Douglas Adams turned the end of the Earth into a comedy of bureaucracy, bad poetry and towels, and the result has stayed in print for decades.
The novel follows Arthur Dent off a demolished planet and into a galaxy run on absurd logic, told in a voice that treats cosmic scale and small human irritation as equally serious. At 224 pages it is short for science fiction, and the humour carries readers who would not otherwise pick up the genre.
The takeaway:
• Douglas Adams's comic science fiction in a 224-page paperback
• A tone built on understatement rather than spectacle
• A gateway title for readers new to science fiction
• Listed for adult readers
Suits comedy readers and science fiction readers alike, published by Pan and available at Boipoka.