I have finished The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. For those following along with the blogs, this is a short summary of what happened since my last post: Arthur learns that mice are actually the most intelligent creatures on planet Earth and are devising a way to create a new Earth. The old man Arthur departed with shows him a memory by using a Sens-o-tape which allows Arthur to see something that happens long ago as if he was really there. Arthur learns while watching that two scientists once asked the most brilliant super-computer in the world named, Deep Thought, what was the answer to life, the universe and everything. The computer responded that it would take 7 million years for it to find this answer. Seven million years later, the descendants of these two scientists learn that the answer to the question is 42, a galactic disappointment. Deep Thought tells them that he will help them design another computer, smarter than it is, called Earth. So the reason Earth was destroyed was because 10 million years after this, the new computer, Earth, was about to the long awaited answer to the question.
I liked the different writing style and sarcasm that brought humor to the sometimes confusing realm of space travel. What I liked most about this book was that it had the perfect amount of showing and telling. In a short book (178 pages) about space travel and galactic interventions, some telling is necessary to make sure the reader knows what is going on and the author presented this in mini chapters with witty banter.
For instance, the Infinite Improbability Drive is explained in a two page chapter where the author tells us how it works and who created it. This doesn’t seem forced but necessary and I thought it was informative instead of dull. This happens many times throughout the book like with the story about the scientist. Most writers know the number one rule is show don’t tell but this book changed the rule to, tell only when necessary. I liked how the author broke the number one rule. I don’t know if I would have the balls to do that. Half the time I am writing, I am thinking about using less -ly adjectives and less words that -ing words because I read about it in some article. I really liked how the author was sometimes a dull, sarcastic piece of shit just like myself.
I liked the different writing style and sarcasm that brought humor to the sometimes confusing realm of space travel. What I liked most about this book was that it had the perfect amount of showing and telling. In a short book (178 pages) about space travel and galactic interventions, some telling is necessary to make sure the reader knows what is going on and the author presented this in mini chapters with witty banter.
For instance, the Infinite Improbability Drive is explained in a two page chapter where the author tells us how it works and who created it. This doesn’t seem forced but necessary and I thought it was informative instead of dull. This happens many times throughout the book like with the story about the scientist. Most writers know the number one rule is show don’t tell but this book changed the rule to, tell only when necessary. I liked how the author broke the number one rule. I don’t know if I would have the balls to do that. Half the time I am writing, I am thinking about using less -ly adjectives and less words that -ing words because I read about it in some article. I really liked how the author was sometimes a dull, sarcastic piece of shit just like myself.