Hitchhiker's Guide to How to Stop Worrying and Enjoy the Ride
I have to admit that I'm actually a big fan of Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. I read an old beat-up copy from that dates back to my mother's time in high school to pass the time on slow dull days hosting at TGI Fridays. That TGI Fridays no longer exists and for that reason the story holds some nostalgia for me. I just loved that sense of very British and somewhat existential humor. My Dad passed on a love for satirical comedies like Airplane and History of the World Part I and Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy fits right in that type of comedy. I previously had no idea it started as an radio show and was happen to give it a listen. I was surprised by how much it stayed the same from radio to the book, but I still enjoyed hearing it again.
What I especially love about the series is that it laughs at the big heavy questions or ideas that we stress over so much. Absolutely nothing is sacred in this story, except maybe a cup of tea that no longer quite exists. The story begins with the destruction of earth, and not even a dignified destruction like a hostile alien take-over. Earth is mowed down to make way for an intergalactic bypass, perfectly mirroring the type of malarkey that Arthur was dealing with over his own house on earth. He's laughably powerless to hold onto his house in the face of an uncaring bureaucracy, just as he's laughably powerless to do anything about the destruction of earth in the face of an uncaring bureaucracy. This time with aliens, though. While Arthur is upset for about 10 minutes, no real weight or gravitas is given to it's destruction. It's just another day in the galaxy. Ford was stuck on Earth for about six years and his revised passage on the planet in the guide was literally only a sentence long.
A lot of sci-fi poses questions about the significance of humanity and whether or not there is something more to us, often using invented aliens as points of comparison. Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy takes any idea that humanity is special and tosses it out the window and under a bulldozer. It very notable how despite the advanced technology of others in the galaxy, their problems and priorities are about the same as humans, and not any more or less special. The story seems to postulate that when individuals, and even a planet are so insignificant to the absurd unfeeling universe, there's no point in bogging yourself down with existential anxiety. A computer is crafted to answer ultimate question of life, the universe, and it's meaning. The computer takes millions of years to calculate this and rather than giving a real answer it's only reply is 42. There is absolutely no meaning to that answer just as there is no true ascribed meaning to life. However rather than going the nihilist route and getting into a gloomy message that nothing matters so there's no point, Hitchhiker's Guide argues that nothing matters and that is the point. Rather than worrying yourself over vast questions you can not answer, you should sit back, relax and grab yourself a pan galactic gargle blaster as you enjoy the ride.
As someone who often finds herself in existential crisis I find this callous and humorous attitude towards questions that keep me up at night extremely comforting. Existential anxiety and the many timeless woes that result from greed and selfishness, are a problem that will likely continue to persist even as we advance. I like how in addressing the issues of today, the author shows how these are unlikely to change even in the face of extreme scientific and technological evolution but even so that doesn't mean people and life are all bad.
What I especially love about the series is that it laughs at the big heavy questions or ideas that we stress over so much. Absolutely nothing is sacred in this story, except maybe a cup of tea that no longer quite exists. The story begins with the destruction of earth, and not even a dignified destruction like a hostile alien take-over. Earth is mowed down to make way for an intergalactic bypass, perfectly mirroring the type of malarkey that Arthur was dealing with over his own house on earth. He's laughably powerless to hold onto his house in the face of an uncaring bureaucracy, just as he's laughably powerless to do anything about the destruction of earth in the face of an uncaring bureaucracy. This time with aliens, though. While Arthur is upset for about 10 minutes, no real weight or gravitas is given to it's destruction. It's just another day in the galaxy. Ford was stuck on Earth for about six years and his revised passage on the planet in the guide was literally only a sentence long.
A lot of sci-fi poses questions about the significance of humanity and whether or not there is something more to us, often using invented aliens as points of comparison. Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy takes any idea that humanity is special and tosses it out the window and under a bulldozer. It very notable how despite the advanced technology of others in the galaxy, their problems and priorities are about the same as humans, and not any more or less special. The story seems to postulate that when individuals, and even a planet are so insignificant to the absurd unfeeling universe, there's no point in bogging yourself down with existential anxiety. A computer is crafted to answer ultimate question of life, the universe, and it's meaning. The computer takes millions of years to calculate this and rather than giving a real answer it's only reply is 42. There is absolutely no meaning to that answer just as there is no true ascribed meaning to life. However rather than going the nihilist route and getting into a gloomy message that nothing matters so there's no point, Hitchhiker's Guide argues that nothing matters and that is the point. Rather than worrying yourself over vast questions you can not answer, you should sit back, relax and grab yourself a pan galactic gargle blaster as you enjoy the ride.
As someone who often finds herself in existential crisis I find this callous and humorous attitude towards questions that keep me up at night extremely comforting. Existential anxiety and the many timeless woes that result from greed and selfishness, are a problem that will likely continue to persist even as we advance. I like how in addressing the issues of today, the author shows how these are unlikely to change even in the face of extreme scientific and technological evolution but even so that doesn't mean people and life are all bad.
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