# Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is back!!!



## r0b0d0c (Feb 16, 2009)

Someone tacked this notice onto the thread for "The Stand," but I wanted Douglas Adams fans to find this quickly (lest Amazon decide to remove it again!)!











Someone had mentioned that formatting in the other Kindle books in Adams' "trilogy" was flawed, but the next 3 in the series are still available, also for $6.39:







"Mostly Harmless," the last in the series is NOT available on Kindle (I don't recall if it was previously).

"The Salmon of Doubt," a posthumous collection of writings by Douglas Adams, including part of a final, unfinished novel, is also available for $6.39:



A bit too late for my vacation reading needs (as I longed for HGTTG, and The Stand in February!), but I finally have these back on my Kindle, ready to go! Oh, Happy Day!!!


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## MamaProfCrash (Dec 16, 2008)

So if I own them already and have removed them from my Kindle (I read them and deleted them after finishing) will I get the corrected copies the next time I upload them?


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## Scheherazade (Apr 11, 2009)

There is a lot of debate about whether this happens.  If you can remember some of the mistakes I'd love to see if you can notice any corrections to your redownloaded copy.  Let us know!


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## VictoriaP (Mar 1, 2009)

At least as far as Hitchhiker's goes, they do appear to have corrected a number of errors.  I had the old sample (the book had disappeared before I could buy it) and I did a side by side comparison the other day.  Almost every error had been cleaned up.

I have the others (no, Mostly Harmless has not been Kindleized).  I just haven't gotten around to archiving them & then redownloading.  I'll try to do it today after writing down a few problem pages so I can check.

Edit:  Just tested the theory with "So Long...."  All the errors I noted are still present when the copy is redownloaded.   Considering that was 5 clear OCR errors in about 8 page turns, not good.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

I believe the conclusion from a discussion some time ago was that corrections of books you already bought don't necessarily come to Kindle when you re-download.  You can, however, contact Amazon, explain the problem, have them refund your money and delete the book from your media library, and then buy it again.  They have done this for some when books were pulled then reissued with better formatting/editing even when the original purchase was more than 7 days past.


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## r0b0d0c (Feb 16, 2009)

I've just started reading my download of HGTTG, and so far, it looks like the formatting is good, with few editing mistakes - glad it's back, and probably worth the wait!  

However, I've only downloaded samples of the 3 subsequent books currently available in the series, until I determine if those look too mistake-filled to buy yet. Any consensus of how badly converted these Kindleized versions are? If they're acceptable, I'd rather buy them now, rather than potentially miss the chance, should they get pulled later - but perhaps waiting for a "corrected" Kindle book is worth it?


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## MamaProfCrash (Dec 16, 2008)

I found errors in my original copies but they didn't bother me too much. It was the first series were I was surprised by the number of errors though, so I guess there were a bunch since I actually noted that there were a bunch of errors.


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## jesspark (Jan 12, 2009)

Thank you so much for posting this! I didn't want to download the rest of the available books until HGTTG was back, and I'm so glad it is! To me, it's the perfect "Kindle book," since the Kindle's about as close as we've ever gotten to a real-life Hitchhiker's Guide. =)

Fingers crossed that all -- or at least most -- of the errors have been corrected...


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## VictoriaP (Mar 1, 2009)

r0b0d0c said:


> I've just started reading my download of HGTTG, and so far, it looks like the formatting is good, with few editing mistakes - glad it's back, and probably worth the wait!
> 
> However, I've only downloaded samples of the 3 subsequent books currently available in the series, until I determine if those look too mistake-filled to buy yet. Any consensus of how badly converted these Kindleized versions are? If they're acceptable, I'd rather buy them now, rather than potentially miss the chance, should they get pulled later - but perhaps waiting for a "corrected" Kindle book is worth it?


Truly? If I hadn't already bought them, I wouldn't, not at $6+ each. We're talking at least one error every other page-click or so. On ALL three sequels. To me, this is absolutely unacceptable. Most of the errors are OCR errors--two words blended together with no space, "Eartii" instead of "Earth", etc. It's pretty obvious they're not just typos from the original print versions. They're the worst commercially available ebook adaptations I've seen so far. They're so bad that I wouldn't recommend them to anything other than a die hard HGTG fan who was about to leave the country for six months & couldn't live without them.

I just was hoping that they'd be fixed when HGTG came back out, but obviously it's time to call Amazon with a list of errors as long as I can stand to make it.


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## Sailor (Nov 1, 2008)

I still have my old version of HHGTTG with all the errors on it.

The only way to get the revised book is to get Amazon to reimburse you, then buy the new book.

Sailor - Kindle is MIA


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## jesspark (Jan 12, 2009)

VictoriaP said:


> Truly? If I hadn't already bought them, I wouldn't, not at $6+ each. We're talking at least one error every other page-click or so. On ALL three sequels. To me, this is absolutely unacceptable. Most of the errors are OCR errors--two words blended together with no space, "Eartii" instead of "Earth", etc. It's pretty obvious they're not just typos from the original print versions. They're the worst commercially available ebook adaptations I've seen so far. They're so bad that I wouldn't recommend them to anything other than a die hard HGTG fan who was about to leave the country for six months & couldn't live without them.
> 
> I just was hoping that they'd be fixed when HGTG came back out, but obviously it's time to call Amazon with a list of errors as long as I can stand to make it.


Man, that sounds awful, Victoria; that many errors would drive me up the wall.  I've only downloaded the samples thus far and have yet to check them, but it looks like I'll only be buying the first volume for now. Thanks for the heads-up!


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## r0b0d0c (Feb 16, 2009)

VictoriaP said:


> I just was hoping that they'd be fixed when HGTG came back out, but obviously it's time to call Amazon with a list of errors as long as I can stand to make it.


You're referring to the subsequent books in the series, right? Because almost 10% into HGTTG, I'm finding few errors, as I'd hoped.

Since Amazon never pulled the 3 sequels, I didn't expect those to be corrected. And it sounds like the errors in them are pretty bad, as you describe.


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## VictoriaP (Mar 1, 2009)

I'd definitely check the samples--perhaps they **have** been corrected at this point.  The errors are pretty noticeable, you won't miss them if they're there. I'll try to download the samples when I have the patience (probably not in the next hour or so!) & compare them to the books I bought back in March--if there's a difference, I'll definitely post it and also contact Amazon about getting mine swapped out.


And yes, r0b0d0c, all the books had problems--the first book appears to have been corrected as I compared the old saved sample I had with the new one.


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## koolmnbv (Mar 25, 2009)

Thank you for posting this, I clicked on this book to be made kindle every once in  a while for the past few months because I wanted them to bring it back! Im so glad they did


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## cheerio (May 16, 2009)

They are back again, yeah


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## Toby (Nov 25, 2008)

Thanks! I got the book. I just read a few pages. Very funny!


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## gdae23 (Apr 30, 2009)

Thanks for posting this. I saw the movie that was out some years ago, but have never read any of the books. I just went ahead and purchased the first one, and I expect to really enjoy it!


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## bookfiend (Feb 22, 2009)

Is this book really as good as people say?  I'm having a hard time justifying to myself that $6+ is OK to spend on a book just over 300 pages.  I would be done in less than a day.  That would be like $180 a month. 6 x 30days.  I cant afford that, but if its worth it, and is a rereader, maybe.  but maybe I've just been spoiled by the freebies, and bargains


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## MamaProfCrash (Dec 16, 2008)

It is well worth the money. And 1000 times better then the movie.


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## VictoriaP (Mar 1, 2009)

bookfiend said:


> Is this book really as good as people say? I'm having a hard time justifying to myself that $6+ is OK to spend on a book just over 300 pages. I would be done in less than a day. That would be like $180 a month. 6 x 30days. I cant afford that, but if its worth it, and is a rereader, maybe. but maybe I've just been spoiled by the freebies, and bargains


It's definitely worth the money. But read the sample--if you don't like it, be forewarned that the rest of the book is written in the same vein.


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## bookfiend (Feb 22, 2009)

Thanks gals, I didn't see the move (I try never to see movie versions of books, they piss me off usually) Reading the sample is an excellent Idea, I forget about the sample thing


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## Andra (Nov 19, 2008)

There is one small issue with the formatting on this edition.  I don't know if it was that way originally, but here it is...
The footnotes are grouped at the end of the chapters, not the end of the book.  They are linked correctly, but when you get to the end of the chapter, you have to page through stuff you've already read in the footnotes.  It wasn't a big deal once I realized what was happening, but it messed with my head a little bit.


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## Carol Hanrahan (Mar 31, 2009)

I loved this book!  I read it to my son when he was younger.  I'm  off to download the sample!  Pure, fun imagination!


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## kevindorsey (Mar 4, 2009)

Is this ok for adults to read?  Or is more on the kiddie side?


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## pidgeon92 (Oct 27, 2008)

kevindorsey said:


> Is this ok for adults to read? Or is more on the kiddie side?


It is not a children's book.


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## MamaProfCrash (Dec 16, 2008)

kevindorsey said:


> Is this ok for adults to read? Or is more on the kiddie side?


I read it as a teenager and laughed. I laughed more loudly as an adult.


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## LauraB (Nov 23, 2008)

> They have done it for me, I just had to explain up front, that I knew the 7 days was past, but that the format issues had been fixed and I wanted the corrected copy. They were very helpful. Good luck.
> 
> 
> Andra said:
> ...


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Odd thing happened today:  I'd bought HGG back on the 1st of June when it first became re-available, and downloaded it to my Kindle that day.  Today, for no apparent reason, it was sent again.  I didn't initiate the download and I was just wondering if anyone else had this happen.


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## MamaProfCrash (Dec 16, 2008)

Same thing happened to me. I am assuming that it is the updated version.


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## NogDog (May 1, 2009)

Ann in Arlington said:


> Odd thing happened today: I'd bought HGG back on the 1st of June when it first became re-available, and downloaded it to my Kindle that day. Today, for no apparent reason, it was sent again. I didn't initiate the download and I was just wondering if anyone else had this happen.


Sounds like one of those odd phenomena caused by the use of the Improbability Drive.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Ah! The Infinite Improbability Drive! <slaps self> I completely forgot!  That explains it. And I should have known: I'd taken my car for service and, while I was in the not-very-large waiting room, a woman came in with 4 very rambunctious little kids. . . . .and just then the guy came to tell me MY car was done.


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## jaspertyler (Feb 13, 2009)

Mine also redownloaded, that was weird...


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## gdae23 (Apr 30, 2009)

I got this email from Amazon a few days ago, and also received a re-download of this book.


"We've been made aware of an issue with the title 'The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy' by Douglas Adams. We worked to correct the issue and have sent a new version of the title to your Kindle.

The next time the wireless is activated on your device, the new version of 'The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy' will be sent to your Kindle. If you're not in a wireless coverage area, please connect your device to a computer using your USB cable and download the new file from the 'Manage Your Kindle' section of Amazon.com (www.amazon.com/manageyourkindle). Any bookmarks or clippings you may have saved in the original version will be lost.

We're very sorry for any inconvenience the update of this title may cause."


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## MamaProfCrash (Dec 16, 2008)

I got that same email a couple of weeks ago. The weird thing was that Hitchhikers had been reloaded several weeks before I received the email.


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## kevindorsey (Mar 4, 2009)

I swould probably re-read this.  Can barely remember this title.


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## geoffthomas (Feb 27, 2009)

Yeah I got the downloaded update too.
And the message also even.
But I have no idea what they "corrected".


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## Debra Purdy Kong (Apr 1, 2009)

bookfiend said:


> Thanks gals, I didn't see the move (I try never to see movie versions of books, they p*ss me off usually) Reading the sample is an excellent Idea, I forget about the sample thing


I liked the movie, but I saw it several years after I'd read the book so I wasn't really trying to make comparisons. I do remember loving the book, though. I introduced my daughter to Douglas Adams' work, and she loved them too. I think he'll be read for a long time to come.

Debra


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## koolmnbv (Mar 25, 2009)

A quick question for fans. Are the following books in the series equally as good? If you read and like the 1st one should you continue on with the series? I usually always continue a series anyway even if it is terrible I can't bring myself to stop a series if there are remaining books left. But of course it is better if the remaining books are good ones.


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## VictoriaP (Mar 1, 2009)

The first four are good; So Long and Thanks for All the Fish is probably the weakest of the four, but it's still very readable. I absolutely hated Mostly Harmless (book 5), which is not available on the Kindle.  I'd have to dig around to find the quote, but if I'm not mistaken Adams admitted he wrote it during a fairly bleak period in his life.  Not his best work.

I don't know that they've updated Restaurant, Life, or So Long on the Kindle yet.  They're profoundly full of OCR typos that drove me absolutely ballistic when I read them.  Of course, since I first read them all in high school & reread them a few times a year, I've basically got them memorized which made the typos glaringly obvious.  LOL


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## koolmnbv (Mar 25, 2009)

Thanks Victoria, good to know. I know these books have a pretty big following, or at least the 1st one does. So I was hoping the following ones will be good also. Now if i can ever figure out a way to get through my TBR pile.


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## dentarthurdent (Dec 26, 2009)

I would like to clarify that The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy was first and foremost a radio series. It was originally broadcast on the BBC with Douglas Adams often writing an episode as it was being broadcast; in true live radio drama fashion. I got to meet Mr. Adams before his demise.

I highly recommend listening to the radio series.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

I agree. . . the radio show is great. . . .I think you can buy it on CD's through someplace like Signals or Wireless. . . . .second best was the BBC television show, which was really just the radio show with pictures.    And the books are just like those shows. . . . . .the movie they made a few years back. . . .o.k. but just not the same.


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