4 ms·

I see these "Hitchhiker's Guide" a lot, but other than a reference to the book "hitchikers guide to the galaxy", is there a better definition here? How should

I see these "Hitchhiker's Guide" a lot, but other than a reference to the book "hitchikers guide to the galaxy", is there a better definition here? How should I picture "Hitchhiker" - in the book, isn't the main character an unintentional observer/participant? So is this a beginner? Or perhaps a hitchhiker is a hardened, obstinate person who enjoys the frontier and moving around a lot? I don't know; it never made sense to me.

parksy 6y ago
In the books, there is an electronic guide to the combined knowledge and wisdom of all the various species that inhabit the universe. The guide is itself called "the hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy." I have always interpreted such titles to be a reference to this in-universe guide rather then to the novel or its characters. We could split hairs over the fact the in-universe guide is more analogous to Wikipedia in scope and scale than a more condensed tutorial or primer, or whether the reference is obscure enough that it confuses, alienates, or distracts readers who aren't part of the intersection of Hackernews Readers and Hitchikers Guide fans. It never really bothered me but I was a huge fan of the series when I was younger. Edit to add: as I am a technical writer on the side, it's a timely reminder to avoid any analogies or cultural references that require knowledge others in my target audience might not share. So, interesting point!
- dmurray 6y ago
  Before those books, there was a non-fiction book called The Hitch-hiker's Guide to Europe [0]. It was a reference for travellers in Europe on a budget, something similar to the niche the Lonely Planet books fill today. It was a big tome, updated regularly with new editions from 1971 through the mid-90s, and well enough known that Douglas Adams' readers would have got the joke. My parents had a copy. That's the original inspiration for the in-universe Hitch-hiker's Guide to the Galaxy and perhaps the better point of comparison for other guides that are named after it. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hitch-hiker's_Guide_to_Europe https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hitch-hiker's_Guide_to_Europe
  - parksy 6y ago
    Thanks for the insight, I never heard of this until today and this adds another dimension to explore. I read some excerpts here https://h2g2.com/edited_entry/A4158164 https://h2g2.com/edited_entry/A4158164 and it definitely adds context that only really improves my interpretation of the Douglas Adams series. "Always carry a towel" is one such reference that I can now replay and re-imagine as a parody of the original guide. I'd assumed them to just be a random amalgamation that parodies the overall genre of various guides and travel literature, it's fun to know there's a solid reference point. As for the relevance of the "Hitchhiker's Guide to <subject>" title format in light of this information, I agree with you that the original source is a better comparison point; while there will be a lot of fans of the Adams work who can relate on that level, there will be others who either owned or knew about the original source of the parody who will interpret the format more closely to its intention. And ultimately it's a format that's so frequently used that there will be a broader spectrum of people for whom "Hitchiker's Guide..." is just synonymous with "down and dirty advice to get you started quickly, without pretension." This has turned out to be an interesting rabbit hole, personally at least.
- wslyvh 6y ago
  This is great advise. I'll keep that in mind next time. Thanks!
dwd 6y ago
"Don't Panic" probably applies, but what's the equivalent of the all important towel in the blockchain space?
Luc 6y ago
You're thinking of the wrong book. 'The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy' referenced here is the guide to the whole universe, published by Megadodo Publications of Ursa Minor Beta.

parksy 6y ago

In the books, there is an electronic guide to the combined knowledge and wisdom of all the various species that inhabit the universe. The guide is itself called "the hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy." I have always interpreted such titles to be a reference to this in-universe guide rather then to the novel or its characters. We could split hairs over the fact the in-universe guide is more analogous to Wikipedia in scope and scale than a more condensed tutorial or primer, or whether the reference is obscure enough that it confuses, alienates, or distracts readers who aren't part of the intersection of Hackernews Readers and Hitchikers Guide fans. It never really bothered me but I was a huge fan of the series when I was younger. Edit to add: as I am a technical writer on the side, it's a timely reminder to avoid any analogies or cultural references that require knowledge others in my target audience might not share. So, interesting point!

dmurray 6y ago
Before those books, there was a non-fiction book called The Hitch-hiker's Guide to Europe [0]. It was a reference for travellers in Europe on a budget, something similar to the niche the Lonely Planet books fill today. It was a big tome, updated regularly with new editions from 1971 through the mid-90s, and well enough known that Douglas Adams' readers would have got the joke. My parents had a copy. That's the original inspiration for the in-universe Hitch-hiker's Guide to the Galaxy and perhaps the better point of comparison for other guides that are named after it. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hitch-hiker's_Guide_to_Europe https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hitch-hiker's_Guide_to_Europe
- parksy 6y ago
  Thanks for the insight, I never heard of this until today and this adds another dimension to explore. I read some excerpts here https://h2g2.com/edited_entry/A4158164 https://h2g2.com/edited_entry/A4158164 and it definitely adds context that only really improves my interpretation of the Douglas Adams series. "Always carry a towel" is one such reference that I can now replay and re-imagine as a parody of the original guide. I'd assumed them to just be a random amalgamation that parodies the overall genre of various guides and travel literature, it's fun to know there's a solid reference point. As for the relevance of the "Hitchhiker's Guide to <subject>" title format in light of this information, I agree with you that the original source is a better comparison point; while there will be a lot of fans of the Adams work who can relate on that level, there will be others who either owned or knew about the original source of the parody who will interpret the format more closely to its intention. And ultimately it's a format that's so frequently used that there will be a broader spectrum of people for whom "Hitchiker's Guide..." is just synonymous with "down and dirty advice to get you started quickly, without pretension." This has turned out to be an interesting rabbit hole, personally at least.
wslyvh 6y ago
This is great advise. I'll keep that in mind next time. Thanks!

dwd 6y ago

"Don't Panic" probably applies, but what's the equivalent of the all important towel in the blockchain space?

Luc 6y ago

You're thinking of the wrong book. 'The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy' referenced here is the guide to the whole universe, published by Megadodo Publications of Ursa Minor Beta.