Here it is! The continuation of the adventures of Arthur Dent, Ford Prefect and the rest of the Hitchhiker characters! The next 6 episodes take up w..Show More »here the first phase left off and take you in a completely new direction from the books, TV series or the movie. Some things will be familiar, but, others are completely new. Whether you're a long-time Hitchhiker fan or new to the series, you won't want to miss this unique production from Douglas Adams and the BBC. Get it now! Don't wait! Add it to your cart right now before you forget it! Then, sit back, listen, and, again, most of all, Don't Panic!

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Hi guys,

Just wanted to point out that this is the BBC radio show and not the actual books. Those are also on audible but are usually rea..Show More »d by a single narrator. All versions of Adam's amazing series are very different from each other so there is no harm in listening, reading or watching either the BBC TV Series from the 80's or the Movie. Alot of people will discourage you from watching the movie but to be honest since they only had time to tell part of the story, it's well worth seeing. But nothing beats the original radio series or the original novels.

For those of you who are just starting your journey with Arthur Dent, I envy you. Have fun and don't forget your towel!!

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This is the fourth in the BBC Radio adaptations of Douglas Adams' "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" series of books. Except that the first two B..Show More »BC radio productions were the originals, and Adams wrote the first two HHG books based on the series. However, the third through fifth BBC radio adaptations are based on the three HHG books that Adams wrote after his first two books, but before the last three radio series. If that's not clear, consult any popular reference work on temporal causality.

To put this review in context, I ask that you read my Audible review of the previous BBC dramatization, "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Tertiary Phase." Go ahead, I'll wait.

I see you're back. The "Quandary Phase" contains a four-episode radio series that's an adaptation of Adams' book "So Long and Thanks For All the Fish," the fourth book in the story of "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy."

Let me ease any concerns you may have after reading another reviewers' comments on the "Tertiary Phase." I had no difficulties purchasing the "Quandary Phase" from Audible, and I live in the US.

The first two episodes in the BBC radio dramatization suffer from the same problems I mentioned in my review of the "Tertiary Phase": I feel that they're over-produced, with too many audio effects layered at once; and that they're too faithful to the written books for a radio production.

However, the second two episodes reverse both of those issues. Finally, the emphasis is on the characters talking to one another; Adams' wit and humor (or should it be "humour"?) can finally shine through. Also, the presentation is tailored for the radio; some plot elements are re-arranged and presented in a way that's better to suited for listening.

If I'd purchased this from the UK, as I did the "Tertiary Phase", I probably would have felt it wasn't work the extra expense. But at Audible's lower prices, I recommend it. Listen and enjoy.

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If you listened to the previous BBC radio productions of Douglas Adams "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" series (including the "Tertiary Phase" and t..Show More »he "Quandary Phase"), you've probably already decided to complete the story by getting the "Quintessential Phase." You're in for a treat.

In my reviews of the previous two "phases", I said that portions were over-produced and too faithful an adaptation of the novels. All four radio episodes that make up the "Quintessential Phase" are free of those problems. Well, mostly free; there are one or two spots when there's too much going on. But they are brief, and you can figure things out afterwards.

If you've read the fifth book in the HHG series, "Mostly Harmless," you know that Adams ended the series on a depressing note. It was a clear message to his readers: that's the end of the story, there will be no more.

The radio series includes that ending. I listened to it... then saw on my iPod that there was still ten minutes of audio left to go. Huh?

I don't know if this was Adams' intent before he died, or a decision on the part of the writer who adapted the series for radio, but the radio story goes on. It ends on a glad note, not a sour one as in "Mostly Harmless." I laughed out loud at the inventiveness of it, for the first time since I started listening to the "phases." I don't mean to imply that the rest of the radio series is humorless, but I'd read all the books and was already familiar with the jokes. This was new... and funny.

It is a fitting celebration to the end of the story, and a touching tribute to Douglas Adams' creation. If you're fan of HHG, it's worth getting this audiobook for the ending alone. It even explains the transition between the end of the second BBC HHG radio series, and the start of the "Tertiary Phase." A neat trick!

I hope that someday Audible will make the first two BBC radio productions of HHG available, so new listeners can hear all five in sequence.

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