To The Late Douglas Adams

To the late Mr. Douglas Adams:

Thank you. Thank you for writing such an amazing "trilogy": The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. I don't have any heart-wrenching sob stories about how they have touched my heart or connected to some part in my life; but I do have something to say. They are amazingly awesome and have certainly made an impact on my life. A significant one at that. Not only have they made me wonder what really does exist outside this chunk of rock we call home, but they have given me and my parents something to relate to, and have greatly impacted my writing. Not that I'm a published author or anything, but I do hope to be one day. Maybe even an awesome one like you!

In my house, the HHGG is like the Bible. Y'know how people quote the Bible all the time, like "Romans 10:9"; or their favorite movie? Well, we quote the Guide. We use snippets from Marvin's depressing monologues - "Life. Don't talk to me about life." Or the falling sperm whale and bowl of petunias - "That's a good name-ground! I wonder if it will be friends with me?" It's also been brought into other parts of our everyday lives, too! Like my computers, for example. I decided to name both of my computers after two from the book: Deep Thought (my main computer) and Eddie (my laptop). I just thought it would be fitting. I take my towel with me whenever I go stay at someone else's house as well. They don't usually get the reference but I do and that's all that matters! And then there's 42. I know, it's just a number. But it's an ongoing joke in our house - especially with me! As long as I'm in a decent mood, I'll answer any question with "42." I mean, it's the answer to everything, right? Right. My dad has even been proving that theory with his work in Photoshop. Whenever he needs a value for something, he puts in 42, and more often than not it ends up working perfectly. And even today, as we were on our way to McDonald's to get some sodas, it followed us. I looked up and saw the temperature: 42°. Then I looked down and saw a license plate that began with 42. Coincidence? Perhaps... But I think not. I think, maybe, there really is something to this whole "42" business.

Ok, so you were an amazing author. You know that (hopefully?) so I won't go on about that. But your writing, specifically in the HHGG (as that is, unfortunately, the only series of yours that I have read thus far), inspired my own writing. I think I already knew that I wanted to write, at least a little bit, when I first read them. But this solidified my decision - I knew I wanted to be able to write something just as awesome as the Guide. Not about the same subject, not with the same storyline, but with the same.. flavor. The same type of humor and wit. I suppose that's the best I can describe it. There was just something about the way you wrote. Not only the subject matter, though that was quite entertaining in itself, but in the actual wording. Argh, it's so hard to describe! I oftentimes wish you were still alive so I could talk to you about what went through your head as you wrote these stories. It's fascinating simply to imagine it. Sure, I can read what Wikipedia has to say about it, but there's no substitute for the real thing (especially since Wikipedia isn't guaranteed to be correct...). If only the art of resurrection could be engineered to work on ashes... Ah well. Maybe someday I'll crack the code to amazingly awesome writing. For now, I'll just stick to my "whimsical" stories about food products. Someday...

Best Wishes To Your Ashes.