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Douglas Adams's Starship Titanic: A Novel
In this thoroughly satisfying and completely disorienting novel based on a story line by Douglas Adams (author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy), Terry Jones recounts an unforgettable tale of intergalactic travel and mishap. The saga of "the ship that cannot possibly go wrong" sparkles with wit, danger, and confusion that will keep readers guessing which reality they are in and how, on earth, to find their way out again.At the center of the galaxy, a vast, unknown civilization is preparing for an event of epic the launching of the greatest, most gorgeous, most technologically advanced Starship ever built-the Starship Titanic. An earthling would see it as a mixture of the Chrysler Building, the tomb of Tutankhamen, and Venice. But less provincial onlookers would recognize it as the design of Leovinus, the galaxy's most renowned architect. He is an old man now, and the creation of the Starship Titanic is the pinnacle achievement of his twenty-year career. The night before the launch, Leovinus is prowling around the ship having a last little look. With mounting alarm he begins to find things are not unfinished workmanship, cybersystems not working correctly, robots colliding with doors. How could this have happened? And how could this have happened without his knowing?Something somewhere is terribly wrong.On the following day, in an artificial event staged for the media, the Starship Titanic will leave its construction dock under autopilot and, a few days later, make its way to the terminal to pick up passengers for its maiden voyage. Although the ship will be deserted during its very first flight, it is nevertheless a major event, watched by all the galaxy's media.Hugely, magnificently, the fabulous ship eases its way forward from the construction dock, picks up speed, sways a bit, wobbles a bit, veers wildly, and just before it can do massive damage to everything around it, appears to undergo SMEF (Spontaneous Massive Existence Failure).In just ten seconds, the whole, stupendous enterprise is over. And our story has just begun.Somehow three earthlings, one Blerontin journalist, a semideranged parrot, and a shipful of disoriented robots must overcome their differences. It's the only way to save the Starship Titanic ("The Ship That Cannot Possibly Go Wrong") from certain destruction and rescue the economy of an entire planet-not to mention to survive the latest threat, an attack by a swarm of hostile shipbuilders. . . .
207 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1997
About the author
Terry Jones
169 books275 followersLibrarian note:
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name
Terence Graham Parry Jones was a Welsh actor, comedian, director, historian, writer and member of the Monty Python comedy troupe.
After graduating from Oxford University with a degree in English, Jones and writing partner Michael Palin wrote and performed for several high-profile British comedy programmes, including Do Not Adjust Your Set and The Frost Report, before creating Monty Python's Flying Circus with Cambridge graduates Graham Chapman, John Cleese, and Eric Idle and American animator-filmmaker Terry Gilliam. Jones was largely responsible for the programme's innovative, surreal structure, in which sketches flowed from one to the next without the use of punch lines. He made his directorial debut with Monty Python and the Holy Grail, which he co-directed with Gilliam, and also directed the subsequent Python films Life of Brian and The Meaning of Life.
Jones co-created and co-wrote with Palin the anthology series Ripping Yarns. He also wrote an early draft of Jim Henson's film Labyrinth and is credited with the screenplay, though little of his work actually remained in the final cut. Jones was a well-respected medieval historian, having written several books and presented television documentaries about the period, as well as a prolific children's author. In 2016, Jones received a Lifetime Achievement award at the BAFTA Cymru Awards for his outstanding contribution to television and film. After living for several years with a degenerative aphasia, he gradually lost the ability to speak and died in 2020 from frontotemporal dementia.
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name
Terence Graham Parry Jones was a Welsh actor, comedian, director, historian, writer and member of the Monty Python comedy troupe.
After graduating from Oxford University with a degree in English, Jones and writing partner Michael Palin wrote and performed for several high-profile British comedy programmes, including Do Not Adjust Your Set and The Frost Report, before creating Monty Python's Flying Circus with Cambridge graduates Graham Chapman, John Cleese, and Eric Idle and American animator-filmmaker Terry Gilliam. Jones was largely responsible for the programme's innovative, surreal structure, in which sketches flowed from one to the next without the use of punch lines. He made his directorial debut with Monty Python and the Holy Grail, which he co-directed with Gilliam, and also directed the subsequent Python films Life of Brian and The Meaning of Life.
Jones co-created and co-wrote with Palin the anthology series Ripping Yarns. He also wrote an early draft of Jim Henson's film Labyrinth and is credited with the screenplay, though little of his work actually remained in the final cut. Jones was a well-respected medieval historian, having written several books and presented television documentaries about the period, as well as a prolific children's author. In 2016, Jones received a Lifetime Achievement award at the BAFTA Cymru Awards for his outstanding contribution to television and film. After living for several years with a degenerative aphasia, he gradually lost the ability to speak and died in 2020 from frontotemporal dementia.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 507 reviews
October 22, 2007
easily the best book I've ever read that was based on a CD-ROM computer game, especially under the sub-category of books written by comedians I like based on CD-ROM games by favorite authors. I dare say it tops both of those lists.
August 13, 2012
I have to say I was kind of disappointed in this book. I absolutely adore my compendium of the Hitchhiker's saga (is saga the right word?), and was hoping that this would be a nice little addition to the world Douglas Adams created in that. Or else that it would be somehow similar to that episode of Doctor Who with Ten, although that's probably because I've been re-watching the series on Netflix.
The whole idea of the Starship Titanic was a one-off joke in the Hitchhiker's novels, and so while this book is 250-ish pages, it reads quickly and feels more like a short story. It's predictable and somewhat blasé- the books it's spawned from are hilarious and unexpected, and Starship Titanic feels like a pale mockery of that. One of the big problems is definitely that this book isn't really a "collaboration," despite what the description says. It's Douglas Adams's idea hashed out by someone else. Terry Jones isn't a horrible writer or anything, but he lacks the hilarity, whimsy, and humanity that Adams put into all of his works. But since there are clear echoes of things that are Adams' ideas, the fact that it is written instead by Jones makes it almost feel like a sub-par fanfic.
The book is a quick read, and isn't terrible, but don't expect to be wowed by it. It does have its share of good humour and cool scenes, but ultimately it falls far, far short of what you'd expect when you hear the name "Douglas Adams."
The whole idea of the Starship Titanic was a one-off joke in the Hitchhiker's novels, and so while this book is 250-ish pages, it reads quickly and feels more like a short story. It's predictable and somewhat blasé- the books it's spawned from are hilarious and unexpected, and Starship Titanic feels like a pale mockery of that. One of the big problems is definitely that this book isn't really a "collaboration," despite what the description says. It's Douglas Adams's idea hashed out by someone else. Terry Jones isn't a horrible writer or anything, but he lacks the hilarity, whimsy, and humanity that Adams put into all of his works. But since there are clear echoes of things that are Adams' ideas, the fact that it is written instead by Jones makes it almost feel like a sub-par fanfic.
The book is a quick read, and isn't terrible, but don't expect to be wowed by it. It does have its share of good humour and cool scenes, but ultimately it falls far, far short of what you'd expect when you hear the name "Douglas Adams."
January 17, 2018
B.R.A.CE. 2018 Ένα βιβλίο για το οποίο έχεις μεγάλες προσδοκίες
Douglas Adams first imagined the Starship Titanic in Life, the Universe and Everything, the third entry in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series, where it is briefly mentioned in the book's 10th chapter. Adams describes it as a "majestic and luxurious cruise-liner" that "did not even manage to complete its very first radio message - an SOS - before undergoing a sudden and gratuitious total existence failure
Τι άλλο να ζητήσω δλδ; ��ία ιδέα του αγαπημένου Douglas Adams, σε απόδοση από ένα μέλος των Monty Python ( Terry Jones ) ο οποίος συμφώνησε να γράψει το μυθιστόρημα με τον όρο ότι θα το έγραφε απολύτως γυμνός!
Μην ψάξετε τον σύνδεσμο με το "Γυρίστε τον γαλαξία με ωτοστόπ", εκείνο είναι μοναδικό. Αυτό το βιβλίο είναι κάπου παραδίπλα. Είναι η φαντασία του αναγνώστη του έργου του Adams για όλα τα spin off που δεν μπόρεσαν να γραφτούν. Είναι σαν φόρος τιμής.
Είναι απολαυστικό, θα γελάσεις, θα αγωνιάς για την εξέλιξη και θα λες " γαμώτο, πόσα ακόμα θα μπορούσαν να υπάρξουν!"
Σίγουρα όμως δεν είναι ΑΜΦ (Ανεπανάληπτου Μεγέθους Φιάσκο)! ;)
Douglas Adams first imagined the Starship Titanic in Life, the Universe and Everything, the third entry in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series, where it is briefly mentioned in the book's 10th chapter. Adams describes it as a "majestic and luxurious cruise-liner" that "did not even manage to complete its very first radio message - an SOS - before undergoing a sudden and gratuitious total existence failure
Τι άλλο να ζητήσω δλδ; ��ία ιδέα του αγαπημένου Douglas Adams, σε απόδοση από ένα μέλος των Monty Python ( Terry Jones ) ο οποίος συμφώνησε να γράψει το μυθιστόρημα με τον όρο ότι θα το έγραφε απολύτως γυμνός!
Μην ψάξετε τον σύνδεσμο με το "Γυρίστε τον γαλαξία με ωτοστόπ", εκείνο είναι μοναδικό. Αυτό το βιβλίο είναι κάπου παραδίπλα. Είναι η φαντασία του αναγνώστη του έργου του Adams για όλα τα spin off που δεν μπόρεσαν να γραφτούν. Είναι σαν φόρος τιμής.
Είναι απολαυστικό, θα γελάσεις, θα αγωνιάς για την εξέλιξη και θα λες " γαμώτο, πόσα ακόμα θα μπορούσαν να υπάρξουν!"
Σίγουρα όμως δεν είναι ΑΜΦ (Ανεπανάληπτου Μεγέθους Φιάσκο)! ;)
May 3, 2008
When I learned that this book existed, I was desperate to find a copy. The brainchild of Douglas Adams, as interpreted by Terry Jones of "Monty Python" fame?! Where do I sign my soul away?
I'm very glad I didn't shell out a lot of cash for this book. It showed promise, but read like a chapter book for kids. I would not give this book to any child, though - there's a lot of sexual, R-rated antics, especially as the book gets moving. That's not to say that this is pure rat poison. The book has its funny moments, and because of those, I do not regret reading it. I do, however, regret buying it, since I will never reread it. If you should pick up this book, get it from a library, or borrow it from some poor schmuck like me who saw the names on the cover and went bananas. It's a very short read, not at all taxing on the mind. But don't assume that you're getting the epitome of Humor, because this book is far from it.
I'm very glad I didn't shell out a lot of cash for this book. It showed promise, but read like a chapter book for kids. I would not give this book to any child, though - there's a lot of sexual, R-rated antics, especially as the book gets moving. That's not to say that this is pure rat poison. The book has its funny moments, and because of those, I do not regret reading it. I do, however, regret buying it, since I will never reread it. If you should pick up this book, get it from a library, or borrow it from some poor schmuck like me who saw the names on the cover and went bananas. It's a very short read, not at all taxing on the mind. But don't assume that you're getting the epitome of Humor, because this book is far from it.
June 20, 2021
One of Douglas Adams’ Hitchhiker’s Guide books has a toss-off joke about the Starship Titanic undergoing Spontaneous Massive Existence Failure. At the time, he did nothing more with the idea, but a decade later he started basing both a novel and a text-based software game on it. Not being able to work on both in the time demanded by his publisher, he handed off the novel to Terry Jones, of Monty Python fame. Their two styles were compatible, and this novel was released in 1997, just a few years before Douglas Adams’ death.
The characters are stick-figure stereotypes with a tendency to fall into lust at the slightest drop of perfume, the alien cultures are warped caricatures of humanity, the robots are psychotic, and the starship itself is unrelentingly superlative – in short, a spin-off in the spirit of Hitchhiker’s Guide books. You need not have read any of those before this.
Those who find irreverent science fictional humor to be clever, will find this to be clever. I found it a quick read and mildly amusing.
The characters are stick-figure stereotypes with a tendency to fall into lust at the slightest drop of perfume, the alien cultures are warped caricatures of humanity, the robots are psychotic, and the starship itself is unrelentingly superlative – in short, a spin-off in the spirit of Hitchhiker’s Guide books. You need not have read any of those before this.
Those who find irreverent science fictional humor to be clever, will find this to be clever. I found it a quick read and mildly amusing.
August 26, 2018
I love a good space adventure. When its funny and just plain silly, I'm even more content. Its a fun romp with aliens, a luxury spaceship and true love. Spoiler alert, it has a happy ending so there!
April 21, 2022
A mně se to líbilo. Bylo to správnou měrou praštěné, dostatečně vtipné i ujeté, nechala jsem se unášet příběhem - nepříběhem.
Mluvící bomba mě bavila, i Žurnalista. Mluvící toustovač z Červeného trpaslíka je sice lepší, ale co dělat, když Trpaslíka už mám celého přečteného...
Prostě se mi to i trefilo do momentální nálady, tak musím jedině chválit.
Mluvící bomba mě bavila, i Žurnalista. Mluvící toustovač z Červeného trpaslíka je sice lepší, ale co dělat, když Trpaslíka už mám celého přečteného...
Prostě se mi to i trefilo do momentální nálady, tak musím jedině chválit.
January 11, 2022
Funny and Adams-esk.
Good but not great.
Good but not great.
January 12, 2020
Not too bad but certainly nothing amazing. It’s a shame Adams didn’t flesh this out as originally intended since it was his idea. It could have been pretty incredible like the Hitchhiker series, and kudos to Jones for scratching it out at the last moment to work with the then contemporary video game, but the short production time shows; it ends up being just okay. The part with the sentient bomb was on the right track; however, that ended up being the most redeeming quality of the entire novel.
April 28, 2015
i feel like there is a little robot tap-dancing on my brain.
April 29, 2020
For anybody who's a fan of both Monty Python and Douglas Adams, this book may seem a bit disappointing. It seems like Terry Jones watered down Douglas Adams' writing a bit. It feels like he took the story of the CD-ROM game and wrote it as one of his children's books. There are bits in there that approach the laughs you expect from either Adams or Jones on their own. They don't carry through the whole book so in the end it does not live up to expectations. It reads more like Erik the Viking, then any of the Hitchhiker's books.
I did really enjoy the interactions with the robot crew of the starship. Perhaps because they reminded me of Monty Python sketches with Douglas Adams characters. I did find it amusing that a character's name is The, short for The Journalist, until we find out his real name at the end.
It's a fun read. Just don't have any expectations when you read it. It makes the story much more enjoyable.
I did really enjoy the interactions with the robot crew of the starship. Perhaps because they reminded me of Monty Python sketches with Douglas Adams characters. I did find it amusing that a character's name is The, short for The Journalist, until we find out his real name at the end.
It's a fun read. Just don't have any expectations when you read it. It makes the story much more enjoyable.
January 12, 2018
That something written by DNA should receive anything other than 5/5 says it all really. The idea is here, the bones with a fair degree of meat attached, but... it hasn't the ability to lead you to a 'wow moment' without seeing it well in advance. As his other books did. Do!
I bought the game too, it was equally as frustrating.
I bought the game too, it was equally as frustrating.
March 19, 2011
Hitchhiker's Guide meets Monty Python. What more could you ask for? The settings and characters are pure Adams but the writing is unquestionably Terry Jones. A fun reads for fans of both styles with a couple laugh out loud passages.
January 11, 2016
I love this book I know something I did not know.
April 15, 2018
Not as good as the first time I read it, but they never are. Still, pretty good, for a novel that was written in three weeks.
September 30, 2022
Ξεκαρδιστικό σε σημεία, πέρασα καλά.
June 7, 2023
Hittade den i en bokbytarhylla.. den höll ju inte Liftarens-guideklass alls, men skulle kunnat vara refuserade delar ur serien slarvigt ihopbundet till en berättelse. Kul med absurda grejer, kul med Liftarens guide-känslan men inte en bok jag skulle rekommendera någon annan.
April 26, 2012
Сигурно някои от Вас са чували за тази книга, а други може да са повече запознати с компютърната игра със същото име. Лично аз, като заблудено и необразовано агне, си мислех, че втората е правена по първата, а то се оказа, че всичко било правено… паралелно. Дъглас Адамс (познат на по-голяма част от човечеството със своя “Пътеводител на галактическия стопаджия”) измисля историята, но решава да я пренесе директно на компютърния екран. В същото време издателите му искали да напише и книга със същия сюжет, която да излезне паралелно със софтуера, явно за вдигане на продажбите или нещо подобно. Уви, Адамс не е можел да съчетае двете неща и затова предлага на Тери Джоунс (евентуално познат на мнозина с изявите си в Монти Пайтън, а и не само), който е озвучавал папагал в компютърната продукция, да напише литературния вариант и той се съгласява. Всичко това го пише във въведението.
Първо, искам да си призная, че навремето така и не успях да довърша играта, защото се появиха други заглавия, прекалено след времето си на излизане ми попадна и… вече беше към края на манията ми да играя куестове. Именно поради тази причина се абстрахирам изцяло от някои сочени недостатъци, че Джоунс се е отклонил прекалено много от сюжета към края или, че просто имало много големи разминавания. Лично мен това не ме бърка особено, защото не знам какво се случва след първите един-два часа геймплей. Но… нека се насочим към самата книга.
Тя ни запознава с най-големият ум във Вселената и неговото ново велико произведения – звездният кораб “Титаник”, който трябва да бъде изстрелян на своето първо пътуване. Но нещата не са такива, каквито изглеждат, а огромна конспирация се заражда. Корабът каца за малко на Земята (не става ясно защо) и трима земляни получават правото да се повозят като компенсация. Скоро се оказва обаче, че има бомба, която всеки момент ще избухне. Освен това друга цивилизация си иска “произведението” обратно и е готова да си го вземе на всяка цена, стига никой да не пострада, особено корабът (ако нещо се случи, те ще си го поправят, разбира се).
Казано накратко, книгата има някои много силни хумористични моменти. Признавам си, че не съм кой знае какъв фен на Адамс, както и на неговия “Пътеводител” (първите две части бяха забавни и прилични, но после стана толкова банално и безинтересно, че само на инат дочетох тухлата). От друга страна обаче съм голям почитател на Джоунс, най-вече на Монти Пайтън. Разбира се, британският хумор не е от най-лесните за разбиране и на моменти може да постигне дори обратен ефект – да те отегчи или накара да гледаш в недоумение. Все пак авторът се е постарал да изгради една интересна и доста забавна история, като в същото време изглежда е искал да заплете и самия сюжет.
“- Виж какво! Аз съм само едно просто приспособление за броене и избухване и не съм оборудвана за философски дискурс — отговори бомбата. — Моля те, не ми говори, докато броя. Да му се не види! Заради тебе забравих докъде стигнах! Видя ли какво стана? Рестартирам броенето.”
Лично за мен един от най-силните персонажи в книгата е бомбата (да, точно така, една най-обикновена бомба, но с… характер). Тя не е като да иска да избухне, но все пак това е част от същестуването й. Не обича да я прекъсват докато брои и много лесно може да се обърка и да се наложи да започне отначало. Въобще Джоунс е успял да изгради плеяда от второстепенни и поддържащи герои, които в по-голямата си част са къде по-интересни от главните. Тъжно ми е да го кажа, но човешките същества в случая бяха просто… мизерни (да не казвам жалки) – визирам най-вече Дан и Люси, защото Нети, след “интересната” промяна, стана по-приятен персонаж. Прекалено много от мислите, чувствата и действията им бяха леко абсурдни, макар че може и това да е била цялата идея. Все пак не ми допаднаха.
“Блеронтинците не се предават току-така — обикновено се бият до последния наш човек!”
Друг интересен елемент в книгата, това са ясаканците. Те са раса от миролюбиви строители и са отговорни за по-голяма част от изграждането на “Титаник”, преди да им бъде отнет и да не им бъде платено за труда, което води до крах на икономиката им. Тъй като са миролюбиви, те не стрелят директно във врага си, а над главите им. Нищо чудно, че никога не са печелели битка срещу блеронтинците.
И ако до този момент не съм успял да Ви убедя, че тази книга си струва четенето, то не знам какво още бих могъл да добавя. Текстът е кратък и структуриран в не много дълги глави, които се четат бързо и лесно. Джоунс няма кой знае какъв сложен стил на писане, а и не си е давал много зор с описанията кой знае колко. Във всеки случай няма да съжалявате за няколкото часа, които ще отделите на това произведение.
А аз може отново да се пробвам с играта.
Първо, искам да си призная, че навремето така и не успях да довърша играта, защото се появиха други заглавия, прекалено след времето си на излизане ми попадна и… вече беше към края на манията ми да играя куестове. Именно поради тази причина се абстрахирам изцяло от някои сочени недостатъци, че Джоунс се е отклонил прекалено много от сюжета към края или, че просто имало много големи разминавания. Лично мен това не ме бърка особено, защото не знам какво се случва след първите един-два часа геймплей. Но… нека се насочим към самата книга.
Тя ни запознава с най-големият ум във Вселената и неговото ново велико произведения – звездният кораб “Титаник”, който трябва да бъде изстрелян на своето първо пътуване. Но нещата не са такива, каквито изглеждат, а огромна конспирация се заражда. Корабът каца за малко на Земята (не става ясно защо) и трима земляни получават правото да се повозят като компенсация. Скоро се оказва обаче, че има бомба, която всеки момент ще избухне. Освен това друга цивилизация си иска “произведението” обратно и е готова да си го вземе на всяка цена, стига никой да не пострада, особено корабът (ако нещо се случи, те ще си го поправят, разбира се).
Казано накратко, книгата има някои много силни хумористични моменти. Признавам си, че не съм кой знае какъв фен на Адамс, както и на неговия “Пътеводител” (първите две части бяха забавни и прилични, но после стана толкова банално и безинтересно, че само на инат дочетох тухлата). От друга страна обаче съм голям почитател на Джоунс, най-вече на Монти Пайтън. Разбира се, британският хумор не е от най-лесните за разбиране и на моменти може да постигне дори обратен ефект – да те отегчи или накара да гледаш в недоумение. Все пак авторът се е постарал да изгради една интересна и доста забавна история, като в същото време изглежда е искал да заплете и самия сюжет.
“- Виж какво! Аз съм само едно просто приспособление за броене и избухване и не съм оборудвана за философски дискурс — отговори бомбата. — Моля те, не ми говори, докато броя. Да му се не види! Заради тебе забравих докъде стигнах! Видя ли какво стана? Рестартирам броенето.”
Лично за мен един от най-силните персонажи в книгата е бомбата (да, точно така, една най-обикновена бомба, но с… характер). Тя не е като да иска да избухне, но все пак това е част от същестуването й. Не обича да я прекъсват докато брои и много лесно може да се обърка и да се наложи да започне отначало. Въобще Джоунс е успял да изгради плеяда от второстепенни и поддържащи герои, които в по-голямата си част са къде по-интересни от главните. Тъжно ми е да го кажа, но човешките същества в случая бяха просто… мизерни (да не казвам жалки) – визирам най-вече Дан и Люси, защото Нети, след “интересната” промяна, стана по-приятен персонаж. Прекалено много от мислите, чувствата и действията им бяха леко абсурдни, макар че може и това да е била цялата идея. Все пак не ми допаднаха.
“Блеронтинците не се предават току-така — обикновено се бият до последния наш човек!”
Друг интересен елемент в книгата, това са ясаканците. Те са раса от миролюбиви строители и са отговорни за по-голяма част от изграждането на “Титаник”, преди да им бъде отнет и да не им бъде платено за труда, което води до крах на икономиката им. Тъй като са миролюбиви, те не стрелят директно във врага си, а над главите им. Нищо чудно, че никога не са печелели битка срещу блеронтинците.
И ако до този момент не съм успял да Ви убедя, че тази книга си струва четенето, то не знам какво още бих могъл да добавя. Текстът е кратък и структуриран в не много дълги глави, които се четат бързо и лесно. Джоунс няма кой знае какъв сложен стил на писане, а и не си е давал много зор с описанията кой знае колко. Във всеки случай няма да съжалявате за няколкото часа, които ще отделите на това произведение.
А аз може отново да се пробвам с играта.
October 30, 2017
(2.5) Fun concept, not Terry-bly well written
Terry Jones is no novelist, but the storyline plane that is one of the pillars of great Adams writing is still present (others being satire and witty wording/dialogue), and delights despite the nonstop narrative in place of dialogue/inner monologue. Maybe the game makes more sense now? (I never made any headway whatsoever—must’ve needed to work on that second class upgrade first...)
[pre-reading:] Played the computer game based on this (or I guess the other way around) a long, long time ago. As I recall, I failed to make any appreciable progress whatsoever. Was that the joke? Maybe this novel will shed some light on what we were supposed to do... :)
Terry Jones is no novelist, but the storyline plane that is one of the pillars of great Adams writing is still present (others being satire and witty wording/dialogue), and delights despite the nonstop narrative in place of dialogue/inner monologue. Maybe the game makes more sense now? (I never made any headway whatsoever—must’ve needed to work on that second class upgrade first...)
[pre-reading:] Played the computer game based on this (or I guess the other way around) a long, long time ago. As I recall, I failed to make any appreciable progress whatsoever. Was that the joke? Maybe this novel will shed some light on what we were supposed to do... :)
February 16, 2020
If you expect a book by Douglas Adams, you will be disappointed. It is not a hitchhikers guide to the galaxy. If you expect a silly space adventure in the vein of Douglas Adams, then this novel has it's merits. Although I would not so much say it is a novel rather than a serie of silly sketches glued together in a cursory way which pretend to be a novel of sorts.
No wonder if you realize that this book has been written by the late Terry Jones, grandmaster of silly sketches of Monty Python fame. If you read it at such, it has it's moments. It is certainly funny at times. But it is riddled with gaping plot holes and unfulfilled build-ups. Story wise it is a bit of a mess.
I have enjoyed this book nonetheless, possibly because Terry Jones perished only days ago. And I do have a soft spot for him. He lightened up a good part of my youth and showed me which way was Camelot. Three stars for a book about a starfaring parrot, without so much parrot in it.
No wonder if you realize that this book has been written by the late Terry Jones, grandmaster of silly sketches of Monty Python fame. If you read it at such, it has it's moments. It is certainly funny at times. But it is riddled with gaping plot holes and unfulfilled build-ups. Story wise it is a bit of a mess.
I have enjoyed this book nonetheless, possibly because Terry Jones perished only days ago. And I do have a soft spot for him. He lightened up a good part of my youth and showed me which way was Camelot. Three stars for a book about a starfaring parrot, without so much parrot in it.
January 8, 2018
Funny, but well below Douglas Adams's level
It was a good read. A story taken straight out of a footnote in one of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy books, the demise of the Starship Titanic.
The book is very tongue in cheek and had its good bits, just don't expect it to be of the same caliber as even the worst of the Hitchhiker's books. I'm not sorry I read it, but if you're not a huge fan of Douglas Adams and his work, you'll probably be very underwhelmed.
It was a good read. A story taken straight out of a footnote in one of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy books, the demise of the Starship Titanic.
The book is very tongue in cheek and had its good bits, just don't expect it to be of the same caliber as even the worst of the Hitchhiker's books. I'm not sorry I read it, but if you're not a huge fan of Douglas Adams and his work, you'll probably be very underwhelmed.
May 19, 2016
A book from Adams that is not from Adams but from Terry. He was honest enough in his prologue to explain why this book was written and how. Also what are Terry 's strength and weaknesses. I couldn't agree more with his own critique about this book. The extra star goes for the honesty.
April 29, 2020
So the other Terry Jones book I own besides Terry Jones' Fantastic Stories is this, which is his novelization of a PC game based on a drive-by footnote joke Douglas Adams wrote in his third H2G2 novel Life, the Universe and Everything about the Starship Titanic, which suffers from Spontaneous Massive Existence Failure (SMEF) ten seconds after launch. Jones contributed his voice for one of the game’s characters (a parrot), and Adams – who wanted to write a novel version of the game to accompany its release but had no time to do so – asked Jones if he’d do it. Jones agreed on the condition that he could write it whilst nude.
Which may or may not explain all the gratuitous sex in the story, which (apart from all the aforementioned gratuitous sex) is based on the backstory, set-up and objective of the game: Starship Titanic – created by the great architect Leovinus – has been sabotaged (in the name of insurance fraud) by removing the intelligence modules from the ship’s central AI computer. The ship crash-lands on Earth on your house, and you are invited to board the ship and locate the missing modules and restore the AI so the ship can function normally. In this story, the “players” are represented by three Earthlings – Dan, Lucy and Nettie – which is where all the gratuitous sex comes in (mainly via Lucy and a libidinous alien journalist).
Obviously, it’s difficult to review this fairly, partly because it’s essentially a quickly written computer game cash-in (Jones had three weeks to write it), and partly because it’s impossible to not compare it with Adams’ H2G2 works and Jones’ Monty Python pedigree, and inevitably it falls short of both. For the most part, I think it’s good for what it is, and better than it has any right to be. The weak link is the underdeveloped Earth characters, who mostly squabble a lot and have relationship problems that aren’t interesting. Apart from that, it’s reasonably funny and entertaining, but probably only for completists of H2G2 and/or Jones’ written work, or anyone who has ever played the PC game. If nothing else, you get an author photo of Jones sitting nude with a laptop.
Which may or may not explain all the gratuitous sex in the story, which (apart from all the aforementioned gratuitous sex) is based on the backstory, set-up and objective of the game: Starship Titanic – created by the great architect Leovinus – has been sabotaged (in the name of insurance fraud) by removing the intelligence modules from the ship’s central AI computer. The ship crash-lands on Earth on your house, and you are invited to board the ship and locate the missing modules and restore the AI so the ship can function normally. In this story, the “players” are represented by three Earthlings – Dan, Lucy and Nettie – which is where all the gratuitous sex comes in (mainly via Lucy and a libidinous alien journalist).
Obviously, it’s difficult to review this fairly, partly because it’s essentially a quickly written computer game cash-in (Jones had three weeks to write it), and partly because it’s impossible to not compare it with Adams’ H2G2 works and Jones’ Monty Python pedigree, and inevitably it falls short of both. For the most part, I think it’s good for what it is, and better than it has any right to be. The weak link is the underdeveloped Earth characters, who mostly squabble a lot and have relationship problems that aren’t interesting. Apart from that, it’s reasonably funny and entertaining, but probably only for completists of H2G2 and/or Jones’ written work, or anyone who has ever played the PC game. If nothing else, you get an author photo of Jones sitting nude with a laptop.
October 8, 2023
In his introduction, Douglas Adams explains how‘Starship Titanic’ came about as a result of a throwaway line in the HHGG. Much later, when writing a videogame around the premise of a titanic starship that disappeared, his publishers wanted a novel to coincide with the game’s release. Adams didn’t have the time so ex-Python Terry Jones was asked to do it instead. Okay, I’ll be charitable and assume some of the plot holes were due to the novel’s structure having to run parallel to a videogame, but that still doesn’t excuse the embarrassingly childish SF, the irritating characters, or the juvenile humour. Worse still, open the book at a random page and you’ll see lines of dialogue ending in exclamation marks. It’s like everyone is shrieking all the time. Maybe it’s just me but ye gods those exclamation marks were annoying, especially when they were married to the previously mentioned weaknesses. If the book had been a physical copy rather than an ebook I’d have drop-kicked it into the nearest bin.
July 4, 2019
This book was not entirely unlike Douglas Adams’ books. I enjoyed Terry Jones’ Monty Python work, and the combination of that and Adams’ name attached to it I was expecting it to be great. However, it didn’t live up to those expectations. It was fine, but it didn’t quite have that charm that you’d expect from something actually written by Douglas Adams. I feel like it relied way too much on sex jokes, which are fine in moderation but that was most, if not all, of the jokes in this book.
The story itself was pretty interesting, and I actually liked most of the characters (except Lucy who the worst). It took a little bit to really get into it, but once I settled into the story it was entertaining. The story of three Earthlings flying through space on a doomed starship and trying to figure out how to get home would’ve been better in Adams’ hands, but was fine in Jones’ as well. Could’ve absolutely been better and funnier, but I wasn’t displeased with it.
The story itself was pretty interesting, and I actually liked most of the characters (except Lucy who the worst). It took a little bit to really get into it, but once I settled into the story it was entertaining. The story of three Earthlings flying through space on a doomed starship and trying to figure out how to get home would’ve been better in Adams’ hands, but was fine in Jones’ as well. Could’ve absolutely been better and funnier, but I wasn’t displeased with it.
July 6, 2023
Full disclosure to start with, I’m a huge fan of Douglas Adams’ Hitchhiker’s Guide series and I had the Starship Titanic computer game back in the 1990s. This of course isn’t written by Adams, as he was busy with developing the game at the time, but by Terry Jones of Monty Python fame, of whom I’m also a fan.
It pains me to say therefore that this book isn’t very good. There are some nice comic touches – the intelligent bomb that’s easily distracted and loses its place in the countdown is a particular highlight. There’s too much filler between the laughs, however, and it lacks Adams’ carefully honed prose, in particular the deliciously memorable absurdities like, ‘...hung in the sky in exactly the same way that bricks don’t’.
All of which is a shame because there’s a lot of potential in the idea. It’s hard to escape the conclusion that this would have been much better if Adams had written in himself. Sadly, short of finding a way to some parallel universe, we’ll never get to find out.
It pains me to say therefore that this book isn’t very good. There are some nice comic touches – the intelligent bomb that’s easily distracted and loses its place in the countdown is a particular highlight. There’s too much filler between the laughs, however, and it lacks Adams’ carefully honed prose, in particular the deliciously memorable absurdities like, ‘...hung in the sky in exactly the same way that bricks don’t’.
All of which is a shame because there’s a lot of potential in the idea. It’s hard to escape the conclusion that this would have been much better if Adams had written in himself. Sadly, short of finding a way to some parallel universe, we’ll never get to find out.
December 3, 2018
Douglas Adams and Terry Jones, in collaboration. What's not to like? As I went through the "to be read pile" this turned up next on that huge pile and I admit to a happy smile at that.
The pleasure didn't last so long as it turns out this is not the most stunning example of any of the hitchhiker tales. The humour turns to farce, and not in a funny way, but in typical, Monty Python style which overdoes the funny bits and diminishes the total kind of way.
Skimmed much of it and realised I didn't actually miss anything.
All OK, but not worth a reread.
The pleasure didn't last so long as it turns out this is not the most stunning example of any of the hitchhiker tales. The humour turns to farce, and not in a funny way, but in typical, Monty Python style which overdoes the funny bits and diminishes the total kind of way.
Skimmed much of it and realised I didn't actually miss anything.
All OK, but not worth a reread.
June 23, 2023
Oh no! I really really wanted to love this. Douglas Adams and Terry Jones writing a hitchhikers universe based space adventure! Sounds amazing! Unfortunately everything seemed to fall very flat. At one point while I was reading I was worried I’d been duped and had ended up buying an AI written novel that had been fed only Douglas Adams and poor, badly aged romcoms. It’s fine. But not great. Would have given it 2 stars but I heard it was written in only 3 weeks and only cost me 99p. I don’t blame the author I blame the publishers for rushing it. Could have been so much better. 😞
July 5, 2023
Great, albeit short, novel based on the video game created by Douglas Adams.
When Douglas himself decided he had no time to write the novelization, he enlisted the help of Monty Python alum Terry Jones. Terry does a great job telling the story in a style that's somewhere between Douglas Adams and Terry Pratchett. Or maybe that's Terry's actual style, having not read his work before I can't be sure. Either way it's an easy read, if anything I feel this could've setup a series of novels but given both Terry(s) and Douglas have sadly since shuffled off, this is all we're getting!
When Douglas himself decided he had no time to write the novelization, he enlisted the help of Monty Python alum Terry Jones. Terry does a great job telling the story in a style that's somewhere between Douglas Adams and Terry Pratchett. Or maybe that's Terry's actual style, having not read his work before I can't be sure. Either way it's an easy read, if anything I feel this could've setup a series of novels but given both Terry(s) and Douglas have sadly since shuffled off, this is all we're getting!
September 22, 2018
I got this book from my grandpa. I read Life, the Universe and Everything and then read this book. This was not written like what Douglas Adams wrote like.
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