The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy launched Douglas Adams to instant superstardom when it came out in 1978, becoming a success as a novel, radio and TV series. Like all his best work it was funny, but seriously funny. But Adams the comic writer, who worked with Monty Python among others, is only part of the story. He had a probing scientific mind and was happy discussing ideas with the likes of Richard Dawkins or Stephen Pinker. And his ideas in Hitchhiker helped inspire the techies of the IT revolution. Here, Nick Webb has created a portrait of a larger than life character who is still mourned by his millions of fans around the world.