One of my latest reads is The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams. The book is one "outrageous" volume consisting of five novels from the classic science fiction series, first published in 1979. Throughout the series, we follow the protagonist, Arthur Dent, and his crew as they travel across space and time to save the Earth and avoid various pitfalls along their journey. The book is a thrilling and humorous read that kept me engaged through its 815 pages. In these novels, Adams presents a dynamic conception of the universe that challenges our tiny human understanding of space. From a restaurant at the end of the universe (the title of the second novel) to alien species that construct planets, readers are encouraged to imagine what an intergalactic society would be like. The brief and nonlinear chapters make it easy to stay engaged, as you have no idea what lies ahead. Throughout each novel, Adams offers social commentary on topics such as politics, astrology, and corporate culture. Arthur Dent's partner in crime, Ford Prefect, works as a field researcher for the company that publishes the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, a travel guide that provides reviews on almost any planet in the universe. Readers can imagine what it would be like to travel across the galaxy as if they were going backpacking across Europe. According to the book's foreword, Adams came up with the idea for The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy while lying in a field looking up at the sky while hitchhiking in Europe. In this imagining of the universe, spaceships are described like automobiles, and robots have personalities that resemble a moody teenager. As a reader, I couldn't help but imagine what it would be like if space travel were advanced enough for humans to travel across the galaxy like Arthur Dent. Perhaps one day it will be. When we consider the enormity of our seemingly infinite universe, Earth seems like a mere speck on a painted canvas. In The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Earth is considered insignificant enough to be demolished for a galactic freeway. Whether or not that ends up happening is something I won't spoil for you here. I personally haven't read much science fiction and am also no expert in astronomy, so it was enlightening to think about space travel in this way. The characters in the book also have complex personalities and backstories that make you attach to their progression through the five novels. I encourage you to pick up The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy if you're looking for a mind-bending page turner that will have you imagining what lies out there among the stars.
