Welcome to Planet Magrathea, the only site on the web which provides daily news updates about the world(s) of the late Douglas Adams and his creation The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. I'm MJ Simpson: writer, journalist, occasional broadcaster and - so I'm told - the world's leading authority on the life and career of Douglas Noel Adams.

The 20+ years that I spent researching Douglas' work resulted in the award-winning biography Hitchhiker as well as numerous other publications; you can find out more about me and my books here. Douglas died in May 2001 at the appallingly early age of 49 but like many great artists his career refused to die with him and in fact the subsequent years were packed with new and repackaged Adams material, as well as tributes to the man. In summer 2003 I was wondering why all this stuff wasn't being reported anywhere on the web and then I realised: the only reason I knew about it was because of the unique and extensive network of contacts which I had built up over the years so it really fell to me to be the one reporting it.

Hence Planet Magrathea (or Magrathea as it was known before I bought this URL), the only site on the web which is constantly updated with accurate - often exclusive - news about the many and varied works which are the extraordinary legacy of Douglas Adams. Here is what I have for you:

• The very latest Douglas Adams/Hitchhiker's Guide news together with a complete archive of hundreds of news items posted since Magrathea went on-line on 17th June 2003.
• A diary of forthcoming Douglas Adams/Hitchhiker's Guide events, including publications, talks and broadcasts.
• The definitive list of useful and/or interesting Douglas Adams/Hitchhiker's Guide links.
• A bunch of exclusive Douglas Adams/Hitchhiker's Guide stuff, including FAQs, interviews, images, etc.
• Every currently available Douglas Adams book tape or disc in one handy on-line shop
• Information about me, including how/why I became a Douglas Adams/Hitchhiker's Guide expert, my many connections with and contributions to the world of Hitchhiker's Guide, and a look at the rest of my career. (Also a healthy plug for my award-winning book Hitchhiker: A Biography of Douglas Adams. Well why not?)

If you have any news relating to Douglas Adams and/or The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy...
If you would like to interview me...
If you would like to commission me to write something...
If you just want to ask me a question...

contact me

(For reviews of cult movies and interviews with the people who make them, why not visit my other site - MJSimpson.co.uk.)