Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with douglasadams

Douglas Adams meets Tom Sharpe -- good idea?

deeper red — Fri, 29 May 2009 04:09:06 -0800

I'm writing a novel that's a mix of Douglas Adams-like humorous sci-fi and Tom Sharpe-like bawdiness. Am I mad? Would you be interested in such a book? Read on for more info. The book is mostly comedy, and not a genuine sci-fi novel (i.e. more for laughs than ponderance). It's just supposed to be funny. I'm aiming for the same kind of cult appeal Douglas Adams and Terry Pratchett have.

Outside of a few examples, I can't think of any bawdy sci-fi novels, or any particularly bawdy sci-fi writers. If you know of any, let me know!

Polite notice: Thanks but no thanks to anybody who wants to reply with advice about "writing a first novel". Note that I'm a published writer. I'm just looking for opinions about this particular idea. Thanks!

Who designed the "Don't Panic" flying green guy from Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy?

waxpancake — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 18:23:46 -0800

Who designed the cute flying green "Don't Panic" mascot (seen here) from the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series, and does the character have a name?

How can I preserve Douglas Adams' typewriter?

The Shiny Thing — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 05:51:36 -0800

How can I preserve Douglas Adams' typewriter for the ages? And more generally, how do museums handle item donations and loans? The typewriter on which Douglas Adams wrote The Hitchhikers' Guide to the Galaxy is for sale.

I'm sorely tempted to buy it (how often does something like this come up for sale?!), but a) I wouldn't have a clue how to store or preserve it; and b) an artefact like this should really be on display in a museum somewhere.

So my question is - if I bought the typewriter, how would I go about loaning it to a museum? And more generally, how do museums deal with offers of loans or donations?

(I'm actually semi-serious about this. If you have any contacts in museums who I could talk to, shoot me a MeFi-mail.)

Is Cory Doctorow Worth a damn?

humannaire — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 20:45:46 -0800

Who to read besides Coupland, Stephenson, Gibson, and Sterling? I need an informational intake of this sort of highly-regarded (speculative? cyber?) fiction on a regular basis, or else I become irritable.

One other thing, I prefer contemporary writers who have produced notable work post-'01.