Courtesy of Pan Books

Radar is committed to all forms of art and entertainment and as such, will pick one book as a reading recommendation every week. This week, Radar’s “Lit” pick is “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” by Douglas Adams.

Sometimes life throws a curveball your way and you just have to accept that you can do nothing about it. Douglas Adams’ “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” is a classic science fiction novel that explores the various ways people react to situations beyond their control, like the loss of their home planet. Pervading through this narration are a range of jokes and highly creative imagery that make the story not only wonderfully ludicrous, but also strongly satirical toward everything from bureaucracy to mathematics.

In “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy,” boring average protagonist Arthur Dent wakes up one morning expecting to deal with the impending demolition of his house and ends up having to face the demolition of his planet — not to mention the revelation that his best friend is an alien. From then on, Arthur is witness to a series of escalating and hilarious events over which he has no control, accompanied by a (far more interesting) set of companions. The resulting trip across the galaxy is one that every reader should experience, both for a laugh and for a reflection on how insignificant an individual can be. So remember: Don’t panic.