39, 40, 41…..
For Christmas, my lovely wife gave to me a plethora of really really nifty books.
Since I have today off, and I’m not quite ready to take down the outside decorations (Very soon now, dear! I promise! In the next hour, maybe even!) I’ve been reading through one of them. It’s a book I’ve wanted to read for years now – and, ironically, had I read it when first I wanted to, I wouldn’t have appreciated it at all.
It’s called “Don’t Panic”, and it’s essentially a biography of the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. So far we’ve covered Douglas Adams’ early life, the creation of the radio show, and a few other notable bits. It’s really written quite well. And it should be – because it’s written by Neil Gaiman. Which is why, had I read this book when I first learned of its existence (shortly after reading the Hitchhiker’s novels), I would not have really “gotten” it. At the time (and for some years to come) I didn’t and wouldn’t know who Neil Gaiman is.
But that’s not why I’m writing this post.
I’m writing this because on every left-hand page, at the top of the page, the book’s title (Don’t Panic) appears.
At the bottom of every page, the page number appears.
On the 42′nd page, those are the only two things printed on the page.
This is the only page in the book which fails to have any other text on it.
And if you don’t understand why that is both important and fun and neat and shows that the author and the editors just get it, you need to go pick up a copy of the Hitchhiker’s Guide, maybe find the radio plays, and just relax with them for a weekend. Go on. Have a bath or five.
