, had not read the message. They lifted his head, but he complained that his vision circuits had almost gone.

They found a coin and helped him to the telescope. He complained and insulted them, but they helped him look at each individual letter in turn. The first letter was a 'w', the second an 'e'. Then there was a gap. An 'a' follow, then a 'p', an 'o' and an 'l'.

Marvin paused for a rest. After a few moments they resumed and let him see the 'o', the 'g', the 'i', the 's', and the 'e'.

The next two words were 'for' and 'the'. The last one was a long on, and Marvin needed another rest before he could tackle it.

It started with 'i', then 'n' then a 'c'. Next came an 'o' and an 'n', followed by a 'v', an 'e', another 'n', and an 'i'.

After a final pause, Marvin gathered his strength for the last stretch.

He read the 'e', the 'n', the 'c' and at last the final 'e', and staggered back into their arms.

'I think', he muttered at last, from deep within his corroding rattling thorax, 'I feel good about it.'

The lights went out in his eyes for absolutely the very last time ever.

Luckily, there was a stall nearby where you could rent scooters from guys with green wings.

-- Anonymous, May 12, 2001

I have to retrieve my Hitchhiker's Guide and re-read it. I had all of the radio episodes on tape for a long time (not purchased, taped from NPR when there wasn't an edition available to BE purchased), and mostly memorized.

I hadn't read any of Adams's other works, but Hitchhiker's Guide was a significant part of my growing up.

And I always wondered if it was just me who caught the pun in the radio narrator's descripton of Trillian as "a rather nice astrophysicist."

-- Anonymous, May 12, 2001

Amended: I mean, I read all of the books in the HG series, but not his others.

-- Anonymous, May 12, 2001

Wow. This sucks. I havent read his books in a long time, but like the rest of yinz I loved Hitchikers Gruide growing up.

-- Anonymous, May 12, 2001

I'm completely heart-broken. He was as close to a free-thinker as our modern society will ever create. We are all lessened by his untimely passing.

Also, Michael, you simply *must* read the Dirk Gently books. They are amazing works of logic thought.

-- Anonymous, May 14, 2001

I suppose I can stop holding my breath for book six of the HG trilogy... very sad...

-- Anonymous, May 14, 2001

P lanetary tribute to Hitch Hiker author as Arthurdent named

-- Anonymous, May 16, 2001