I was so excited when I added this to my wish-list and promptly bought it. Alas. Its like Colfer cut up the old books and made them a plot madlib. It felt like Eoin watched the recent movie, read a summary of the books and then went to work. I don't even know if I can finish it. I've listened to the original 5 many times (along with Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency and The Long Dark Tea Time of the Soul) they are fantastic, read by the author, who was an excellent voice talent along with his skill at creating and defining a Genre. This book is a shadow of the others, and it (the series) would have been better if it had stayed retired.
Skip this and listen to "The Restaurant" again.

All silliophiles need to purchase this audiobook. Non-silliophiles should also listen to it, if only to hear Simon Jones' perfect narration. Why haven't I heard of this actor before? He has, arguably, the largest range of voices and accents of any audiobook reader I have listened to. I will definitely be looking for other audiobooks he has narrated. As to this book, itself, "And Another Thing" definitely continues the delightful silliness of the previous Hitch-hiker series. Colfer picks up and runs with Douglas Adams' literary voice, imagination, and characters. Who'da thunk that Trillian and Boweric Wowbagger would .... But no, I'd better not -- that would spoil the surprise. Suffice it to say that "And Another Thing" continues the Infinite Improbability of the previous episodes. I have docked a star from my rating of this audiobook, only because Colfer also continued -- albeit out of necessity -- the alcoholism theme that Adams incorporated into the previous five installments (mostly in the form of Pan-Galactic Gargle Blasters). As one who has seen many cases of alcoholism's tragedies, its silliness-inducing characteristics just don't make me laugh the way Adams intended. Otherwise, I recommend "And Another Thing" to all fans of Douglas Adams' brilliance.

As the world's most rabid Douglas Adams fan, I was horrified to learn that Eoin Colfer had blasphemously been asked to extend the sacred Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy series. Thus, I went into this book with the most biased opinion imaginable, mostly to see just how bad of a cock-up it was going to be. Instead of finding the voluminous reasons to hate this novel which I fully expected, I discovered a wonderfully written, lovingly crafted story full of the same wit and charm we loved so much in Adams. Colfer has removed himself nearly entirely, channeling Adams from beyond the grave more perfectly than I would have assumed possible. The respect he has given to the author in doing so has not gone unnoticed by this reader. Well done sir. Very well done indeed.

Simon Jones does a great job of bring Eion Coffer's characters, whom he uses just as well as Douglas Adams often did, to tell a much needed better ending to Mostly Harmless. I loved Douglas, but he is dead...why should his wonderful universe go with him? This is sharp and funny in almost all respect...I especially love the Hillman Hunter character and the Vogon with a conscience, and of course Balric Wallbanger. It was a little slow in the Zaphod bits, but Zaphod was always the least interesting of Douglas's characters, there is a reason his role was limited after the second book. I'm glad Marvin didn't come back...Douglas made it clear he was dead, but Douglas himself admitted he was in a bad depression when he wrote the last book, and was working on a 6th book when he died, so obviously he was planning to reverse the travesty that was Mostly Harmless. Eion Coffer is a great writer...I hope he does another book in the same universe...he stepped into some big shoes...and he pulled it off. Douglas would be proud is he wasn't busy being dead...which I am told is a time consuming event. Coffer was loyal to Douglas characters to almost a fault...he didn't bring Dirk Gently's universe into the Asgard of Hitchhiker's, as Douglas always made it clear that they were not connected universes. And, I hate to say it...and Douglas would probably admit it, but Coffer is better at writing women than Adams...although he is not quite the same level of wit...after all, he's not Douglas, but a very worthy heir.

Simon Jones is such an excellent voice actor and I don't really have any complaints about his performance, except for maybe Zaphod's voice. Balric was hilarious, and Arthur lived on. They could not have picked a better voice actor to do this book...Simon Jones HAD to do this audio book, really.

So, quit whining and enjoy...Douglas is dead...but his universe lives on!

The characters in this sixth volume of the Hitchhiker's trilogy are familiar, and the plot isn't too far from what you might expect. Fans of the original storyline know that Douglas Adams had a knack for taking just the right amount of absurdity and transforming it into a great story. Unfortunately, Colfer's attempt at the same failed. Miserably. It's as if Colfer wrote 250 pages of nonsensical rubbish and then decided to try and weave a Hitchhiker's plot into it.