In May of 2002, Harmony (US) and Macmillan HB (UK) will publish posthumously the final book by Douglas Adams, the revered creator of THE HITCHHIKER'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY, and numerous other bestselling novels. Titled THE SALMON OF DOUBT: Hitchhiking the Galaxy One Last Time, this new work is a compilation of writings recovered from the hard drive of Adams’s beloved MacIntosh computer. Included are short stories, essays, lectures, and articles, many published for the first time in book form, and the crown jewel: ten never-before-published chapters of Adams’s longtime work-in-progress, THE SALMON OF DOUBT. The book begins with an introduction from Douglas Adams's friend of many years, Christopher Cerf, who will also serve as the book’s spokesperson. Included in the text of THE SALMON OF DOUBT are Adams’s first published work (he was 12 years when he penned a fan letter to his favorite boys’ magazine), a hilarious essay he wrote about his nose, a piece about two dogs he fell in love with while living in Santa Fe, a hike up Mount Kilimanjaro dressed as a rhino to support one of his favorite causes, a laugh-out-loud short story called “The Private Life of Genghis Khan” (published for the first time in America), a ten-page story featuring a character from THE HITCHHIKER’S GUIDE, called "Young Zaphod Plays It Safe,” and a dazzling extemporaneous lecture on the evolution of civilization, “Is There an Artificial God,” presented to a gathering of Cambridge scientists. "We are lucky to have this treasure-trove of truly hilarious and thought-provoking material as a lasting remembrance and tribute to one of the most creative and amusing writers of our time," said Shaye Areheart, Editorial Director of Harmony Books, Douglas's publisher. Douglas Adams was the author of five novels in THE HITCHHIKER'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY Trilogy (yes, you read that right!); two Dirk Gently novels, including THE LONG, DARK TEATIME OF THE SOUL; LAST CHANCE TO SEE (with Mark Carwardine); and THE MEANING OF LIFF and THE DEEPER MEANING OF LIFF (both with John Lloyd). MOSTLY HARMLESS, Douglas's most recent book, spent 8 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list. Readers meeting this remarkable author for the first time will laugh out loud, inevitably recognizing themselves as never before while Adams pokes loving fun at their human foibles. And Douglas Adams fans won't want to miss this last chance to wander the mind of one of the great comic geniuses of all time. Harmony : ISBN: 1-4000-4508-8 Contact: crownbiz@randomhouse.com Macmillan : ISBN: 0-333-76657-1 editorial: n.hursell@macmillan.co.uk publicity: j.graham@macmillan.co.uk Please note: the UK version will instead include an introduction by Douglas’s close friend and satirist, Stephen Fry.