Douglas Adams: Birthday tribute

Novelist C. Christopher Hart pays tribute to Douglas Adams, on what would have been his 55th birthday. He has decided to release an ebook version of his book "American Barricades" for $0.99 per download. From now until Towel Day 2007, he will be donating part of the proceeds ($0.42 in fact) to Save The Rhino and the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund.

Douglas Adams would have been 55 today. Like many people of my generation, Douglas inspired me to think unconventionally and to laugh a great deal. I loved his writing and, while it's been many years since that introduction, he is the fellow who opened my eyes to the possibilities of putting words together in interesting or amusing ways. While it's true he may have found the actual process of writing difficult, he certainly made it look fun. And for me it has been.
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When he died in 2001, I was devastated. I read the news on the Internet, which was appropriate considering his very early adoption of email and the way the World Wide Web had come to (and continues to) resemble his fantastic Guide.