"The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" by Douglas Adams
Brian Gongol


It looks like it's a science-fiction novel. The title definitely makes it sound like a science-fiction novel. The movie trailer really, really made it sound like a science-fiction novel. But it's no more a science-fiction novel than "Lord of the Flies" is a travelogue. That doesn't mean that science-fiction fans don't think of it as their own (they most certainly do), but it would be hard to recommend any book that's a faster, funnier read for anyone than "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy." Its only real competition in the world of fiction for pure reading joy might be "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller. Adams is absolutely hilarious from start to finish, and the time spent reading "The Hitchhiker's Guide" is more rewarding in terms of out-loud laughs than almost any comedy except "Airplane!". It's just that good.