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Douglas Adams Fan Anthology You & 42 Update: Prepare for the Whooshing

by in From the Editors, Life, the Universe, and Everything, Literature and Books, The Whole Sort of General Mish Mash, This just in and tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Howdy Hoopy Froods!
If you are shaking your head as to the meaning of my subtitle, “Prepare for the Whooshing,” then shake no more. It is not a tribal rite of Arcturus Grefa, nor the sound of flying mattresses out of the swamps of Sqornshellous Zeta, however it is the distinct noise a deadline makes as it goes by.  Deadline? Deadline? DEADLINE?!
What Deadline?!

I am afraid yes indeed we are imposing a deadline for anyone wishing to still contribute to You and 42: A Douglas Adams Fan Anthology. Wait? What?! There’s a forthcoming anthology dedicated to Douglas Adams? How come I didn’t hear about it you ask….Well…the answer to that is….I do not know, why haven’t you heard of it?

Well the first answer is personal to a degree and it was placed on hiatus a bit.

Firstly, my wife Jessica and I are the You and 42 editors, which will be published by Watching Books and see secondly….
Secondly, for most of this year we have dealt with a family matter, which had all of our time and attention. Our family is still our priority, and we will not get into the matter here, but this unfortunate time in our lives placed all of our projects, career and various matters on hold. Therefore, this project, You and 42 was subsequently on hiatus for sometime.

But Gallifrey Falls No More…Ummmm I mean You and 42 Whooshes Once Again!

What is You and 42?

Well….
“If you hadn’t guessed it, YOU AND 42 is going to be a volume of essays about the life and work of Douglas Adams. The format, as per usual (meaning of you are familiar with the other “You and Who book series by Watching Books), will be a series of essays each focussing on a particular area or production, through which the authors can talk about their personal experiences of Adams and his work. We are not looking for reviews, rather the kind of essays we prefer are those that take a more autobiographical or anecdotal slant; this book is about the “YOU” as much as it is the “42”. Having said that, we appreciate that Adams is a popular and complex author, and this time we’ll be happy to mix it up a bit, by including essays of all kinds as long as they encompass the theme of Douglas Adams touching our lives in some way.”

If I may now direct your attention to the full set of project details over on the You and Who website, which also has a list of topics with authors having been listed alongside some. If you do not see topics that apply to how you may have read the work of Douglas Adams, or how you subjectively feel about his work, then please by all means email me a pitch to youandfortytwo@gmail.com. Please read all of the particulars on the project website and if you do not see your question answered, then by all means email me.  Lastly, if you did not know all proceeds from sales of this books will be donated to charity. If you visit the Watching Books website,  please peruse their collection of  very splendid and worthwhile titles for sale, all benefiting charity.

Now the Rub…
This project began in March of 2016–and of course for every kind of book it takes sometime to come together. It can be 6 months, a year or more before a volume is fully actualized and transmitted across the galaxy. We have a significant amount of contributions but I would really like to bulk it up a bit more. If you have contributed to You and 42, THANK YOU!  If you would like to contribute anymore, then I would be wholeheartedly grateful.
If you have promised to send in an essay I completely understand if life, the universe and everything has gotten in the way…however, I shall be emailing everyone who has inquired, regardless of a contribution or not, within 48 hours. If you receive said email then please read further details of this overall message within and reply accordingly.

Now the great whooshing….
We have never had a deadline for this project, but there comes time when we must push it forward so the reading public can enjoy your contributions, therefore  anyone who wishes to contribute the imposed deadline is Weds, September 20th 2017. This is just one day under the 2 month mark from now and I hope more than enough time for you to complete any contributiuon you wish to send in. Whether you wish your own personal memory, Douglas Adams fan organization, event, or significant occasion represented there will be no extensions beyond this deadline. If we can stick to the aforementioned deadline then You and 42 can be sent into Watching Books before the end of the year and published around the new year. So prepare for the great whooshing for if you wish for your thoughts to be heard within this volume then time will not wait for you.

“I love deadlines. I love the whooshing noise they make as they go by.”

― Douglas Adams, The Salmon of Doubt

Peace and Towels,

Anthony S Burdge

Editor, You and 42

Friends and Fans Remember Douglas Adams in You and 42

by in Coming Soon, Douglas Adams Virtual Museum, Entertainment, Life, the Universe, and Everything, Literature and Books, This just in and tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Photo Credit:
Christina Franco (Courtesy of William Todd-Jones)
(given to Douglas Adams mum)
Many thanks to James Thrift (Douglas’s brother) and to the family of Douglas Adams.

Friends and Fans Remember Douglas Adams in You and 42
by Anthony S Burdge

On this date the first of Froods, Douglas Adams, was born.  Our Douglas Adams fan community here at Galactic Hitchhikers are noting the occasion of his 65th birthday with our own special Thumb Toast to the Frood.  Whether you are a member here, or a part of another fan community, we are all brought together by our shared love in the life and work of Douglas Adams.  I am truly humbled to be a part of the global fan community celebrating the life and work of one of my literary and intellectual heroes. In addition, my wife and I have been entrusted by Watching Books to compile and edit You and 42: A Douglas Adams Fan Anthology.  It is about this project I wish to update you with news of new authors I am incredibly happy to have aboard.

For several years now my wife and I have contributed to a few volumes in the “You and Who,” line from Watching Books.  What I have enjoyed in reading the finished work is the personal nature of each essay. The format of each volume is a series of essays each focusing on a particular area or production, through which the authors can talk about their personal experiences. In the case of previous works the topic has been Doctor Who, sci-fi, Blakes 7, Target Books or the forthcoming David Bowie collection Me and the Starman. The content are not reviews, but rather  essays that take a more autobiographical or anecdotal slant.  This is the case for You and 42, which I have been quite emotionally moved by each piece submitted.  There are a few authors who have contributed more than one essay and for that I am incredibly grateful.  There are a few who had the chance to meet Douglas Adams at an event such as a convention or book signing who relay how that experience positively affected them.  There are other authors who were so inspired by various works by Douglas Adams that it affected their career choices and creativity.

Max Landis (left) and Arvind Ethan David on the set of Dirk Gently. Photo credit, Drama Quarterly

In recent weeks I received contributions by two authors who were friends with Adams and write of events, moments and memories with Douglas Adams.  It has been an incredible pleasure corresponding with these gentlemen about their essays.  The essays submitted cover periods in their life with Douglas Adams, which have been a joy and humbling read. It is my hope that you have watched and enjoyed the recent BBC America “Dirk Gently,” series and/or read the IDW Dirk Gently comic.  The Writer/Executive Producer of BBC America’s Dirk Gently and Writer of the comicbook, Arvind Ethan David, has joined our growing list of authors for You and 42.  In addition we have William Todd-Jones aboard who is a  Creature FX Consultant, British puppet designer, performer, director, movement consultant and writer for film, television and theatre in the UK and abroad.
In 1994 William Todd-Jones joined Douglas Adams and several other friends, who took up the challenge to trek from the coast at Mombassa to the top of Kilimanjaro to raise money for rhino conservation.  If this wasn’t enough of a challenge, they decided to do it in rhino costume!

Photo Courtesy of W.T. Jones, photo credit Christina Franco

“Douglas was determined to share the difficulty and spent hours taking a turn in the costume – which he suggests, had him looking like a giant prawn tempura – but it was easier than completing the manuscript he was meant to be writing, he said.”

In Walking with Douglas/How Doug helped the 1994 African Rhino Climb to save endangered species, William Todd-Jones discusses how he and Douglas Adams got involved in the now infamous Rhino Climb.  Additionally, William has contributed Waking with Douglas, which discusses the passing of Douglas Adams.
We are also quite grateful to William’s daughter Lillian who has contributed her own essay entitled “The Four Ages of Douglas.”  Lillian met Douglas a couple of times when she was quite young, his influence has coloured her life and I felt that further words for You & 42 could best be offered by the next generation. (William Todd-Jones)

Photo Courtesy of WIlliam Todd Jones, Daddy Rhino and Daughter Lillian photo credit Christina Franco

“When I was 5, my dad left. He didn’t leave with another woman, or to have a crisis with a bald patch and BMW. No, he left – temporarily- to dress up as a rhino, and walk up Africa’s highest mountain. In other words, to wear a herbivore suit and travel to a continent crawling with lions, which was impossibly far away, for an unacceptable amount of time, with a bunch of other grown-ups; including someone called Douglas Adams.
I wasn’t very happy about it.”

Around this time Arvind Ethan David was in his second term at Oxford and had adapted for stage Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency with James Goss.

Everything is Connected.

The adaptation began at their British boarding school, and was revised for their adaption as undergraduates at Oxford.   In 1995 Arvind Ethan David had dinner with Douglas Adams to discuss the play, which Adams had attended. “We talked about the show – with ridiculous generosity he decided that in changing it, we had in fact “fixed” his plot. He also said we had now got him thinking about Dirk as a TV series or movie…”  The play went on to win Best Adaptation for Dirk at the 28th LA Weekly Theater Awards (2007).  In Me and 42…Or how Douglas Adams taught me that the meaning of life can be found in the fundamental interconnectedness of all things, Arvind Ethan David discusses The Story of How Douglas Adams Changed My Life.  Arvind’s very moving essay highlights his education, the beginning of his career, and how Douglas Adams mentored him and their lives becoming intertwined.  Bringing Dirk Gently to the world has been a 20 year singular dream for Arvind Ethan David.  

“He decided to make our version the “official” version and gave us perpetual rights in it. We came to an arrangement whereby a proportion of the royalties would always go to charity – in fact to his beloved Rhinoceros (he was a founding patron of Save the Rhino International, and famously once climbed part way up Kilimanjaro in a rhino suit for the charity).”

EVERYTHING IS CONNECTED

As a big Dirk Gently fan, whether book, audio dramatization, now television and comic, I have quite enjoyed Arvind’s brilliant vision and am very humbled and grateful that Arvind has shared his story with us.

We cannot thank these two gentleman, and lady, enough for their contributions to You and 42.  It is our hope to have the content wrapped up and begin editing the manuscript before the summer.  With luck on our side You and 42 will be available for purchase before the end of the summer.  As is the case with varied titles offered at Watching Books, the proceeds from You and 42 will be donated to charity.

If you would like to contribute to You and 42, there is still time before we hear any whooshing sounds, please visit the following page for all the details.

Click here for the You and 42 Project Page

Click here to send me an inquiry via email

 

Bringing the Old Republic to Netflix?

by in Entertainment, This just in and tagged , , , | Leave a comment

swtor-2

It would likely be a fair assessment to assume that very few Star Wars fans don’t know the tales of Revan and Malak. Of the Jedi Exile, Kraya and Darth Nihilus….and too it would be not too far-fetched to assume that just as many Star Wars fans hate Atton Rand, but not nearly as much as Carth Onasi. tumblr_ma2t93ay151rouj0zo1_400

Fans of Star Wars the Old Republic recently launched a campaign to petition Disney and Netflix to make a series based upon the popular MMORPG. Based some 3,000 years before the Battle of Yavin, the Old Republic is tremendously popular in the fandom.

tumblr_n5d22yeec51seoz5po1_500 Who wouldn’t want to see the First Jedi Purge brought to the screen? No one would turn down Jolee Bindo each week, or HK-47? Jolee Bindo really deserves his own show.  The Star Forge, a massive Sith Empire….Malachor? Epic, Epic, and Epic.  Incidentally, in a recent episode of Rebels the protagonists Ahsoka Tano, Ezra and Kanan vist a Sith Temple on Malachor, could this nod lead to something greater? sithtemple2

The Petition, on Change.Org, aims to reach 150,000 signatures. To date almost 85,000 Old Republic fans have signed.

SIGN THE PETITION HERE

Will Disney cater to the fandom? We can only hope. It sure doesn’t hurt to sign the petition.

 

starwarshk47haimeatbags

Happy Birthday to the Best-Selling Book in the Universe!

by in Encyclopedia Galactica, History, Life, the Universe, and Everything, Literature and Books, Philosophy, This just in and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

hitchhikers-guide

37 years ago a very excellent book got published. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. It has been available for a very long time, however If you don’t have it, you should really consider grabbing one! It is, after all, the best guide for anyone who is planning on travelling across the Universe. And the Universe is big. Bigger than anything you have ever seen before. So you want to make sure you have something that will help you find your way across the stars.

It was an instant classic, getting the fans attention way before it was published due to the popularity of the Original BBC Radio Series. Due to this, it was expected to have at least a small fan base, but poor Douglas could not even dream of the fame it brought to him.

At ‘Seacon 79’ He gave a talk on ‘Across the Galaxy with TARDIS and Thumb’ and He was pleasantly surprised by the turn-up. He was also listed for the Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation but lost out to Superman. As Christopher Reeve accepted the award, he couldn’t help but point out that the whole thing was obviously fixed. His comment received cheers and loud shouts from the crowd. These were the first fans of the book, making themselves heard.

A few weeks later came the famous incident of the very famous signing He was put up to in London. His publisher, Pan Books arranged him a signing at the one-year-old store, Forbidden Planet, located on Denmark Street in Central London. As his cab was making its way to the venue however, they got into a terrible traffic jam. A jam, miles long, congesting the heart of London due to a bunch of freaks, clogging up the streets. Young people, punks and your everyday folks, some of them dressed in odd frocks. For the outsider, it seemed like they were up to some sort of a protest. However, as it turned out, this was just the turn-up for his signing event nearby. Needless to say the signing event had to go on for hours after the expected finishing time and He managed to be late from his dinner with Terry Jones too. That Terry Jones from Monty Python who was really keen to provide a splendid review of the book, that went like:

“Every Word is a gem… it’s only the order they’re put in that worries me.”

The book was sold in 250,000 by the end of the first three months and it continued to be popular up to these times.

Needless to say then the book is worthy for anyone’s attention who have not read it yet. But Who am I talking to? You read the book for surely. Probably heard the radio series and audio books, saw the TV Series and even the movie adaptation. We both know what happens in it so I will not go on to explain to you why this is such a fantastic book. We both know the reason why. And it never cease to amaze us, despite the multiple ways it is being transmitted into Outer Space.

However I shall urge you tonight to go and recommend it to a friend of yours. Try and get all those friends interested who did not read, heard or saw ‘The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy’ yet. The birthday of this fantastic book should give you the perfect opportunity. Share along the post too so it would get the them hoopy froods thinking.

 

And Again, HAPPY BIRTHDAY You Magnificent Book, You! 

 

Happy Birthday to the Dynamic Duo! – Sylvester and Sophie

by in Encyclopedia Galactica, Entertainment, History, Roughing it, slumming it, and facing terrible odds, The Whole Sort of General Mish Mash, This just in and tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

As Many of You know, I am very much into Doctor Who. I’ve started with the Modern Era a while ago and since I got hooked I’ve tried to get into the Classic Series as well. Now, I had a taster session from Every Doctor and Companion in Existence, but none of them left such a great Impression on me as Sylvester McCoy and Sophie Aldred’s duo.tumblr_nakkv37jCQ1tcb8jqo8_400

Ace was an unexpected character to turn up in the show. Before She accidentally become a companion, Sophie was into Musical Theatre and Shows aimed towards Children. I say accidentally as She did not apply. Her agent did. She went onto the Audition and later for a Recall but She did not expect to receive the role. She did. It was quickly offered up to her as a permanent one as the Actress playing Mel announced her wish to depart from the Series soon after She got the part of Ace.

Theatre was a common thing between her and McCoy as He used to be a part of a Roadshow before He became the Doctor. He was famous for his comical stunts and his portrayals of Buster Keaton and Stan Laurel. He also played a character Sylveste McCoy. Eventually, He became known as Sylvester McCoy, after adapting the name as a Stage Name.

Let’s have a look at the time this two became official companions:

Ace was known for calling the Doctor “Professor” many times during the show’s running. It’s unclear how that came into being, but it has stuck with their characters and gave a unique vibe to their relationship.

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The best thing that I like about
Ace is that She wasn’t just there to be eye-candy. She was special. She was cool, tough and strong-willed. Finally, We got a Strong Female Character, not just a Damsel in Distress. She could save the day on her own, She didn’t need others to do the job for her. And that was great.

“The Doctor: I don’t suppose you’ve completely ignored my instructions and secretly prepared any Nitro-9, have you?
Ace: What if I had?
The Doctor: And naturally, you wouldn’t do anything so insanely dangerous as to carry it around with you, would you?
Ace: Of course not. I’m a good girl and do what I’m told.
The Doctor: Excellent. Blow up that vehicle.”

Beside their on-screen Chemistry, They also seem to be getting on well off-screen too. They still hang out with each other at Cons and never seem to have anything bad to say about the other. Now, Any other fan knows that sometimes actors don’t get on well with each other off-screen and that could leak into their acting too.

Not for this two! Just today, Sylvester McCoy’s Facebook page made a mention of both of their birthdays, as they were born on the same day! What a coincidence, Eh?  Personally, I adore the fact that He loves her so much to post a picture of the two of them together:

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They are truly real life Friendship goals. To commemorate their Birthdays, I would like to share a few pictures with you about Sophie and Sylvester goofing around each other. Hope you enjoy them!

SYLVESTER-McCOY-SOPHIE-ALDRED-UNSIGNED-PHOTO
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And a Bonus Material :

With this, I wish a Happy Birthday to My Favourite Actor to ever portray the Doctor and the Most Badass Companion Ever! HAPPY SHARED BIRTHDAY, GUYS! May You have many more!

And thank you dearly for all your devoted work to Doctor Who, On and Off Screen. 

We Love You. 

BREAKING: D.A.D. is Coming your way!

by in Coming Soon, Encyclopedia Galactica, Humor and Satire, This just in | Leave a comment

Hey there, fellow Hitchhikers!

Have you ever sat in front of your television device, looking at the people shown and wonder “Where the Heck did this guy came from?”? Have you ever wondered if there might be more than just cultural differences between you two? Maybe He/She came from a different planet, not just a nearby little town.

I Know you might be thinking:

possible

But there are countless numbers of stars in Outer Space and chances are that many of them already has life, even intelligent life on them. Why would it seem so hard to imagine then that a member of an Alien Civilization would come to Earth in order to Explore… Experiment… or Destroy on our planet. Anything is possible.

Of course, it is also entirely possible that they only came around for a Vacation. The kinda vacation that British kids have at Ibiza. Lot of drugs, Sex and Awful Music. Maybe some of them are trying to break into the Music industry themselves. That would explain an awful lot, if You ask me.

miley

I am pleased to tell you now that you no longer have to think for hours trying to figure it Who is Who in the Galaxy.

D.A.D. is here to help.

What is D.A.D. You may ask? D.A.D, aka Declassified Alien Dossier is a comprehensive collection of data that examines certain humanoid creatures who may or may not have migrated from another Star System. We aim to prove our theories with solid evidence that should satisfy the public, especially the conspiracy theorists.

There are many creatures out there who engage with the public on a daily basis and manage to draw attention to them with their odd behaviour without ever raising any suspicions about their origins. It has to stop. We must acknowledge their existence for what they are. Aliens. That is the only way to ensure that the future generations of humans will not fall under the spell of our potential Alien Overlords.

Call me paranoid, but chances are not all of them came in peace. It is entirely possible that some of them are attempting to dumb down the human race so We would fall more easily in their traps, when the Alien Invasion begins.

We must be cautious. We must take care. We must walk with our eyes open and always question what we see.

THE TRUTH IS OUT THERE.