Subj : Obituary: Douglas Adams
To   : All
From : Rachel L. Akers
Date : Wed May 16 2001 10:12 pm

Heard about this a few days ago, am still in shock. This is confirmation.

  Rai

Date: Sat, 12 May 2001 
Subject: Farewell and Thanks


        Hitch Hiker's Guide to Galaxy Author Adams Dies
        Reuters
        May 12 2001 11:25AM

        LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's Douglas Adams, the author of 
        "The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy," has died suddenly 
        at the age of 49. Adams, who was married with a six-year-old 
        daughter, died on Friday morning in Santa Barbara, 
        California, after a heart attack, his personal assistant
        Sophie Astin told Reuters.

        "It was a very sudden and unexpected death," she said.
        The author became a household name in Britain when his 1979 
        cult science fiction saga, about a group of galactic 
        travelers who survive the demolition of earth to build a 
        space by-pass, was turned into a BBC TV series. Work is 
        currently under way to turn the book into a Disney film,
        according to the author's official Web site.

        British author and television personality Stephen Fry was 
        among those who posted their condolences on the site on 
        Saturday. Astin said she had received calls from other 
        friends of Adams such as Terry Jones, of Monty Python 
        fame, and David Gilmour of rock group Pink Floyd.

        The satirical "Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy" centered 
        on the search for an answer to life and the universe -- 
        which turned out to be 42. The novel sold more than 14 
        million copies worldwide and was followed by sequels, "The 
        Restaurant at the End of the Universe," "Life, the Universe
        and Everything" and "So Long and Thanks for all the Fish."


[Selene notes:  Adams was the scheduled commencement speaker for this afternoon 
at Harvey Mudd College, part of the SCA College of Boethius.]

--- Msged/2 4.00
 * Origin: Elfwhere - The POINTy eared POINT (3:640/531.2379)

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