It’s been announced that Artemis Fowl creator and writer Eoin Colfer is writing a sixth book for The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy series.
Before his 2001 death, Adams had stated that he wanted to write a sixth book, “to finish Hitchhiker on a slightly more upbeat note.†The Salmon of Doubt, a collection of essays, short stories, and letters by Adams and other writers, was published in 2002.
Even though fans think they know Douglas Adams, I really have misgivings about this announcement. While Colfer says this will be the best thing he’s ever written, I was not all that impressed with the first Artemis book, and unless And Another Thing… is using notes and plot points from Adams’ notes, I’ll probably not be adding this to my collection.
What about you?
10 Comments
I like many of the ideas that come form the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. But in all honestly of the current books I only really like the first and the fourth. The other just didn’t do anything for me, and there has been so much media based on these books its most likely going to be more movie centric than based on the books anyways. You can’t write Dune like frank did, and you can’t write Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy like Adams did. Respect the past and let the classics even if unfinished series stand as they are.
Sure it wont be the same, but if its good its good, and i like most of what Colfer has written.
Besides you can still decide beforehand that you wont consider it cannonical but enjoy it anyway.
I’m kinda nervous going into this, but I’m sure that Colfer knows most fans are going to be. Still he is a talented writer and, while there will never be another douglas adams. I’m sure this will be done as well as can be. I’m definately gonna buy it, if for no other reason, than to see if it was pulled off well.
I’m really curious on how the book turns out. H2G2 was my favourite book for many, many years. In the last year, I’ve read the books a lot (for university) and I’ve mellowed my opinion on them a bit, but I still think they are good books. Adams had tried for 2 and a half books to finish his series and never quite managed to do so (at least in a way satisfying for both him and the fans), so I want to see how another author fares.
I’ve never read anything by Colfer, however, so I don’t know at all what to expect.
AAAARGH! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO!
Was I too subtle with my opinion?
The Artemis Fowl guy is taking on the work of Douglas Adams?
Ok. I’m with you so far. What’s the punchline?
I have read a number of the Artimus Fowl books and enjoyed the. I also attended a library discussion with Colfer when he did a book tour here in New Zealand a year ago or so ago. The event was memorable and the man had me in stitches with his talk and stories that he spun. On this experience alone I think he can do it. The Artimus Fowl books are children’s books so you can’t really compare them to HG2G, but having spent time with man in person I’m convinced that he has the potential to pull it off.
If you don’t like it don’t read it.
PS love the show!
Dan
Mmm… I don’t know how I feel about this.
On the one hand, I’d love to read more about Arthur and Ford and company.
But on the other, I suspect that much of the magic of those stories was something that only Douglas could capture, and even that wasn’t a sure thing. There are many moments in the original trilogy of five books that just flat out don’t work, even with the creator behind ’em, and there’s a good chance that this could be the worst kind of fanfic. This may be great, and I suspect I’ll read it, but I think I’ll have to reserve judgement…
Dirk Gentley’s Holistic Detective Agency was a better Adams book sp if you like him and haven’t read it do so. I reckon I’ll have a gander at it anyway out of curiosity I doubt I’ll love it.
I doubt any changes will be that terrible, everytime Hitchikers changed media form (it was originally a Radio Series for the BBC which is it at it’s best) Adams changed the story on a whim anyway.
NO NO NO NO!!!! ABOMINATION!! Stamping my feet and holding my breathe ‘till I turn blue.
Some things must, just come to an end. Has no one read “The Monkey Paw”, this will only end in horror. “Scarlett” anyone? (for the boys that’s an approved off sequel to “Gone With the Wind, utter dreck!)
Now I am biased, I have a deep and abiding love for Douglas Adams, one of my desert island books is “Long Dark Tea Time of the Soulâ€, and both it and its’ predecessor “Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency†are supremely underrated. “Last Chance to See†should be a required read for High School science.
If you don’t like reading Douglas Adams, try listening instead. He read his own works for audio books, and is wonderful (trust me on this, I hate it when authors voices sound nothing like their words) also Stephen Fry reads some works, as well as the original radio Arthur Dent, Simon Jones.
They must learn to leave well enough alone!