Say thank you to a teacher with a gift card
£1.99

These promotions will be applied to this item:

Some promotions may be combined; others are not eligible to be combined with other offers. For details, please see the Terms & Conditions associated with these promotions.

You've subscribed to ! We will pre-order your items within 24 hours of when they become available. When new books are released, we'll charge your default payment method for the lowest price available during the pre-order period.
Update your device or payment method, cancel individual pre-orders or your subscription at
Your Memberships and Subscriptions
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet or computer – no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the author

Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

And Another Thing ...: Douglas Adams' Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. As heard on BBC Radio 4 (Hitchhikers Guide Book 6) Kindle Edition

4.0 out of 5 stars 1,841 ratings

Discover the sixth book in the ludicrously inaccurately named Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy trilogy, as broadcast on BBC Radio 4 and featuring original cast members including Simon Jones, Geoff McGivern, Mark Wing-Davey and Sandra Dickinson.

Arthur Dent led a perfectly ordinary, uneventful life until the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy hurled him deep into outer space. Now he's convinced a cruelly indifferent universe is out to get him.

And who can blame him?

His life is about to collide with a pantheon of unemployed gods, a lovestruck green alien, a very irritating computer and at least one very large slab of cheese. If, that is, everyone's favourite renegade Galactic President can get him off planet Earth before it is destroyed . . . again.

'A triumph, fabulous. Colfer has given us a delight' Observer

'I haven't read anything in a long time that made me laugh as much' The Times

'Chock-full of fanciful, inventive one-liners and asides, brimming with a burning sense of the ridiculousness of life' Independent on Sunday

'The best post-mortem impersonation I have ever read' Mark Lawson, Guardian

Product description

Review

"My first reaction was semi-outrage that anyone should be allowed to tamper with this incredible series. But on reflection I realised that this is a wonderful opportunity to work with characters I have loved since childhood and give them something of my own voice while holding onto the spirit of Douglas Adams and not laying a single finger on his five books." -- Eoin Colfer

From the Inside Flap

An Englishman's continuing search through space and time for a decent cup of tea . .

Arthur Dent's accidental association with that wholly remarkable book The Hichhiker's Guide to the Galaxy has not been entirely without incident.

Arthur has travelled the length, breadth and depth of known, and unknown, space. He has stumbled forwards and backwards through time. He has been blown up, reassembled, cruelly imprisoned, horribly released and colourfully insulted more than is strictly necessary. And of course he has comprehensively failed to grasp the meaning of life, the universe and everything.

Arthur has, though, finally made it home to Earth. But that does not mean he has escaped his fate.

For Arthur's chances of getting his hands on a decent cuppa are evaporating along with the world's oceans. Because no sooner has he arrived than he finds out that Earth is about to be blown up.....again.

And Another Thing ... is the rather unexpected, but very welcome, sixth instalment of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy trilogy by Eoin Colfer. It features a pantheon of unemployed gods, everyone's favourite renegade Galactic President, a lovestruck green alien, an irritating computer and at least one very large slab of cheese.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B005PR44L4
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Penguin
  • Accessibility ‏ : ‎ Learn more
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ 27 May 2010
  • Edition ‏ : ‎ 1st
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 4.6 MB
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 290 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9780241959527
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0241959527
  • Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Customer reviews:
    4.0 out of 5 stars 1,841 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Eoin Colfer
Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Eoin Colfer (pronounced Owen) is the New York Times best-selling author of the blockbuster Artemis Fowl series as well as Airman; Half Moon Investigations; The Supernaturalist; Eoin Colfer's Legend of... books; The Wish List; Benny and Omar; Benny and Babe; and Illegal, a graphic novel. He was born in Wexford on the southeast coast of Ireland in 1965, where he and his four brothers were brought up by his father (an elementary school teacher, historian and artist of note) and mother (a drama teacher). He first developed an interest in writing in primary (elementary) school with gripping Viking stories inspired by history that he was learning in school at the time.

Eoin got his degree from Dublin University and qualified as a primary school teacher, returning to work in Wexford. He married in 1991 and he and his wife spent about 4 years between 1992 and 1996 working in Saudi Arabia, Tunisia and Italy. His first book, Benny and Omar, was published in 1998, based on his experiences in Tunisia; it has since been translated into many languages; a sequel followed in 1999. In 2001, the first Artemis Fowl book was published worldwide to much success - shortly thereafter he left teaching to concentrate fully on his writing.

To this day, Eoin has written 8 Artemis Fowl books which have sold over 12 million copies worldwide.

Customer reviews

4 out of 5 stars
1,841 global ratings

Review this product

Share your thoughts with other customers

Customers say

Customers find the book brilliantly written and entertaining, with one review noting it had them laughing out loud repeatedly. Moreover, they consider it a worthy sequel to the original series. However, the story lacks coherency and drive, and customers disagree on how well the author follows Adams' style. Additionally, the guide notes receive mixed reactions, with some finding the dialogue clumsy and boring.

54 customers mention ‘Readability’42 positive12 negative

Customers find the book to be a really good read, with one customer noting it's the best series of novels ever written.

"great buy, great book...if you like DA, you'd love this one too...same style, same wit, same fun...my expectations were met" Read more

"...Great read," Read more

"good read" Read more

"After the disappointing fifth Hitchhikers book Mostly Harmless I hoped that this would be some kind of improvement. Sadly however, it wasn't...." Read more

16 customers mention ‘Humor’16 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book's humor, noting its funny quirkiness and wit, with one customer mentioning it had them laughing out loud repeatedly.

"...Not just good, but surprisingly, entertainingly good...." Read more

"...third made up for it with an upping of pace, character, action and excitement...." Read more

"...in the spirit of the original series, it actually had me laughing out loud repeatedly, a rare thing these days...." Read more

"...It's fun and I'm glad someone has been brave enough to try. I'd like to see Stephen Fry have a bash at book number 7...." Read more

12 customers mention ‘Follow-on’12 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate this book as a worthy sequel to the original series, with one customer noting it serves as a fitting end to the trilogy.

"...strong basis - still wacky but much more thought out and whole than the previous episodes...." Read more

"An excellent sequel to the famous "trilogy of three" ( which actually became five)...." Read more

"...This book is a solid sequel, with the only crunching of gears being the resurrection of the main characters...." Read more

"...It follows on from the five-part trilogy and ties in well. Despite my reservations it is an excellent read and I would recommend it." Read more

19 customers mention ‘Story quality’8 positive11 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the story quality of the book, with some appreciating that it was fresh in their minds, while others note that it lacks coherence and drive, and features improbable plot developments.

"...Insane plot devices, improbable plot developments. Any chance of any more?" Read more

"...I'm not about to cut my nose off to spite my face, this is still a great story...." Read more

"...I just found it boring. The main characters didn't do much, the book was overlong, there were too many asides. I feel guilty for not liking it." Read more

"...For those of you new to HitchHiker, this sixth book covers enough of the back story to enjoy it on its own merits...." Read more

18 customers mention ‘Author style’10 positive8 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the writing style of the book, with some appreciating how it follows Adams' style, while others note it's not as good as the original author's work.

"...This is actually a pretty neat attempt at picking up where the fifth book "Mostly Harmless" left off...." Read more

"...An insult to Douglas, and when you think about it, outrageously arrogant of the Author to think that he could chuck another instalment on the end...." Read more

"...The plot had a surprisingly strong basis - still wacky but much more thought out and whole than the previous episodes...." Read more

"...like someone asked AI to write a book in his style and it missed all Adams’ magic." Read more

11 customers mention ‘Character development’6 positive5 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the character development in the book, with some saying the characters are well-developed, while one customer notes that the character of Zaphod was completely wrong.

"...The characters are well observed...." Read more

"...well-studied and fairly closely-pitched, although the characters come across as more cartoony than Adams' more truthful finely-layered portrayal, as..." Read more

"...The characters were all present, well not all, but sufficient (Marvin didn't even get a name check) and were fairly accurately portrayed to their..." Read more

"...I really did. I just found it boring. The main characters didn't do much, the book was overlong, there were too many asides...." Read more

19 customers mention ‘Guide notes’3 positive16 negative

Customers find the guide notes uninteresting and poorly written, with the dialogue described as clumsy and boring, making it difficult to read.

"...Colfer's Guide is far too chatty, interrupts and comments on the action in inconsistent and annoying ways, and basically isn't funny enough...." Read more

"...My main criticism of the book is that in places it tried too hard...." Read more

"...Also there is no all encompassing brilliant idea that ties the plot together (like Krittet or 42)...." Read more

"...in all it's a kids book by a kids author that has been badly adapted for adult readers." Read more

9 customers mention ‘Humour’0 positive9 negative

Customers find the humor in the book to be unsatisfactory, describing it as not funny enough and annoying.

"...chatty, interrupts and comments on the action in inconsistent and annoying ways, and basically isn't funny enough. "..." Read more

"...For me it lacks pace, humour and intelligence and at 350 pages or so, it is also twice as long as any two of the original five volumes...." Read more

"...There are some clever ideas, but the humour never really gets beyond the adolescent, which is a big let-down for Adams fans...." Read more

"...drawn-out narrative that is constantly interrupted by a new, boring, irritating, facsimile of the guide..." Read more

It's an audio book.
5 out of 5 stars
It's an audio book.
It's an audio book.
Thank you for your feedback
Sorry, there was an error
Sorry, we couldn't load the review

Top reviews from United Kingdom

  • Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 26 October 2009
    Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
    Well, who could follow Douglas Adams? Very hard act to follow. We have most of his works somewhere here, and buying this book was more reflex action than considered purchase. So it was more in hope than expectation that I started reading.

    For those of you new to HitchHiker, this sixth book covers enough of the back story to enjoy it on its own merits. It does this without seriously spoiling the plot lines if you then go on to read the earlier ones, and it does it entertainingly enough for a long-time fan to enjoy. Which means that Eoin Colfer has pulled off some neat prose whilst ticking all the boxes.

    Colfer usually writes pretty clever stories (usually involving the young Artemis Fowl) that are nominally targeted at younger readers, but which work fine for me. So it really was worth seeing what sort of a job he made of it. Surprisingly good job, I reckon.

    Enough reviewers have already dissected the book - I agree with the one who said that this was not quite up with Douglas Adams best, but better than his 'worst' efforts. Which for me is a 5-star event, since I loved all of DNA's books.

    'Another Thing' grabbed me from the start; all I meant to do was read the introduction and maybe a couple of pages.
    An hour later found me still reading at about a page a minute. It took a 'phone call to tear me away. Not just good, but surprisingly, entertainingly good.

    Identical? No. But faithful to the tradition, yes! And unafraid to boogie down with new myths and monstrosities. Loved it.

    So if you like HitchHiker or other Douglas Adams works, or you are a fan of Eoin Colfer, this is recommended strongly. If you are not already a fan of his, there's a good chance you might end up that way. Really enjoyed it, hope you do too.
    10 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 21 October 2009
    Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
    The mixed reviews for this book seem to divide the audience almost like a religious debate. There are those for whom the mere existence of this book was already going to be sacrilege well before it was published, and those who are open-minded about letting another author have a crack at Douglas Adams' universe. I've got to put myself in the latter category.

    This is actually a pretty neat attempt at picking up where the fifth book "Mostly Harmless" left off. If you didn't like "Mostly Harmless" or weren't fond of "So Long And Thanks For All The Fish", chances are you won't like this either, as "And Another Thing" has a lot in common with books 4 and 5 from Adams' series, and less in common with books 1-3. In fact if you haven't read books 4 and 5, this won't make any sense at all as it's almost a direct story continuation, featuring Random Dent, Fenchurch, and Mk II of the Guide.

    The characters are well observed. Ford and Zaphod continue to be their totally froody selves, in their relentless pursuit of fame fortune alcohol and a good time, somehow managing to be both geniuses and insane at the same time. Unlike Adams' books, this book is more Zaphod's story than it is Arthur's. In fact for most of this story Arthur is an observer for Zaphod's adventure. Similarly Trillian doesn't add much. The Betelgeusians steal the show.

    There's no Marvin in this book. Marvin is the one famous Guide character who stays dead, or at least absent. He was a brilliant character and his absence is a shame, but he wouldn't have fit into this story. Maybe someday some other writer can give him his own spin-off series, so that die-hard Guide fans can start spouting bile all over again.

    Colfer does a nice job of reprising some of Adams' other characters and giving them a bit more to do- in particular Thor the Thunder God, or the fields full of cows begging to be eaten. Colfer's own new character contributions, such as the cheese worshipping cult, fit quite well but don't outshine Adams' ideas.

    The biggest mistake by Colfer, for me, is the Guide entries. In Adams' work, the original Hitch Hiker's Guide To The Galaxy had the voice of an encyclopedia. Not necessarily a very accurate or useful one, but it had an authoritative voice which was essential to the wit. Colfer's Guide is far too chatty, interrupts and comments on the action in inconsistent and annoying ways, and basically isn't funny enough.

    "Basically isn't funny enough" could unfortunately describe most of the book. A bit like the last of Adams' book series, the classic Guide characters are taken round the universe on an adventure, where they continue to be funny characters but not enough funny stuff happens around them. There aren't enough laugh-out-loud moments.

    It's a worthwhile effort. It's a respectable tribute to Adams' work and it's a well-written story. It honours the original Guide series except for one major difference- it's not hilarious.
    13 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 23 October 2009
    Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
    I had been looking forward to this book. Its imminent publication had prompted me to reread all five of Douglas Adams' original Hitchhiker novels and so I was truly psyched up for it, and the story so far was fresh in my mind. But now having finished reading, I'm strangely ambivalent about Colfer's attempt.

    The characters were all present, well not all, but sufficient (Marvin didn't even get a name check) and were fairly accurately portrayed to their original selves. What I found disconcerting was the amount of word-time dedicated to each. The previous novels were very definitely focussed on Arthur, where actually he probably gets the least attention in this one.

    The plot had a surprisingly strong basis - still wacky but much more thought out and whole than the previous episodes. While the novel did kick off where Mostly Harmless concluded it moved off in a new direction that was all its own. Colfer introduces a range of new characters with fascinating names such as Hillman Hunter and Constant Mown who on the most part enrich the H2G2 universe and make the alien species much more three dimensional.

    The story itself starts out quite slowly I found, and it took quite a while for me to get the voice in my head. The narration of the previous books was really easy to hear in the voices of both the original narrator from the radio series and Stephen Fry, whereas the language of this one didn't seem to flow as naturally. Once the plotline gets going, we seem to lose the main characters for the middle third of the book as Colfer spends time introducing and building up his own additions to the cast. In a classic Adams, Colfer brings Thor into things as a god who has lost his self-confidence, paralleling his appearances in Adams' Dirk Gently series.

    The final third of this book was the best part in my opinion. The voice of the book was feeling comfortable, the central and new characters had their roles and the ending was classic

    My main criticism of the book is that in places it tried too hard. There are a lot of references back to asides from the original novels, which seem over the top in places and almost forced. However there are also an overly large number of new asides with a few too many crazy unpronounceable alien names with too many Xs and Zs and not enough vowels. Colfer also introduces 'Guide Notes' - little asides in italics purporting to be extracts from the guide explaining references from the main text. I thought these were a really good idea to get some more appearances of the guide in, as the titular device has made surprisingly few appearances as a guidebook throughout the whole series.

    Overall I found the first two thirds quite slow and hard going, but the final third made up for it with an upping of pace, character, action and excitement. Although a few days ago I thought I would be writing a disappointed review, I now find that I'm sorry it's over and wishing for a book 7.
    7 people found this helpful
    Report

Top reviews from other countries

Translate all reviews to English
  • Ramolet
    2.0 out of 5 stars Inférieur aux 5 tomes précedents écrits par D. Adams
    Reviewed in France on 14 October 2015
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    Ecriture toujours aussi délirante mais il y manque toutes les références scientifiques, philosophiques et psychologiques qui font tout le sel de la saga "A hitchicker's guide to the Galaxy" de Douglas Adams. Alors que D. Adams nous promène dans des applications "intéressantes" de la physique moderne tout en nous abreuvant de critiques de comportement et de société satyriques en maniant un humour à nous faire rire aux larmes, ce sixième tome par Eoin Colfer ne reprend que les descriptions de situations délirantes sans plus aucune référence à la science, à la société ou au comportement humain, ce qui fait perdre tout intérêt à suivre l'histoire qui n'est plus qu'un énorme gag permanent, pour le gag lui-même. Dommage.
    Report
  • Karl Hugo
    5.0 out of 5 stars Ein würdiger Nachfolger
    Reviewed in Germany on 27 July 2010
    Nach einem skeptischen Zugang zu diesem Buch wurde ich nach wenigen Seiten zum erklärten Fan des Autors. Er schreibt klar anders als Douglas Adams, wobei wesentliche Stärken von Adams wie Wortwitz, Situationskomik und die Verkettung unerklärlicher Umstände allesamt vorhanden sind.
    In Summe ein würdiger Nachfolger. An Vorkenntnissen empfehle ich die ersten drei von Douglas Adams. Verglichen mit allen fünf bisherigen Büchern der Trilogie und in deren absteigender Wertungsskala -- Buch 1: 50 (bestes), ... Buch 5: 10 (schlechtestes) -- bekommt Eoin Colfer von mir die Wertung 42
  • Fossil
    5.0 out of 5 stars Finding Douglas Adams
    Reviewed in Australia on 28 March 2024
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    Glad to aquire books by this author who was previously out of print. Now I can replace the ones I've lost.
  • Miranda
    5.0 out of 5 stars 42
    Reviewed in Canada on 29 October 2021
    DON'T PANIC!
  • Ed Gostyn
    5.0 out of 5 stars Um plágio é um bom livro?
    Reviewed in Brazil on 30 January 2018
    Pois é. Adams foi o mestre. E Colfer o seu discípulo.

    E quando Adams morreu, Colfer pediu autorização para a família do seu mestre para continuar a história dos mochileiros... e isso é bom? Nossa, o livro é EXCELENTE! Se eu me dobro de rir a cada capítulo do "Mochileiros", com esse aí eu preciso de oxigênio! É de perder o fôlego! Excelente livro de humor e ficção científica!

Report an issue


Does this item contain inappropriate content?
Do you believe that this item violates a copyright?
Does this item contain quality or formatting issues?