And Another Thing...

For some, the very idea of this book is a sacrilege. Somebody other than the late, great Douglas Adams writing a novel in his most loved series. And by someone who to this point is only known for his writing for younger readers. But I don't think Adams himself would really object. He reveled in the inconsistency among the many iterations and adaptations of his story, and was himself responsible for most of the new ideas that the same doubters probably thought ruined the long-delayed film version. Eoin Colfer turn at the helm isn't exactly great, but it doesn't ruin the series either. It just sort of exists there alongside the first five books, and at the least we should be grateful that it erases Adams' greatest mistake - killing off all the main characters at the end of Mostly Harmless.

There are a few weird decisions here and there. Colfer is more of a fantasy guy than a science fiction guy, and that's sort of reflected in the story. A lot, and I mean a lot, of time is spent dealing with gods, both smaller insignificant ones and the big guys like Thor. The story actually seems handcuffed a bit, only covering a few major events over its brief page count. Arthur and Ford hardly get to do anything, and Colfer makes a rather odd choice for Trillian's new love interest. Zaphod's definitely the star of the show, having the most to do and getting a lot of the best lines. I don't think it really stands up to the other books in the trilogy, especially the first three from what I remember. But it's a pleasant, inoffensive read, respectful enough to Adams' work while putting Colfer's own stamp on it. I don't know if he intends to continue with further books, and I think I'd be okay either way. There is a bit of a cliffhanger that leaves someone in a precarious position, but the important thing was fixing the universe, and he did that well enough. Not bad.