Happy birthday H2G2

Can you believe that The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is 30 years old today? I remember when I was really small Dad reading the book to me. I don't think we got beyond the first few pages because I thought it was so funny and wanted to hear it again and again rather than go on. (Why is it that children will watch a movie over and over for weeks, but adults tend to watch movies either once or with spaces in between in favor of variety?)

Then, I remember when we got the BBC miniseries on VHS. This is one of my favorite versions even if it is Douglas Adams's least favorite. In 6th grade, I read the book for myself, and eventually the 4 sequels. In 7th grade, I remember hearing that Adams died of heart attack in California.

In 9th grade, I read Adams's other series, Dirk Gently, which remains my favorite today.

10th grade, they released the radio show on CD and recorded more episodes to finish off the series. This is the series' birthplace and probably the best form.
Then there was the Disney movie, which was a fine movie as movies go, but fell way short of any other version.



And now...



Penguin has announced that there will be a 6th book called "And Another Thing." Douglas Adams said there needed to be a 6th book, but he never wrote one. So who will write it?

An Irish author named Eoin (Owen) Colfer, writer of the famous Artemis Fowl series.

Here's Arthur Dent whining about the project (played by Simon Jones, of course):


I've ordered my copy from Amazon. You can too. Or would you like the audio read by Simon Jones?


Now, I've never read Colfer, but I'm not worried. Here's why:
1. He can't possibly screw it up for potential new fans worse than the Disney movie.
2. Adams's family is fully supportive.
3. BBC wouldn't pick the wrong writer for this...would they?
4. If it sucks, I'll just pretend it never happened and leave everyone dead at the end of Mostly Harmless. Or at Millyways if you believe the radio show.



I have two conflicting voices. The writer in me knows that it is possible to mimick anyone's writing style. It is possible for someone other than the original author to write books in a series. In fact, it happens all the time in the book world and even more in TV.

But the reader in me says that there is something magical about fiction. There are some writers who are so gifted or so quirky that any attempt to mimick will fall short. If anyone fits this, surely it's Adams. He has an untouchable aura around him built from the cult fans.



What do you think? Are there some writings you just don't mess with or is anything potentially able to be picked up by another author?

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