Books

Pan. London: Pan, 1979 8vo., the Pan paperback edition in colourful, holographic-style card wraps; pp. [v], 6-158, [ii];  near-fine, the paperback with pages evenly toned, as ever, slightly rubbed to extremities of wraps, the odd scratch to edges, otherwise an excellent example.  The true first edition, issued in paperback, is here signed by the author to the inside front cover 'Best Wishes,/ Douglas Adams'. Douglas Adam's iconic work, based on the famous radio series of the same name.  Certainly rare with these attributes.  On 8th March 1978, the first episode of The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy was released on BBC Radio 4. It was followed by another five, which received such tremendous reviews that it was repeated twice that year alone, and many more times in the years that followed. Released later as an LP, the Pan Paperback appeared the following year, with a plot based upon the first four episodes within the series (albeit with certain…

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is a science fiction novel by English author Douglas Adams. It was originally a radio comedy broadcast on the BBC in 1978 before it was developed into a series of five books that sold more than 15 million copies in his lifetime. The story follows the galactic adventures of Arthur Dent, a hapless Englishman, following the demolition of the Earth by aliens called Vogons, who is whisked into space by his friend Ford Prefect, a researcher for the eponymous guidebook.

The first edition of 'The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy' published by Pan Books in 1979 has a specific cover with a green planet and yellow lettering for the title. It also contains the number sequence '1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2' on the copyright page and lacks a barcode, which are indicative of a first edition. Look for a “Capricorn One” statement on the rear panel.