Adams' science fiction saga, about a group of galactic travelers who survive the demolition of earth to build a space by-pass, began life as a 1978 BBC Radio series. It was turned into best-selling novels, a TV series, record album, computer game and adapted for stage. It made Adams a household name on both sides of the Atlantic. British author and television personality Stephen Fry was among hundreds of friends and fans who paid tribute to Adams on his official Web site. Astin said she had received calls from Adams's friends Terry Jones, of Monty Python fame, and David Gilmour of the rock group Pink Floyd.
Work is also under way to turn the story into a film.
Adams was born in Cambridge in March 1952, educated at Brentwood School in Essex and St. John's College Cambridge where in 1974 he gained an MA in English Literature. He married Jane Belson in 1991 and had a daughter Polly in 1994. Geoffrey Perkins, who produced the original radio series and had known Adams for 25 years, called him one of the most creative geniuses to ever work in radio comedy.