You've heard of furries in space, now get ready for funnies in space
It's like Dune and Monty Python had a baby. The outrageous sci-fi names, the back and forth plot that somehow works, and the wacky British humor melt together to form this wonderful piece of sci-fi comedy. Such simple things as "You're turning into a penguin. Stop it." had me holding in laughter at one in the morning so I didn't wake my roommate.
Sci-fi comedy is something I feel needs to be tapped more in mainstream media. Most modern sci-fi is too serious, but then again the most recent try at sci-fi comedy was Seth Macfarlane's failed crude Star Trek parody. But we've seen sci-fi comedy done well with HGG, and Galaxy Quest, Spaceballs, and so on, so why can't contemporary movies hold up?
I personally think it's because comedies these days have lackluster writing, which is why good comedy movies are hard to find nowadays. It seems like people are more busy making soap operas in space rather than good dramas or comedies, but maybe that's just me.
What I like about HGG is that it doesn't take itself seriously, but it does at the same time. It's a very self aware story, and in being self aware it says "Screw you I'm doing whatever I want." and that's always a fun attitude.
The descriptions in the book are also fantastic, and the attention to detail with how it's written. HGG is not only a book, but it IS the guide it talks about. There's a part that talks about how the guide has a recipe for a pan galactic gargle blaster, but then the book gives you the recipe. Meaning the book both acts as a book in our world, but also as the guide in the fiction world. It's a smart duality that adds another factor for how HGG stands out from the crowd.
I haven't finished the book yet, but I've already downloaded the PDFs and audio files for the whole series because I can see myself throwing my summer into these stories.
I love the title of this blog post, dear lord. Also, I totally agree with your comments about a lack of sci-fi comedies. When I think about it, in some ways, that's what Rick and Morty wants to be. It has a very different feeling but it functions in some of the same ways. In general, adult swim proves that there would be an audience for more media in the same quirky vain as HGG. It's just something that hasn't been tapped into by large enough production companies to get any recent spotlights on the genre, especially in regards to film.
ReplyDelete