Fun Facts Friday: Douglas Adams

Douglas Adams (11 March, 1952 – 11 May, 2001) was a British author, humorist, screenwriter, dramatist, and even game designer. He is known for his classic book The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.

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Books by Douglas Adams*

Fun Facts about Douglas Adams:

1. Douglas Noel Adams was born in Cambridge, England. His family moved around a lot, and eventually, his parents got a divorce.
   As a science buff, Mr. Adams took great delight that his initials are DNA.
2. Adams said he submitted three essays in three years for his English Lit college class, but still graduated.
3. Eventually moving to London, Mr. Adams was adamant about breaking into TV and radio. Graham Chapman, of Monty Python fame, discovered him and the two struck up a short writing partnership.
   To this day, Douglas Adams is one of only two people who are not part of the original Monty Python cast to get a writing credit.
   He also appeared in two Monty Python sketches.
4. In 1978 the author was commissioned to write a Doctor Who radio episode. He went on to serve as a script editor for the show’s 17^th season (1979).
   Eventually, he ended up writing three Doctor Who serials (starring the fourth Doctor, Tom Baker).
5. Douglas Adams also wrote a potential Doctor Who movie script, titled Doctor Who and the Krikkitmen. The movie never materialized, but the script became the novel Life, the Universe and Everything.
   In the US version of Life, the Universe and Everything, the word “fuck” is replaced with “Belgium”.
6. In 1977 Douglas Adams pitched to BBC Radio a concept for a science-fiction comedy radio series. The series was picked up, and on 8 March, 1978 the first episode of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
   In 1979 the show was, and still is, the only radio show to ever be nominated for a Hugo Award. It lost to the classic movie Superman: The Motion Picture.
7. The author said he got the idea for the series in a drunken state (of course), in a field in Innsbruck, Austria. He had a book called the Hitch-hiker’s Guide to Europe, and while looking up at the stars thought that “somebody ought to write a Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy“.
8. Adams loved technology, and it is often stated that he was the first person in the UK to purchase a Macintosh computer.
9. Adams was good friends with Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour, and came up with the title of the band’s 1994 album “The Division Bell”.
10. Towel Day is celebrated every May 25. It is a fan organized event to honor the life and work of Douglas Adams.

Books by Douglas Adams*

Zohar — Man of la Book
*Ama­zon links point to an affil­i­ate account, the money is usually spent on books