A series of five books, collectively known as The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, by the English science fiction writer Douglas Adams has long acquired cult status. The idea of creating a guide to the Universe came to the author at the age of 18, when he himself was traveling around Europe without a penny in his pocket. The idea was first translated into a radio play script, followed by a television series, a computer game and a feature film! How and why did the adventures of the “unflappable everyman” Arthur Dent become so popular? These and many other questions about the life and work of Douglas Adams will be answered by Neil Gaiman in his own guide to the history of the creation of one of the most exciting science fiction novels of our time.