The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Books in Order

Douglas Adams's comic science-fiction saga, billed as "a trilogy in five parts," follows hapless Earthman Arthur Dent across the galaxy after his planet is demolished to make way for a hyperspace bypass. Adams wrote five novels; Eoin Colfer added a sixth, And Another Thing…, in 2009.

Publication order

In the order the books were originally released.

  1. Cover of The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy

    The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy

    1979 · Douglas Adams

    Moments before Earth is demolished to make way for a galactic bypass, ordinary Englishman Arthur Dent is whisked into space by his friend Ford…

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  2. Cover of The Restaurant at the End of the Universe

    The Restaurant at the End of the Universe

    1980 · Douglas Adams

    Still reeling from Earth's destruction, Arthur Dent and his companions go on the run aboard a stolen starship, dodging cosmic dangers and a peculiar…

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  3. Cover of Life, the Universe and Everything

    Life, the Universe and Everything

    1982 · Douglas Adams

    Marooned in Earth's prehistoric past, Arthur Dent is flung back into the wider galaxy just as an ancient, genocidal threat from the long-quarantined…

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  4. Cover of So long, and thanks for all the fish

    So long, and thanks for all the fish

    1984 · Douglas Adams

    Arthur Dent returns home to find an Earth that was supposedly destroyed somehow back in place, with everyone strangely unbothered. As he tries to…

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  5. Cover of Mostly Harmless

    Mostly Harmless

    1992 · Douglas Adams

    Adrift after losing nearly everything, Arthur Dent settles into a quiet life on a remote planet until the arrival of a daughter he never knew about…

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  6. Cover of And Another Thing…

    And Another Thing…

    2009 · Eoin Colfer

    Picking up the saga after Douglas Adams's death, this authorized continuation by Eoin Colfer drops Arthur Dent and friends back into peril at the…

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Companion & related books

Short-story collections and companion titles in this series.

Frequently asked questions

What order should I read the The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy books in?

Publication order — Widely recommended by readers and the publisher Pan Macmillan; the books form one continuous narrative following Arthur Dent. Start with “The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy.”

How many books are in the The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series?

We list 6 books by Douglas Adams , published between 1979–2009.

Where can I buy the The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy books?

Each title above links to Amazon. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you.

Reading order compiled from author/publisher guidance and verified bibliographic data. Spotted an error? We continuously correct the catalog.