Week 14: Science Fiction Parody - Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

     Science fiction parody is an art form that is very hard to grasp and write for since not only must the subject matter make sense but also be considered funny. Which when you think about it can be really hard to do in this day and age when most jokes cannot be done anymore since they can offend many communities or be of poor taste. Fortunately, “Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy” is a story that perfectly represents this genre as it can make most people laugh due to its bizarre story and sense of humor. 

As stated before, it is hard to make a joke that isn't in poor taste. Yet nowadays many forms of media decide to present a lot of controversial comedy that is meant to insult others meanwhile gaining the opposing side as a fanbase. Most of the time this fuels a lot of hatred between communities and make certain situation such as sexism or racism a lot worse than they already are. But this book is not like this since it not only has a very imaginative story that is very wacky and out of the ordinary from its genre. It is a book that respects their genre and pokes fun at it while also maintaining their rules. This book is not mean to offend science fiction fans but rather bring all the elements that are beloved in the genre and making the readers see it from a new perspective that can be considered funny. It is meant to create a casual environment in a usually very serious setting.  

This story is a pioneer in the science fiction parody genre since it also explores a world where other species do not revolve around humans and bring them down to other character’s level. It really knocks down certain science fiction stereotypes from their pedestal as it explores different ways to tell an innovative story. Recently there has been a surge of shows that have followed this book’s comedic effect such as Star Trek Lowerdecks where it is a canon show that follows all the rules from its predecessors meanwhile making us look at our beloved characters in a new light that we have been blinded by before. Which is the reason why I enjoyed this book so much as well as hearing the original radio audio where the interactions are brought to life. It shows how stories like this can be successful in other mediums.