Douglas Adams "HitchHiker's Guide to the Galaxy"?

Question

Is HHGTG simply an adaptation of "The Wizard of Oz?"

I can spot many elements that seem parallel. The "yellow brick road" translates into the startship "Heart of Gold", for example.

The Tin Man morphs into "Marvin the Paranoid Android" (He's not looking for a heart, he just want to get replacements for the diodes down his left side...)

Aurthur dent plays Dorothy's role (just wants to go home)

Trillian is the opposite of the scarecrow. She's got a degree in Astrophysics, but can't find a job. (she was "on the dole" on Earth)

Of course Zaphod also plays the part of the scarecrow. He seeks knowkledge about the true ruler of the galaxy.

Does anyone see any other parallels to OZ?

The Wizard would be the idiot that lives in the shack who really rules the galaxy. Also a twist on the OZ themes.

I have read, and reread all of the book in the series many times.

I am not criticising the work-- I would never use the word "derivative" to describe a work I think of as genius.

Also, not all adaptations must have every single element from the original. Also, thast why I am asking this. To ask others to help me identify other parallels.

Thanks all.

Yun the Vogons are clearly the flying monkeys/and or the witch's guard. The witch? Thats Gag Halfrunt, Zaphod's personal brain care specialist. He's secretly behind the destructionof Earth, and orders the Vogons to fire on the only survivors...

Answer 1

I don't think the Hitchhiker's Guide is that much like the Wizard of Oz, myself.

Although I do think of that ole' computer, asked the question about the meaning of life and everything, and slowly slowly grinding out that partial answer we all know and love--

That computer does now kind of remind me of the little man sitting behind his big Wizard set-up, just working away at trying to answer questions put to him.

It's an interesting theory and one I will put more thought to, thanks!

EDIT: On Oz and Hitchhiker... um-hmm-- the one in the shack is indeed much like the little 'wizard," -- more thought! I can agree on parody more easily than adaptation. Though words like that are... y'know, just words. Still--


EDIT: Jan, if you come back: The movie "The Omega Man" was indeed based on Richard Matheson's novella "I am Legend," as was another version called "The Last Man on Earth." Now we are going to have a third called "I am Legend," but I don't think any of them sound quite like that novella.
However, Matheson did write "The Incredible Shrinking Man," and also Speilberg's first movie (or the first one really noticed), the great "Duel."
Matheson wrote a lot for Hollywood, including episodes of "The Twilight Zone" and likely more.
Just sharing!

Answer 2

"Don't panic" (if that counts) Douglas Adams was a genus... and everyone that loves his stories are also geniuses. I also love the paragraph that talks about the usefulness of towels, and these: • "Space is big. Really big. You just won't believe how vastly, hugely, mindbogglingly big it is. I mean, you may think it's a long way down the road to the chemist's, but that's just peanuts to space, listen..." • "Ford, you're turning into a penguin. Stop it." • "Looking up into the night sky is looking into infinity — distance is incomprehensible and therefore meaningless." • "This planet has — or rather had — a problem, which was this: most of the people living on it were unhappy for pretty much all of the time. Many solutions were suggested for this problem, but most of these were largely concerned with the movement of small green pieces of paper, which was odd because on the whole it wasn't the small green pieces of paper that were unhappy." The quotes other people said are all great too. I think I may have repeated some of them...

Answer 3

I think some of your analogies are really stretching it. If there are similarities between HHG and OZ, they are minor and largely unintended, I believe.

Marvin makes no mention of wanting, needing, or giving a rat's *** about a heart, you have two scarecrows that aren't really like the scarecrow in what they seek, I don't see how yellow-brick-road and Heart of Gold compare at all. Arthur Dent never really mentions wanting to go home, since home was detroyed before page 30 in the book.

No, I don't see it.

Answer 4

I think it's more likely that both books follow the classic pattern of the Hero's Journey. Lots of fairy tales follow the same pattern: hapless hero/ine trying to find something, gathering help along the way, having to overcome obstacles and get past the villain.

And all those stories have types, which could just as easily be found as parallels to the characters in Oz or Hitchhikers.

Answer 5

Yes, there are parallels, but I don't think that HHGTG is purely derivative of the WOO.

Where's your lion? Where's the Wizard? Where's Toto? The entire plot line is different.

Just because some of the characters share some traits doesn't mean that they are derivative.

That being said: the Kricketter robots could be the "flying monkeys."

Answer 6

I haven't read it, but its quite possible Oz was the inspiration of Hitchhiker. Look at the new movie "I Am Legend." Then go rent 1960's movie "The Omega Man" with Charlton Heston. Its just an updated rewrite. Hitchhiker might be the same.

Answer 7

I see a lot of the parallels you made. But for the most part the book is more based around satirical humor more than the actual plot.

Answer 8

if anything hitchiker is a parody of OZ but that may not be true if you enjoyed the books try reading the sequel


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