Among science fiction writers, and among prose writers in general, there are not many authors who can joke cheerfully and from the heart. And only a few people can create a full-fledged novel from gags. Douglas Adams, who died in May 2001, was one of these lucky ones. They say that in the original language, the novels from the series “The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy” with sequels are enchanting reading. One of my acquaintances never parted with this book in English when he served in the military, back in the deep Soviet years. In translation, of course, something was lost, but to assess the level of the author, what remains is more than enough. In the perception of the average Russian, England is the homeland of prim ladies and reserved gentlemen. The cold-bloodedness of the inhabitants of Foggy Albion has long been a part of legends and jokes. But oddly enough, it is British writers who provide the world with the best humorous fiction. Douglas Adams and Terry Pratchett are undoubted classics of the genre. They skillfully avoid underwater reefs: tired jokes, cheap tricks... This is probably due to a centuries-old tradition, from the comedies of Shakespeare to the novels of Wodehouse. Who knows, maybe in…twenty years “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” and “The World is Disc” will be studied in Russian schools as a classic example of the famous British humor?