On 12 October 1979 the most remarkable book ever to come out of the great publishing corporations of Ursa Minor (and Earth) was made available to humanity. This was of course The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. But this was just the beginning. We followed the adventures of hapless protagonist Arthur Dent and his alien side-kick, Ford Prefect, across a trilogy of five books: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series. And this merry spacewagon, featuring a flying sofa, a paranoid Android, a gift-wrapped fishbowl, bath towels and much else besides, became an instant classic.