I really wish I had’t taken this gig.

Let me explain. My introduction to Douglas Adams was late at night sometime back in the seventies. That was when I turned on the television to the sight of a curly-haired man in a long scarf hunting for something called the Key of Time in a hollowed-out planet and saying something like, “I’ll never be cruel to an electron again.” I goggled at this, laughed and settled down to watch the rest of the show. It was also my introduction to Doctor Who—but that’s a subject for another essay. This Doctor Who episode was “The Pirate Planet” and was written by Douglas Adams. It sparked my addiction to the Doctor and to the work of this writer. I haven’t seen Doctor Who in years, and I don’t think I’m going to go back and watch them any time soon.

You see, when Glenn Yeffeth invited me to contribute to this book I was delighted. I thought I’d write an article about the influence The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy has had on my life. I have so many good memories of the events centered around the books, radio and television series, and Douglas Adams himself. I wanted to write an homage, so I delved back into my past.

I honestly do not remember whether I saw the series first, or read the books, or heard the album of the radio program first. I think it might have been the album. I do remember that  …