Ahira's Hangar

David Zindell's Neverness, A Requiem for Homo Sapiens and all things Science Fiction and Fantasy
It is currently Fri Apr 19, 2024 1:49 pm

All times are UTC




Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 19 posts ]  Go to page 1, 2  Next
Author Message
 Post subject: Douglas Adams and humor in the genre
PostPosted: Tue Apr 30, 2002 9:50 pm 
Offline
Master Pilot

Joined: Thu Mar 28, 2002 2:23 am
Posts: 3363
Thanks 2 ranoffwithgypsies (who also inspired the P.K. Dick topic) I started a Douglas Adams topic! There's, overall, a serious lack of decent humor in the Sci Fi genre--there's more in Fantasy--but just not enuf of it in Sci-Fi. Some of Bardo's antics in Neverness r outrageous and Vonnegut, Heinlien, Dick, Laumer and Walter Jon Williams (especially with his #1 rated Allowed Burglar: Drake Maijstral in The Crown Jewels, House of Shards and Rock of Ages) have their funny moments 2. Thank God we have Douglas Adams 2 make up 4 that! Adams' work must have inspired the great cartoon Futurama and characters like the hapless Arthur Dent, the notourius Ford Prefect and the robot entertain and make u laugh until u sob in ur towel. I just found out that Adams died last summer-but where would the Sci-Fi world b w/o A Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Life, the Universe and Everything, The Restraurant at the End of the Universe, So Long and Thanks for the Fish & Mostly Harmless? What ranoff doesn't kno (she also doesn't kno where 2 place a topic--cause she started this @ Cthulhu's Corner ) is that there r lots of members here from Kevin's Watch and we have already chatted a great deal about Adams--so all will enjoy this topic--I'm SO xcited I'm making a general announcement about it!!! Fall Far and Well Pilots!<i>Edited by: danlo60 at: 5/10/02 7:50:32 pm
</i>


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Douglas Adams and humor in the genre
PostPosted: Wed May 08, 2002 3:15 pm 
Offline
Master Pilot
User avatar

Joined: Mon Apr 29, 2002 9:07 pm
Posts: 1096
Yes, scifi writers take themselves entirely too seriously, in general.

Douglas Adams is hilarious. I love all the little ideas and thoughts he came up with...the mice and the dolphins, the planet makers, and so forth. Things that bother me...I still want to know where Fenchurch ended up. And I found the end of Mostly Harmless annoying. God's message to the universe made me laugh out loud.

And of course, we all know the answer to the ultimate question of life, the universe and everything.

Too bad Douglas Adams died too young and we were deprived of continuing to enjoy more of his humor. I am looking forward to reading the last posthumously published book.

~MsMary~ <i></i>


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Douglas Adams and humor in the genre
PostPosted: Wed May 08, 2002 11:51 pm 
Offline
Master Pilot

Joined: Thu Mar 28, 2002 2:23 am
Posts: 3363
Do you kno Kurt Vonnegut's answer 4 the answer 2 all universal questions? Read Sirens of Titan and get back 2 me on that--that is a VERY silly book!
Fall Far and Well Pilots!<i></i>


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Douglas Adams and humor in the genre
PostPosted: Sat May 11, 2002 2:40 am 
Offline
Pilot

Joined: Sat May 11, 2002 2:40 am
Posts: 1
I LOVED the
"going into hyperspace is uncomfortably like being drunk"

"whats so bad about being drunk?

"ask a glass of water"

Ford Prefect is my favorite character. Whenever I am reading the books people look at me funny because I keep giggling <i></i>


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Douglas Adams and humor in the genre
PostPosted: Sat May 11, 2002 2:52 am 
Offline
Master Pilot

Joined: Thu Mar 28, 2002 2:23 am
Posts: 3363
hi elven glad ur here! Keep on giggling--c u in the Tolkien section or the funny papers! Fall Far and Well Pilots!<i></i>


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Douglas Adams and humor in the genre
PostPosted: Sat May 11, 2002 9:07 pm 
Offline
Master Pilot

Joined: Thu Mar 28, 2002 11:31 am
Posts: 261
Don't remember the name of the book, but it was either fantasy or sci-fi, and there was a discussion of the animals on the planet. One was listed as "eye of a scream" and another was "eye of a smilk" (The latter was considered not as pure as the former). Humorous? To this teacher: YES! Arise now, Riders of Théoden!Let horse be bridled, horn be sounded!Forth Eorlingas!<i></i>


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Douglas Adams and humor in the genre
PostPosted: Mon May 13, 2002 5:50 pm 
Offline
Pilot

Joined: Sun Apr 21, 2002 4:10 pm
Posts: 37
I just told my kids this weekend to ask their dad to let them borrow his copy of the four books in the "Hitchhiker's Guide" trilogy....

Yes, yes, "Sirens of Titan" was a great book. In fact, reading anything by Vonnegut is a lot of fun -- I love how he works Kilgore Trout into every book. Or did, there, for awhile, until he retired them all in "God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater"....

Oh, oh, "Hitchhiker's Guide" -- the ex had an interactive "Hitchhiker's Guide" computer game (text-based -- this was a *really* long time ago) that was developed in part by Douglas Adams. The disks came packaged with a bit of fluff, a microscopic space fleet in teensy plastic bag, and a red button that said, in large, friendly yellow letters, "Don't Panic!" (You had to provide your own towel.) The trick for getting the Babel fish into your ear was positively Machiavellian -- we finally gave up and sent for the hint book, so we could get on with the game.... Anyway, I credit that game for giving me one of my favorite comebacks, which I use to this day: "What a concept." <i></i>


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Douglas Adams and humor in the genre
PostPosted: Tue May 14, 2002 11:36 pm 
Offline
Master Pilot
User avatar

Joined: Mon Apr 29, 2002 9:07 pm
Posts: 1096
For the longest time, Foamy used the exclamation, "Zark off!" to her brother.

~MsMary~ "Does the walker choose the path, or the path the walker?"<i></i>


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Douglas Adams and humor in the genre
PostPosted: Wed May 15, 2002 5:02 am 
Offline
Master Pilot

Joined: Thu Mar 28, 2002 2:23 am
Posts: 3363
just saw the title of the new, posthumous, Douglas Adams @ Amazon.com that they'r selling 4 $16.95: The Salmon of Doubt--cool review, 2! Fall Far and Well Pilots!<i></i>


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Douglas Adams and humor in the genre
PostPosted: Sun Jun 02, 2002 6:35 pm 
Offline
Master Pilot
User avatar

Joined: Thu May 02, 2002 3:12 am
Posts: 148
MsMary - I still do, sometimes.

~Foamy~ <i></i>


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Douglas Adams and humor in the genre
PostPosted: Sun Oct 06, 2002 1:04 am 
Offline
Master Pilot

Joined: Thu Mar 28, 2002 2:23 am
Posts: 3363
I need 2 find a copy of the Salmon of Doubt! Foamy's upset that no 1 has posted here since her last post so please post--it's such a fun subject!!! The true human being is the meaning of the universe. He is a dancing star. He is the exploding singularity with infinite possibilities. <i></i>


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Douglas Adams and humor in the genre
PostPosted: Sun Oct 06, 2002 1:07 am 
Offline
Master Pilot
User avatar

Joined: Thu May 02, 2002 3:12 am
Posts: 148
*whacks danlo* I was <i> not</i> all upset. :">

~Foamy~ <i></i>


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Douglas Adams and humor in the genre
PostPosted: Sun Oct 06, 2002 6:18 am 
Offline
Pilot

Joined: Sun Jun 09, 2002 11:47 am
Posts: 93
You might try Robert Sheckley. He's written some very nice humoristic science fiction. <i></i>


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Douglas Adams and humor in the genre
PostPosted: Tue Oct 15, 2002 5:31 pm 
Offline
Master Pilot
User avatar

Joined: Mon Apr 29, 2002 9:07 pm
Posts: 1096
Recently, in our house, we've been discussing the nutrimatic, which makes a drink "similar to but not quite like tea." (I'm paraphrasing here, Foamy will probably run in and correct me! )

"Share and enjoy!"

~MsMary~ "Does the walker choose the path, or the path the walker?"<i></i>


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Douglas Adams and humor in the genre
PostPosted: Thu Oct 17, 2002 2:05 am 
Offline
Master Pilot
User avatar

Joined: Thu May 02, 2002 3:12 am
Posts: 148
The Nutri-Matic machine provided Arthur Dent with "a plastic cup filled with a liquid that was almost, but not quite, entirely unlike tea."

Yeah, I looked that up. I'm not <i> that</i> obsessed.

~Foamy~ <i></i>


Top
 Profile  
 
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 19 posts ]  Go to page 1, 2  Next

All times are UTC


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 9 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum

cron
Powered by phpBB © 2000, 2002, 2005, 2007 phpBB Group