Risingshadow
Speculative Fiction Books
  • About
    • Home
    • Articles
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of Service
    • Staff Members
    • Newsletter
    • Finnish (FI)
  • Books
    • New Releases
    • Coming Soon
    • Books of the Year
    • Bookshelves Activity
    • Recently Added
    • Advanced Search
    • Reviews / Comments
    • Genres and Tags
    • * Submit Book
  • Community
    • Discussions
    • - Recent Messages
    • - Recent Topics
    • - Hot Topics
    • - Popular Topics
    • - Search
    • CHALLENGES
    • - Reading Challenge
    • - Book Trivia Quiz
  • Home
  • Books
  • Douglas Adams
  • The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
  • Mostly Harmless

Mostly Harmless

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy #5 / 6
by Douglas Adams
Mostly Harmless (The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy #5) by Douglas Adams
★ 7.18 / 41
11231435126271689610

It’s easy to get disheartened when your planet has been blown up, the woman you love has vanished due to a misunderstanding about space/time, the spaceship you are on crashes on a remote and Bob-fearing planet, and all you have to fall back on are a few simple sandwich-making skills. However, instead of being disheartened, Arthur Dent makes the terrible mistake of starting to enjoy life a bit – and immediately all hell breaks loose.

Hell takes a number of forms: there’s the standard Ford Prefect version, in the shape of an all-new edition of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, and a totally unexpected manifestation in the form of a teenage girl who startles Arthur Dent by being his daughter when he didn’t even know he had one.

Can Arthur save the Earth from total multidimensional obliteration? Can he save the Guide from a hostile alien takeover? Can he save his daughter, Random, from herself? Of course not. He never works out exactly what is going on. Will you?

Amazon: Check Best Offer

Science FictionHumorArtificial Intelligence
Release date: 1992

Book Order
Amazon
Kindle
Audible
Amazon CA
Amazon UK
Amazon Europe

Your Rating
☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆
Standard Shelves

Readers also enjoyed

Pandora's Star (The Commonwealth Saga #1)
★ 9.70 / 10
Barrayar (Vorkosigan)
★ 9.32 / 19
Memory (Vorkosigan)
★ 9.26 / 19
A Civil Campaign (Vorkosigan)
★ 9.12 / 16
Embassytown
★ 9.00 / 10
Brothers in Arms (Vorkosigan)
★ 8.94 / 17
Flowers for Algernon
★ 8.92 / 25

Join the Discussion
You can post as a guest or sign in for more features.
Have questions about this book or want to share your thoughts? Join the conversation!
Douglas Adams

Douglas Adams

Douglas Adams didn’t just write books—he created entire universes that blur the line between science fiction and satire, turning the most absurd concepts into thoughtful reflections on life, the universe, and everything in between. Best known for his Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series, Adams has captivated generations with his wit, his philosophy wrapped in absurdity, and his uncanny ability to make the impossible feel remarkably plausible.

Born in Cambridge, England, in 1952, Adams grew up with an innate curiosity about the world, balanced by a sharp sense of humor. His journey into writing was anything but conventional—he didn’t set out to conquer literature or science fiction; instead, his love for storytelling found an unexpected outlet in the absurdly wonderful, often chaotic, world of radio. It was on BBC Radio 4 where The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy was born in 1978 as a radio play, ultimately evolving into one of the most beloved franchises in literary history.

Read more ...

What sets Adams apart isn’t just the cosmic scope of his work, but his uniquely British blend of humor, satire, and deep existential questions. His writing wasn’t about escapism; it was about confronting the nonsensical and chaotic nature of existence in a way that felt both outlandish and profoundly relatable. His characters, like Arthur Dent and Marvin the Paranoid Android, aren’t mere comedic vehicles but reflections of human absurdity and the existential questions that puzzle us all. The notion that "life, the universe, and everything" might just be an elaborate joke became both a comforting and unsettling thought for readers.

But The Hitchhiker's Guide isn’t the only feather in Adams' cap. His other works, such as Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency, push the boundaries of genre even further, blending the detective genre with metaphysical musings, time travel, and absurdity in a way that only Adams could manage. His love for technology and its quirks also shone through in Last Chance to See, where Adams turned his insightful humor toward the planet’s endangered species, showcasing his ability to highlight important causes with wit and heart.

Though Adams passed away in 2001, his influence is as relevant as ever. His impact on modern science fiction and comedic literature is undeniable, and his unique voice continues to resonate with readers, both old and new. As he once famously said, “I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be.” It’s this combination of unexpected journeys and brilliant, thought-provoking humor that makes Douglas Adams' legacy one of enduring creativity and imagination.

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy consists of six primary books, and includes one additional book that complement the series but is not considered mandatory reads. The current recommended reading order for the series is provided below.

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy #1)
★ 8.06 / 100
The Restaurant at the End of the Universe (The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy #2)
★ 7.86 / 58
Life, the Universe and Everything (The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy #3)
★ 7.62 / 48
So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish (The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy #4)
★ 7.32 / 47
Mostly Harmless (The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy #5)
★ 7.18 / 41
And Another Thing... (The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy #6)
★ 6.28 / 18
The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide (The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy)
★ 8.12 / 41


^ Top
Follow Us: Newsletter | Facebook | X | Mastodon | RSS
Hosted by Planeetta Internet Oy
© 1996 - 2026 Risingshadow. All rights reserved.
This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website.
Privacy Policy