Don't Panic (Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy)

Don't Panic is a phrase used in the book The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams. It comes from the fictional intergalactic travel guide "The Hitchhiker's Guide To the Galaxy", that theoretically served to show planet-hoppers how to see the Universe on less than thirty Altairian dollars a day. The words are printed on the cover of the Guide (always capitalized) "in large friendly letters".cite book |title=The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy |last=Adams |first=Douglas |year=1979 |publisher=Pocket Books |isbn=0-671-46149-4|pages=3] The novel explains that this was partly because the device "looked insanely complicated" to operate, and partly to keep intergalactic travelers from, well, panicking. [cite book |title=The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy |last=Adams |first=Douglas |year=1979 |publisher=Pocket Books |isbn=0-671-46149-4|pages=27]

In the novel, it is said that despite its many glaring (and occasionally fatal) inaccuracies, the "Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy" itself has outsold the "Encyclopedia Galactica" because it is slightly cheaper, and because it has the words "Don't Panic" on the cover.

In the novel's typography, the words "DON'T PANIC" are always typeset in upper-case.

On the cover of the novel (in early U.S. editions), the words are often accompanied by the image of a round green figure with skinny arms, sticking out a bright red tongue, who also appeared on the 2005 edition of The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. This text also appeared on the covers of the Illustrated Editions of the first novel.

Much like "42" and "knowing where your towel is", [cite book |title=The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy |last=Adams |first=Douglas |year=1979 |publisher=Pocket Books |isbn=0-671-46149-4|pages=34] the words are sometimes used among fans of the books and radio series to show that they have this passion in common.Fact|date=July 2008

Arthur C. Clarke said Douglas Adams' use of "don't panic" was perhaps the best advice that could be given to humanity. [cite web|url=http://www.scifi.com/sfw/interviews/sfw19051.html|date=2008-06-30|publisher=SCI FI|quote=The best advice I think was given by Douglas Adams: "Don't panic."|title=Arthur C. Clarke looks back on the lifetime of influences that led him to become a science-fiction Grand Master|first=George|last=Zebrowski|accessdate=2008-07-24|work=Sci Fi Weekly]

See also

*H2G2 - [http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/ BBC - h2g2 - The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy]

References