PENGUIN REVEAL JACKET FOR AND ANOTHER THING … AND ANNOUNCE PLANS TO JOIN FORCES WITH PAN MACMILLAN FOR HITCHHIKER BONANZA THIS AUTUMN
London, 9 March 2009 In what promises to be one of the biggest events in the publishing calendar this year, Penguin is publishing Eoin Colfer’s specially commissioned sequel to Douglas Adams’s remarkable Hitchhiker series,
And Another Thing…
Publication is timed for 12 October, which marks the 30th Anniversary of the first publication of Douglas Adams’s The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. Douglas Adams’s so-called trilogy, which in fact ran to five volumes, became one of the biggest cult literary successes of the 20th century. Over the last thirty years, 16 million readers around the world have enjoyed the adventures of Arthur Dent, Trillian, Zaphod Beeblebox and Ford Prefect.
This autumn, Penguin is joining forces with Douglas Adams’s paperback publisher, Pan Macmillan to create huge combined Hitchhiker excitement; bringing together the two vast armies of fans: those of the original Hitchhiker books and the many millions of Eoin Colfer fans. (Colfer’s Artemis Fowl titles have sold more than 18 million copies globally.)
Pan Macmillan and Penguin will be working closely to create a joined-up campaign that leads readers from the original titles – which are all being beautifully repackaged by Pan with new introductions – and then onto the new book. Starting in early September, the campaign will then run in store, online and in the media through the autumn and right up until Christmas.
Penguin is also working with BBC Audiobooks to ensure that the original audio recordings have a place in the anniversary celebrations. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy: Primary Phase was voted as the public’s number one audio title in a Guardian poll last year, thirty years after the first BBC radio broadcast in 1978.
At an event held at Penguin’s London offices last night the jacket for And Another Thing… was revealed.
Publication details:
And Another Thing… by Eoin Colfer is published in hardback from Michael Joseph on 12th October 2009 ISBN 9780718155148, £20
New anniversary editions of Douglas Adams’ original titles will be available in paperback at £7.99 from Pan with new introductions from notable people in the Hitchhiker world, including Russell T Davies, Dirk Maggs and Terry Jones and with an afterword from Simon Brett, the original commissioner of the radio series on 4th September 2009:
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
The Restaurant at the End of the Universe
Life, The Universe and Everything
So Long and Thanks for All the Fish
Mostly Harmless
Already available from BBC Audiobooks:
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy: The Primary Phase Special Edition, £17.61
9781408409763
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy: The Secondary Phase Special Edition, £17.61, 9781408409770
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy : Tertiary Phase, £15.65 9780563510437
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy: The Quandary Phase, £12.72 9780563504962
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy : The Quintessential Phase, £12.72, 9780563504078
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy : The Complete Radio Series, £17.01
9780563504191
Very interested in what Simon Brett has to say about Hitchhiker now.
With the viking longboat on the cover are we going to get more Norse Gods and Dirk Gently cross-over?
I agree. It looks like the Norse Gods are back to play another, probably bigger role in this book.
Any theories about how eoin is going to bring Arthur back to life? I think it might be some weird time thing.
Hi,
Sorry for the wrong place, but if Eoin could please reply to my following query.
I have bought all of the Artemis Fowl books (including Files and Graphic Novel), but in the recent newsletter, I found that ‘Time Paradox’ is being published again with a new story. So, to get this story do I have to buy the book again???
And on a more related note, I had read all of the previous five Hitchhikers’ book and also ‘Salmon of doubt’. With the multiple universe thing in ‘Mostly Harmless’, I became a bit confused. So, I think Eoin has many avenues open to bring back Arthur and I know this sixth book will be even more enjoyable than the former five. I guess we can keep this much faith on Eoin.
After all, time travel is prominent in the series already. Random is a certain age but is physically and mentally older since she’s been in other times for so long. Also, Colfer has experience with time travel from Artemis Fowl.
By the way, it says at the back of most of Colfer’s books that he wrote about various historical characters as a child, which would influence what he writes now (the Norse Gods, etc.).
For fear of dissappointment, I must first admit that I am a Hitchhikers virgin! I am reading the first novel for a group project for a SciFi class that I am currently taking. Part of the project is to do some on line researching to see how the novels impact the world. I am shocked at the truth to the statement in the article of the cult following. Out of the current novels, does the main character in the first Arthur continue?
Hi Debarshir,
We have no knowledge of Time Paradox being republished with a different story. Where did you find this information? Thanks. Foaly.
During a time when I think most of us would like to get off the planet for a bit I applaud the upcoming entry to this series. We all need a few laughs and something new to get our heads around. Well done, Sir.
Thank you so much for writing another book in the series! i am really excited, as i have read this series several times already. i hope this is as good as the rest of the series!
I’m totally looking forward to the final installment of such a wonderful series!!!!! I only hope that, like Arthur Dent, Ford Prefect will be resurrected in this novel as well!! It was really depressing that they all died at the end of the fifth book, I kid you not, I sobbed for hours. PLEASE BRING FORD BACK AS WELL!!!!!!!!
Doesn’t the Babel fish save them all at the end of the radio series? It’s a different ending to Mostly Harmless. Maybe he’ll use that to bring them back to life?