The Salmon of Doubt: Hitchhiking the Galaxy one Last Time, a posthumous collection of essays, short stories, interviews, and speeches by Douglas Adams, is a perfect read for fans of Douglas Adam’s books such as the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency.

The book starts with an introduction detailing where and how the material for the book was found and collected. After this, the book is divided into two sections- one a collection of short stories and essays, and one an unfinished third Dirk Gently novel by the name the Salmon of Doubt.

The first portion of my book, my personal favorite part, was further divided into three sections, entitled Life, the Universe, and Everything, named after Adam’s famous question in The Hitchhiker’s Guide. Life is about Adam’s life, Universe is about Adam’s ideas, and Everything is just about everything else.

Notable stories in life include Adam’s climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in a rhinoceroses costume, riding a “Sub Bug”, scuba diving with Manta Rays, and so much more. Universe contains many articles about the technology of the time and predictions for the future, but in addition contains Adam’s views on religion (specifically atheism), and many more of his personal values. Everything contains short stories, including a version of Young Zaphod Plays it Safe, a Hitchhiker’s Guide Story, and an original sketch entitled The Private Life of Genghis Khan.

The second portion, The Salmon of Doubt, uses characters from the Dirk Gently universe, however, the ideas were later intended by Adams to become a Hitchhiker’s Guide novel. Unfortunately, Adams passed before he could make it into either. The unfinished is entertaining and humorous, and, like most of Adam’s other novels, ridiculous in the best sort of way.

The Salmon of Doubt pays homage to, in my opinion, one of the greatest writers and comedians of our time. It contains Adam’s signature style, with ridiculous and intelligent humor and wit. But in addition to this, the book allows the reader to learn about Adams’ life and beliefs. One of my favorite parts of the book was a memoriam written by Adams that explored the idea of the limits of art. He stated that the idea of “art” puts a limit on creativity. In an attempt to create “art”, self-proclaimed artists are hindered by their ideals and cannot fully have fun with their work. As someone who enjoys writing, this resonated with me. I realized that artists should not be confined to what society believes is meaningful, but that they should simply do what they enjoy and what they believe is right.

Because of the large array of subject matter in The Salmon of Doubt, there is bound to be a few stories or ideas that will stick with you long after you finish reading it. And even if there is not, I can guarantee that you will have a good time while reading it.

I would recommend this book to everyone, and Hitchhiker’s Guide or Douglas Adams fans especially. Douglas Adams is my favorite author, and this book perfectly encapsulated everything I love about his writing style, humor, and personality. While reading some of his other books may help you better understand and appreciate The Salmon of Doubt, it is not necessary. I believe that, just like with the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, you will either love it or not get it at all, but it’s a risk I would recommend you take. Overall, the Salmon of Doubt is a humorous, interesting, and all-around good book.

Check out The Salmon of Doubt at the Newport Beach Public Library.