The Salmon of Doubt
by Douglas Adams · first published 1995
21% recommend77% neutral2% critical
Why HN recommends it
Posthumous collection of Adams' essays, columns and talks on technology, science, atheism and art, plus an unfinished Dirk Gently novel; praised for clear prose and humor, suiting fans wanting more of his non-fiction.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
On Friday, May 11, 2001, the world mourned the untimely passing of Douglas Adams, beloved creator of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, dead of a heart attack at age forty-nine. Thankfully, in addition to a magnificent literary legacy--which includes seven novels and three co-authored works of nonfiction--Douglas left us something more. The book you are about to enjoy was rescued from his four computers, culled from an archive of chapters from his long-awaited novel-in-progress, as well as his short stories, speeches, articles, interviews, and letters. In a way that none of his previous bo
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That thoroughly fascinated me when I first read this (also, if you liked this, there's more like it in Salmon of Doubt). I've used it before in religion arguments, both in defending religion against people who think it could be easily disposed of, and in arguing why religion's affecting society isn't the same thing as…
on “A Speech on Science, Knowledge, Human History & Religion (Douglas Adams, 1998) ” ↗Before anything, read the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series by Douglas Adams. Then try the Salmon of Doubt by him. Salmon of Doubt is a must, but it's made more accessible by reading Adams' fictional works first.
on “Ask HN: Interesting (Non software) books?” ↗On the other hand, if it weren't for the Salmon of Doubt, I wouldn't have realized Adams' genius writings on other (non-fiction) topics besides THHGTTG and Dirk Gently. In fairness, I could have found that out in other ways if I'd have looked, but thanks to…
on “Terry Pratchett's unfinished novels destroyed by steamroller” ↗…(perhaps from all those years of sifting through law...). My favourite writer has always been Douglas Adams because he managed to combine effortlessly clear prose with comedy. I highly recommend "The Salmon of Doubt", a posthumously published collection of his short essays/articles. My favourite is about Frank the electrician, in which rants in tandem about the his tangled mess of computer wires and his electrician,…
on “Why Clarence Thomas Uses Simple Words in His Opinions” ↗This is actually one of the essays included in The Salmon of Doubt, a posthumously published collection of some of Adams' best writing. The audiobook version of this chapter being read by Simon Jones is a treat. https://www.audible.com/pd/The-Salmon-of-Doubt-Audiobook/B00...
on “Riding the Rays (1992)” ↗The Salmon of Doubt was the one from Douglas Adams for me. I loved hitchhiker's, but there's something so earnest in that book. Like a late goodbye from someone you would've loved to be friends with. Made me go on a life-long…
on “Ask HN: What book changed your life?” ↗> I'm excluding that one book that was written by another author after Douglas Adams' passing. If this is _A Salmon of Doubt_, I can strongly recommend that book. It's a collection of the things they found on his computer (with permission to publish it). It's a great and varied set of DNA's writing. I really enjoyed reading…
on “Ask HN: What are some of the best books you have read in 2022?” ↗There's "The Salmon of Doubt", an excellent collection of misc essays and writings of Douglas Adams published after his death, and it contains his last unfinished Dirk Gently novel. It's about one third finished, and it's really…
on “So Long and Thanks for All the Words: A Toast to Douglas Adams” ↗The Salmon of Doubt pretty much changed my life when I read it at ~15. This speech was included in it. I find myself frequently referring to it in forum topics on the internet.
on “Is There An Artificial God?” ↗I highly recommend The Salmon Of Doubt - half of the book is his collected essays and newspaper columns, and he had lots of fascinating ideas about technology, science, atheism and art.
on “Douglas Adams' 61st birthday doodle by Google” ↗I can understand where you're coming from. You might want to check out "Last Chance to See" or "The Salmon of Doubt". Entirely different books, but amusing and providing another peek into DNA's thinking. "The Salmon of Doubt" was collected after he died, and contains a variety of things they found on his computer that…
on “Today is Towel Day” ↗I thought the essays in Salmon of Doubt were fascinating though (half of the book was a collection of previously published essays)
on “Terry Pratchett's unfinished novels destroyed by steamroller” ↗I liked A Salmon of Doubt. If he'd published it himself in that state, I'd have found it embarrassing. But as a posthumous memorial that I knew from the outset would be unpolished, it was fine and a bit sad knowing it's never…
on “John Steinbeck’s estate urged to let the world read his shunned werewolf novel” ↗…thirty-five is new and exciting and revolutionary and you can probably get a career in it. 3. Anything invented after you're thirty-five is against the natural order of things.” ― Douglas Adams, The Salmon of Doubt
on “What's Coming in Python 3.8” ↗Good to see his wishes fulfilled. In the end, it was his choice and no-one else's. In comparison, Douglas Adams' remaining incomplete notes were turned into a book after he died (The Salmon Of Doubt). As a fan, it was frustrating to read - you could see his moments of genius, but the gaps in the story and the unrefined parts of the text were a let down. I gladly bought the book, but after finishing…
on “Terry Pratchett's unfinished novels destroyed by steamroller” ↗