July Genreflecting: Review: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

Seconds before the Earth is demolished to make way for a galactic freeway, Arthur Dent is plucked off the planet by his friend Ford Prefect, a researcher for the revised edition of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy who, for the last fifteen years, has been posing as an out-of-work actor.

Together this dynamic pair begin a journey through space aided by quotes from The Hitchhiker's Guide ("A towel is about the most massively useful thing an interstellar hitchhiker can have") and a galaxy-full of fellow travelers: Zaphod Beeblebrox--the two-headed, three-armed ex-hippie and totally out-to-lunch president of the galaxy; Trillian, Zaphod's girlfriend (formally Tricia McMillan), whom Arthur tried to pick up at a cocktail party once upon a time zone; Marvin, a paranoid, brilliant, and chronically depressed robot; Veet Voojagig, a former graduate student who is obsessed with the disappearance of all the ballpoint pens he bought over the years.

From Goodreads

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy  is one of the most popular humorous science-fiction books ever written. First published in 1979, it has been read by several generations and has remained extremely well-spoken of. Personally, it wasn't all that for me. I enjoyed the jokes I knew were coming & Adams has a unique storytelling ability, but it was a jaunty, jumbled mess as far as I'm concerned. The cast was quirky and fun in ways that I hadn't really expected, but it was a bit wacky. I think that's part of the allure for so many people. The sheer absurdity and outlandishness of the stories is quite enticing.

It follows the adventures of Arthur Dent & Ford Prefect as they hitchhike across the galaxy. Ford, being the alien updating the Guide, got stuck on Earth for 15 years and right as it's getting ready to be demolished, he grabs his mate Arthur and continues on his merry journey. They meet all sorts of aliens, see several planets, and enjoy the shenanigans of other travelers just as weird as themselves. Their antics land them in all manner of troubles, but they always seem to come out for the better on the other side. Personally, I adored Marvin! He's the opposite of what you think of when you think robot and his rapier wit allow for some memorable lines.

It's rather obvious why this one falls under science fiction. Between the inter-galactic travel, robots, & aliens, there are so many check marks on the list that it couldn't possibly go anywhere else. The part that really cements this book's place in science fiction though are the moral dilemmas and explanations throughout. As we meet countless races of non-humanoid life, we are constantly informed of their natures and thought processes. It's not simply a matter of knowing what they're doing, it's also the analyzing of why they do certain things. It makes all the difference in the world understanding someone's intent and background. Also, the scientific possibilities of all the artifacts and mechanics seen within the book allow the reader to imagine that some great things are possible.

Have you read this book or others in the series? What do you think about it? Be sure to check back next week when I giveaway a science fiction book and review The Program by Suzanne Young.

Here is the trailer for the movie version, which I find easier to follow and actually quite close to the book. If you haven't seen it, you should!

July Genreflecting: Science-Fiction: The Details

Based on the Collins English Dictionary, a subgenre is "a category that is a subdivision of a larger genre." (Source) Science-fiction probably has the largest collection of subgenres that, honestly, I didn't even consider under science-fiction. My brain has always been stuck in the aliens and technology vein, but there is a lot more to science-fiction than just that. What's really important in science-fiction is "their appreciation of the moral and philosophical implications of either the created world or the characters' roles in that world. These books also tend to stretch the imagination and scientific merit of the elements of the story." That being said there are several common subgenres that we can explore. I tend to read on a few of these and I'm pretty sure that my longtime readers can pick them out easily. :)

• Adventure: These books are usually action-packed and involve some sort of campaign against an opposing force. The main character is oftentimes the hero and almost always our narrator. Probably the most famous series in this subgenre is the Ender series by Orson Scott Card.
• Hard science-fiction: These books are what always pop into my mind when I hear science-fiction because science and technology are the focal points. The actual subject matter can vary from genetic engineering to space exploration to cyborgs. While normally you can suspend your imagination with science-fiction books, this specific type is given better credibility and readability if they are believable.
• Humorous: As implied by the name, these books have an element of levity that drives laughter. Whether it's due to strange characters, unique situations, or satire, these books are very entertaining. Obviously the Hitchhiker's series by Douglas Adams is a popular favorite.
• Aliens/supernatural powers: While these don't necessarily go hand in hand, I figured since they both dealt with the "other" that they could be easily combined. Aliens in science-fiction allow for a plethora of interpretation. They can be hostile or docile and they can be invaders or the invaded. Either way, there is ample room for exploration. Supernatural powers can also be very open as they can be engineered or accidentally triggered or simply be a normal part of the book's population. Lots of room to go any multiple directions.
• Utopia/dystopia/post-apocalyptic: Imagine paradise. Now imagine what happens with paradise doesn't go as planned. Now imagine what happens when the world as you know it ceases to function or exist. There you have the beginnings of these three types of  books. They kind of all go together because it doesn't necessarily matter when they take place, what matters is how the people in the book cope with what they are facing or trying to create. These books have seen a huge uptick in numbers since the explosive popularity of The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins.

There are just as many themes that emerge in these subgenres, but I don't think they can stand on their own without the support from one of these aforementioned groupings. What I love most about these types of books is their open availability to be transferred to film. Now, before you start yelling at your screens or throwing rotten tomatoes, understand this: I try to keep my book-based understanding and my movie-viewing experiences separate. Too many times have I had one or the other ruined for me because of how the other treated it. Now I simply enjoy (or enjoy mocking) each one respectively, but 9/10 times I will read the book over seeing the movie. Check out this list of upcoming book to movie adaptations!

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (#2) November 22, 2013

Ender's Game November 1, 2013

The Maze Runner February 14, 2014

Divergent March 21, 2014

And those are just the ones we know of so far! Give me a shout out in the comments if you know of more!

Be sure to check back next week when I review the classic The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams.

July Genreflecting: Science-Fiction: The Basics

I wanted to do a reading challenge for the subject of Genreflecting, but I didn't get much feedback (maybe because it asked you to read 2 books for each genre and discuss them or because it's not really a "reading challenge" per se, but more an educational experiment), so I've turned it into a monthly feature! For each month of 2013, there will be a specific genre that will be analyzed. I'm planning to have author input and at least 2 reviews of books in the genre as well.

July's genre is Science-Fiction! This books oftentimes are housed with the Fantasy books because there is can be disagreements on which book belongs where. Most Science-Fiction books tend to look at the "what if" scenarios and are heavily influenced by scientific knowledge. The subject matter can range anywhere from time travel to aliens to dystopic futures. What tends to bind these stories together is their appreciation of the moral and philosophical implications of either the created world or the characters' roles in that world. These books also tend to stretch the imagination and scientific merit of the elements of the story. Plausibility is not a requirement and the farther stretching, sometimes the better the story. There are several subgenres depending on your preferred scenario so be sure to check back next week for the details post. (paraphrased from Teen Genreflecting, 2003)

A few of my favorite authors you may recognize in this genre are:

• Mira Grant (The Newsflesh Trilogy beginning with Feed)
• Monica Hughes (Invitation to the Game)
• Michelle Pickett (P.O.D.S.)
• Lauren DeStefano (The Chemical Garden Trilogy beginning with Wither)
• Julia Karr (XVI)
• Neal Shusterman (Unwind)

I'm excited to say that I've chosen my two books, one older and one newer, to read for this challenge. The older book is Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams (originally published in 1979) and I'll have a review and analysis up on Friday, July 19th. The newer book is The Program by Suzanne Young (originally published in 2013) and I'll have a review and analysis up on Friday, July 26th. I'll also be hosting a giveaway, so stay tuned!