I've been reading this series over the course of the past year and then some. I thoroughly enjoyed the first book, but the more I read, the more it dissolved into a fever dream. I treaded on because of the comedic absurdity, but I could not have explained the plot to you (if there even was a plot). I also found it kind of sad that for a book dealing with literal aliens, somehow earthly stereotypes and sexist jokes continued to make an appearance. oh well.

Never a dull moment with Douglas Adams.

Amazing how the removal of a few little words can ruin a 10-page story.

I read [b:Young Zaphod Plays it Safe|15847717|Young Zaphod Plays It Safe|Douglas Adams|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1345895161s/15847717.jpg|21592731] for the second time through my reread of [b:The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide|13|The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy #1-5)|Douglas Adams|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1404613595s/13.jpg|135328] but I only now understand what it's about thanks to the internet.

As edited into the five-book "trilogy" I own, the story begins with Zaphod and two agents from the Safety and Civil Reassurance Administration exploring the depths of an ocean on a planet known primarily for its abundance of delicious lobsters. Zaphod may be there because he has his own salvage ship but it's probably more thanks to his wild storytelling—their mission is so secretive, the agents could only trust a "hippy adventurer" who everyone thinks is paranoid and crazy.

Seems a bunch of dangerous cargo was being transported to dump into a black hole before the ship's Captain took an ill-advised detour for some delicious shrimp, and while most of the cargo is safely locked away in their respective holds, the most dangerous cargo is missing along with an escape pod.

Here's where the publisher really ruins the story.

Spoiler

The dangerous cargo is a set of triplet synthetic personalities that cannot exist naturally. The Sirius Cybernetics Corporation has created these triplets but need to destroy them because of their danger—you see the personalities look harmless but that's their main problem. They don't "ring alarm bells in other people" and therefore could be allowed to do anything at all.

It seems the original text ended with

He also heard the official from the Safety and Civil Reassurance Administration issue instructions to the effect that the missing capsule contained a "Reagan" and that the planet in ZZ9 Plural Z Alpha must be made "perfectly safe."

whereas my copy shortens it to

He also heard the official from the Safety and Civil Reassurance Administration issue instructions that the planet in ZZ9 Plural Z Alpha must be made "perfectly safe."

A simple case of censorship ruins the story. Without this one simple phrase, the punchline of the entire story is gone! I thought perhaps this prequel was making insinuations about Arthur (or maybe even Jesus) but neither made much sense. At least it didn't take long to read this pointless drivel (although it is kind of funny now that I know the real ending). It could perhaps be 3* without the censorship; maybe even 4*. Eff you Portland House Publishers.

ho very much hum

I also prefer scallops over lobster