And Another Thing...

The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams has long been considered required reading for satire and science fiction fans. During the writing of the sixth book in the series, Adams suffered a heart attack and died at the age of 49. Eoin Colfer, author of the bestselling 'Artemis Fowl ' children's series, will continue the legacy in what will surely be the international publishing event of the year. Eoin Colfer fell in love with the Hitchhiker series as a teenager. He describes the Guide in this way: "Imagine if Mssrs. Hawking and Fry were locked in a room with the entire cast of Monty Python, and were forced to write a book edited by Pink Floyd..." So when Colfer was approached to write the sixth novel in the series, he was honored and thrilled. Adams' widow had read Colfer's Artemis Fowl series with her daughter and loved it, so she felt Colfer was the perfect person to do the sixth Hitchhiker book. The first five novels by Adams follow earthling Arthur Dent and his outer space sidekick, Ford Prefect. When invaders destroy earth to make way for a huge intergalactic freeway that's coming through, Ford escapes with Arthur on his spaceship. In each of the novels, Arthur and Ford explore the galaxy, fight grisly space creatures, and deal with irritating robots who've been given human characteristics. In the last and fifth volume by Adams, Arthur meets his daughter Random, whom he previously didn't know existed. Eoin Colfer will continue the story in the sixth book. Eoin Colfer says, "I am bloody determined that this will be the best thing I have ever written."