Happy Birthday Douglas Adams

Today is the birthday of Douglas Adams, author of the classic five volume trilogy, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. I thought I’d celebrate with some quotes from his work:

The Guide is definitive. Reality is frequently inaccurate.

He hoped and prayed that there wasn’t an afterlife. Then he realized there was a contradiction involved here and merely hoped that there wasn’t an afterlife.

Humans are not proud of their ancestors, and rarely invite them round to dinner.

It is no coincidence that in no known language does the phrase ‘As pretty as an Airport’ appear.

There is a theory which states that if ever anybody discovers exactly what the Universe is for and why it is here, it will instantly disappear and be replaced by something even more bizarre and inexplicable. There is another theory which states that this has already happened.

Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so.

Nothing travels faster than the speed of light with the possible exception of bad news, which obeys its own special laws.

Space is big. You just won’t believe how vastly, hugely, mind- bogglingly big it is. I mean, you may think it’s a long way down the road to the chemist’s, but that’s just peanuts to space.

A common mistake that people make when trying to design something completely foolproof is to underestimate the ingenuity of complete fools.

Flying is learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss.

He felt that his whole life was some kind of dream and he sometimes wondered whose it was and whether they were enjoying it.

His study was a total mess, like the results of an explosion in a public library.

I don’t believe it. Prove it to me and I still won’t believe it.

It is a well-known fact that those people who must want to rule people are, ipso facto, those least suited to do it… anyone who is capable of getting themselves made President should on no account be allowed to do the job.

One always overcompensates for disabilities. I’m thinking of having my entire body surgically removed.

Time is an illusion. Lunchtime doubly so.

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