Reading order · 5 books · 1979 to 1992 · Set in space
Hitchhiker's Guide Books in Order
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy began as a BBC radio comedy and became what Adams called a trilogy in five parts. Arthur Dent, an ordinary Englishman, is rescued from the demolition of the Earth by his friend Ford Prefect, who turns out to be an alien researcher for an electronic travel guide.
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Series facts
- Books
- 5
- Published
- 1979 to 1992
- First book
- The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
- Latest
- Mostly Harmless (1992)
- Setting
- Set in space
The reading order
Every Hitchhiker's Guide book in publication order. Choose a title for its cast and summary.
5 books · Set in space
- 1The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy1979With Arthur DentArthur Dent’s house is about to be knocked down for a bypass when his friend Ford Prefect tells him the Earth is about to be demolished for a hyperspace bypass.Buy on Amazon
- 2The Restaurant at the End of the Universe1980With Arthur DentArthur, Ford, Zaphod, Trillian and Marvin go in search of something to eat, and end up at the Restaurant at the End of the Universe, where diners watch the universe end over dinner.Buy on Amazon
- 3Life, the Universe and Everything1982With Arthur DentArthur Dent, stranded on prehistoric Earth, is rescued and finds himself trying to stop the robots of Krikkit from destroying the universe, with a lesson in how to fly.Buy on Amazon
- 4So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish1984With Arthur DentArthur Dent returns to an Earth that should not exist and falls in love with Fenchurch, a woman who once had a revelation, while the dolphins have all disappeared.Buy on Amazon
- 5Mostly Harmless1992With Arthur DentArthur Dent settles down as a sandwich maker on a remote planet, until his daughter arrives, and the Guide itself has been taken over.Buy on Amazon
Do you need to read them in order?
Read the five books in order, starting with The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.
Who appears in which book
The series’ main characters, book by book. Lead means the book is told around them; minor covers cameos.
| Book | Arthur Dent | Ford Prefect | Trillian | Marvin | Zaphod Beeblebrox | Slartibartfast | Fenchurch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy | LLead | MMajor | MMajor | MMajor | MMajor | MMajor | |
| 2 The Restaurant at the End of the Universe | LLead | MMajor | MMajor | MMajor | MMajor | ||
| 3 Life, the Universe and Everything | LLead | MMajor | MMajor | MMajor | MMajor | MMajor | |
| 4 So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | MMajor | |||
| 5 Mostly Harmless | LLead | MMajor | MMajor | ·Minor |
Characters in the Hitchhiker's Guide books
8 characters from Douglas Adams’s chart, with the number of Hitchhiker's Guide books each appears in.
| Character | Books | First in this series |
|---|---|---|
| Arthur DentEnglishman in a dressing gown | 5 | The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy 1979 |
| Ford PrefectResearcher for the Guide | 5 | The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy 1979 |
| TrillianAstrophysicist Tricia McMillan | 4 | The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy 1979 |
| MarvinParanoid android | 4 | The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy 1979 |
| Zaphod BeeblebroxTwo-headed President of the Galaxy | 3 | The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy 1979 |
| SlartibartfastPlanet designer | 2 | The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy 1979 |
| FenchurchWoman Arthur falls for | 2 | So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish 1984 |
| Random DentArthur's daughter | 1 | Mostly Harmless 1992 |