Young Zaphod Plays It Safe has been published three times so far. It first appeared in The Utterly Utterly Merry Comic Relief Christmas Book which Douglas co-edited, along with a non-Hitch Hiker's Guide Douglas Adams/Terry Jones tale "A Christmas Fairly (sic) Story" and ""The Private Life Of Genghis Khan", a DNA story based on a Douglas Adams/Graham Chapman sketch from "Out Of The Trees" which is canonical Hitch Hiker's Guide by way of featuring Wowbagger The Infinitely Prolonged. A Christmas Fairly Story has never been reprinted, but The Private Life of Genghis Kahn can be found in Douglas Adams' corner of the Digital Village web site- see B.3.3.
Young Zaphod Plays It Safe was reprinted in the US omnibus edition, but not in the UK one.
The recently revised version of Young Zaphod Plays It Safe first appeared in the hardback of The Wizards Of Odd (ed. Peter Haining), which was published in hardback in 1996, paperback in 1997.
The "revision" is one line at the end which finally solves the debate over who or what this dangerous person is supposed to be - it's now named as Reagan. Shame the satire came two Presidents too late...
(This explanation largely provided by MJ Simpson)
Douglas Adams and The Digital Village have made this story freely available on the world wide web. Click here and follow your nose.
The phrase "the long dark tea-time of the soul" appears in Chapter One of Life, the Universe and Everything. Wowbagger the Infinitely Prolonged is described as being eventually ground down by the Sunday afternoons, and "as you stare at the clock the hands will move relentlessly on to four o'clock, and you will enter the long dark tea-time of the soul".
According to a now anonymous posting on alt.fan.douglas-adams:
This answer now has a more comfortable home at L.3.4.
Hotblack and Desiato were Estate Agents in the Islington area.
Chris Paulin (chrispa@aotahi.monz.govt.nz) said this in the alt.fan.douglas-adams newsgroup:
"Recently I described a new species of fish from Fiordland New Zealand and gaveit the scientific name 'Fiordichthys slartibartfasti', and a second new species from Northern New Zealand as 'bidenichthys beeblebroxi'." So, it seems that Douglas' works will live on... as a fish.
Zaphod Beeblebrox, meanwhile, is alive and well and living in Sydney, Australia. A consultation of the Sydney White Pages lists one "Beeblebrox, Z." Stop in and see him next time you're passing through, he'd surely enjoy the company.
It became the answer to question L.2.1.. I am told it is a lot happier in its new role.
The story behind the connection between Douglas Adams and Pink Floyd's recent album The Division Bell, as he told it himself on alt.fan.douglas-adams:
"In fact, there's a story there. I had given a talk at the Royal Geographical Society in aid of the Environmental Investigation Agency's work on rhino conservation. Both Dave and Nick came along and we all went out to dinner afterwards. Dave was a bit preoccupied about the title problem- they had to have the title by the following morning, and no-one could decide what it should be. I said, 'OK, I'll give you a title, but it'll cost you a £5,000 contribution to the EIA.' Dave said, 'well, tell me your title and we'll see'. So I suggested The Division Bell. And Dave said, 'hmmm, well, seems to work. Sort of fits the cover art as well. Yeah, OK'.
So, it's called the Division Bell.
On a related note, Dave's birthday present to Douglas was an invitation to play one number with the band at Earl's Court in October 1994. That night's show was also in aid of the EIA.
The Real Hitch Hiker's Guide To The Galaxy is the name of a paper-based list maintained by Dave Hodges, also known as "Hodgesaaargh". Copies are auctioned for charity at various conventions. It is extremely large and would be tremendously illegal (and most would find it immoral) to put on the 'Net. It does however have it's 'brother' guide, Project Galactic Guide (see R.2.)
There are many recipes in existence, and here is a very abridged recipe. You can read the full version on the Web here. The real thing is highly recommended, it's a much better read.
This makes one approximate 18 ounce Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster. The reason this drink seems so large is that Zaphod Beeblebrox required 9 ounces per head.
The Guinness book of Hit Singles describes him as "UK, Robot".
There were two singles: 'Marvin', with the B-side 'Metal Man', and the follow-up 'Reasons to be Miserable' with the B-side 'Marvin I Love You'. The 'Reasons to be Miserable'/'Marvin I Love You' single was actually a 'double B-side'. They were released by Depressive Discs.
"Reasons to be Miserable" was a parody of "Reasons to be Cheerful" by Ian Dury and the Blockheads.
Getting a hold of these records is going to be very hard indeed. Even finding them on the Dr. Demento compilation on which they appeared will be difficult.
However, for the lyrics to these songs and some new soundclips, go to sections L.1 (lyrics) or L.4. (samples) or click the hypertext links above.
The general tone of the answer to this question on the newsgroup is usually as follows:
No.
(As an aside, Lewis Carroll was also obsessed with the number 42).
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