Douglas Adams is my favourite author and I think reading his books from an early age created an imagination that quite often looks to sci fi for escape. He also opened my eyes to humour, I mean who knew it was possible to read words and actually belly laugh. At the age of 49 he was sadly taken from us but his writing is as relevant today as it has ever been. Not only did he write the Hitch Hikers Guide series of sci fi novels he also wrote a series about Dirk Gently the holistic detective a hilarious and dramatic series which never got the exposure it deserved.
On top of writing some of the most fantastical and other wordly stories he was also an environmental activist and often wrote in Newspapers about the plight of endangered species. He was a self confessed geek that also enjoyed the technology of his time and an atheist with some rather amusing views on organised religion.
His own beliefs were very potent in his writing with a hilarious side story about the search for god's final words on a planet where it had been carved into the side of mountain, it read "Sorry for the inconvenience" this to me hit a chord and should there ever be found a God exists I hope this is the type of thing they would say.
The most quoted number in the history of online writing is 42, the reason for this many people who use this number do not know. It was in fact the answer to life the universe and everything, such simplistic and complex writing combined in his writing to make you question the sanity of the human race which continues to destroy its own home and kill its own kind.
The Hitch Hikers Guide in his story has the words Don't Panic written across it's cover. Two words so strong in their reassurance and comfort that many people have inked this onto their skin, to be ever reminded in life that you should not panic. Wise advice indeed in a world so fast and furious it could make a Monk dizzy.
So if you have never read any of his work, you really need to go and read some, even starting with a google search which will highlight some of his article writing leading up to Hitch Hikers Guide which should be in every bodies book collection.
Lots of schools all around the world encourage children to dress up as their favourite characters from written books. This is a great way to keep alive this kind of art form and ensure that each generation has the ability and opportunity to escape the perils of childhood and let their imagination grow. If you want to stimulate an economy and have a productive society then reading is the tool which can enable this. Reading is an integral part of life and imagination is only limited by your imagination, so go and grab a nice book and escape your worries for a few hours and let someone lead you on a journey into their imagination, you never know it may actually inspire you.
So long and thanks for all the fish....
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