The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (Douglas Adams)

Last month, during a conversation with an acquaintance, we started talking about sci-fi novels and the political/ social messages which they contain. I've never been much of a sci-fi or fantasy novels. In fact, I tend to avoid such novels the same way I avoid the trashy magazines they sell along the checkout isles at the grocery store. But I picked up "Hitchhiker's Guide" because not only had I heard a lot about it over the years, but the acquaintance,  with whom I had the conversation about sci-fi, recommended it.

Let me sum up the humor of the book by saying that the entire household knew when I was reading it. The events of the books are absolutely absurd, which is part of what makes it so funny. One moment Arthur Dent is trying to prevent his home from demolished to make way for a new express way, and the next moment earth has been demolished to make way for an inter-galactic expressway. Rescued at the last moment with his friend Ford Prefect, who happens to be an alien, Arthur is soon hitchhiking across the galaxy.

Blended with the absurdity in this book, is a social critique. I knew I was reading something out of the ordinary, the moment I read this passage:  "Most of the people living on it [earth] were unhappy for pretty much of the time. Many solutions were suggested for this problem, but most theses were largely concerned   with the movements of small green pieces of paper, which is odd because on the whole it wasn't the small green pieces of paper that were unhappy."

Anti-capitalism? A comment on our economic system? It looks that way.

Then there's this line: "Only six people in the Galaxy knew that the job of the Galactic President was not to wield power but to attract power away from it."

A comment of political systems? It looks that way too.

Through out the whole book, hidden in an odd assortment of sharp plot turns and crazy characters, Douglas Adams has slipped dozens of phrases which call attention to the absurdity of  societal norms. I think this is one book I may have to re-read someday.