Photo: Michael Hughes / CC BY-SA 2.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Douglas Adams turned cosmic meaninglessness into the funniest, most humane comedy in science fiction, and I will defend The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy to anyone. Born 1952 in Cambridge, he started it as a 1978 radio series and grew it into a five-book trilogy that sold over 14 million copies in his lifetime, plus TV, a video game and a film. That single joke, that the answer to life, the universe and everything is 42, lodged itself permanently in nerd culture. He died far too young at 49 in 2001. The blend of biting satire and genuine affection for absurdity has never quite been matched. A one-of-a-kind voice.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Douglas Adams
- Name (Japanese)
- ダグラス・アダムズ
- Reading
- だぐらす・あだむず
- Born
- March 11, 1952 – May 11, 2001
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Pisces / Dragon
- Origin
- Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Height
- 2 cm
- Occupation
- playwright / screenwriter / novelist / children's writer / science fiction writer
2. Background
- University
- St John's College
Awards & achievements
- 1983 Inkpot Award
- 1980 Ditmar Award for Best International Fiction
4. Personality
Motto
Private
5. Works & records
| Category | Title | Role | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notable work | The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy | — | |
| Notable work | Dirk Gently series | — | |
| Notable work | The Private Life of Genghis Khan | — |
6. Links
Frequently asked questions
When was Douglas Adams born?
March 11, 1952 – May 11, 2001.
Where is Douglas Adams from?
Douglas Adams is from Cambridge, United Kingdom.
What does Douglas Adams do?
Douglas Adams works as playwright, screenwriter, novelist, children's writer, science fiction writer.
How tall is Douglas Adams?
Douglas Adams is 2 cm.
What is Douglas Adams known for?
Notable works include The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Dirk Gently series.
Playwright — see all → · Screenwriter — see all → · More people from United Kingdom →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.