From: martin@cs.curtin.edu.au (Martin Dougiamas)
Subject: Re: Mostly Harmless - POTENTIAL SPOILER thread (?)
Organization: Curtin University of Technology
Date: Wed, 14 Oct 1992 14:10:41 GMT

uerics@mcl.ucsb.edu (Eric D. Shepherd) writes:

>SPOILERS -- PROCEED AT OWN RISK!
>

EVEN MORE MAJOR SPOILERS... THIS IS YOUR LAST WARNING!


Oh, for goodness sake, Eric ... don't you *READ* books?
I only just now (ten minutes ago) finished my first reading of it.

>As I read it, at the end of MH, the Vogons successfully destroy the Earth
>again, with Arthur, both Trillian and Tricia, Ford, and Random all on it.
>Maybe I seriously missed something.
>Actually, I _know_ I missed something -- I haven't the slightest idea what
>the last thing the Leader of the Grebulons (had to look that up in the
>book) did -- all I know is that he seems to be pleased with it.  Who's
>responsible for the destruction of the Earth -- the Vogons, the Grebulons,
>or somebody else?  Nobody?  Who?

Yes, the Vogons destroy it... but not directly... The Vogons take over the
Guide and develop (ie temporal reverse engineer) the Guide Mark II to
solve all their problems (including the "irritating" presence of the 
guide itself).  The Guide Mark II then arranges everything to end in
the final climax of the book, which is where the confused Leader of
the Grebulons orders the "great grey turrets" (ie the guns) to 
swivel towards Earth and blast it away.  

Remember that the Grebulon ship was actually the missing reconnaisance
battleship from the war that Trillian was covering... and also remember
the battleship in the previous book that knocks a fair hole out a 
planet... these battleships are quite capable of destroying planets.
The Vogon ship was just to observe the destruction so the commander
could tick his little box.  Also remember there was only one copy
of the Guide Mark II... which was destroyed along with Earth...
taking all its copies in parallel universes with it.

>Actually, looking it over again, it's possible that Arthur & Co. managed
>to get off first, I suppose -- DNA doesn't actually say they die, although
>that's what I took the "He knew that at last, for once and forever, it was
>all now, finally, over" bit to mean.  But I _suppose_ that could just
>refer to the whole bit about knowing he wasn't going to die until visiting
>the restaurant.

It was not a restaurant... it was a club.   Speaking of which... I 
laughed my tits off when I got to that fantastic pun on the second
last page.... all the way through the book I was faintly wondering
why Adams kept mentioning the Stavromula Beta thing and those clubs...
I was also wondering why he bothered with the half-german/half-greek
bit (particularly as I am of that combination myself)... but in the
end it all came crystal clear. :)

I loved the book ... I think it's his best so far.  The ideas in it
were far more sophisticated than in the rest of the series, and
rounded off the whole series very nicely.  I *did* have some worries
towards the beginning that he was just trying to copy himself... it
seemed a bit flat... but it soon warmed up nicely.

The dialogue, particularly that involving Ford, is great!  Ford is 
my favourite character in these books, particularly this one... 
I wouldn't mind in the least if Adams wrote a whole book just on
Ford Prefect.

And the bit about Elvis!  What a laugh that was!  It was a nice
touch having Arthur completely clueless through the whole thing.
Adams is good with subtle stuff like that.

And the description of virtual reality in the accounting computers...
the best I've ever seen.  Douglas Adams has obviously been brushing
up on his technology lately.

I could talk about this book all night... instead I think I'll go 
and read it again.  :)

My only complaint is that it was a bit short.  And quite expensive.

Martin
--
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