History Literature / LifeTheUniverseAndEverything

* InnocentSwearing: American edition only. On every planet except Earth, the word "Belgium" is the vilest profanity imaginable (and thus can only be used in serious screenplays). Naturally, Arthur is not aware of this, and so he repeats the word in conversation.

Being a DolledUpInstallment, this book stands out from the rest of the series in two ways. The first is that it's largely self-contained, since it's got a distinct beginning, middle, and ending instead of being one big general mish-mash that hinted at larger things that may or may not come later, like most of the other books. The second is that it's more of a traditional [[ActionAdventure action-adventure]] [[ScienceFiction sci-fi]] [[SpaceOpera space opera]] and less of a broad, brainy comedy (though it's still plenty brainy, and plenty funny). The plot has Slartibartfast, the elderly architect first spotted in ''Literature/TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy1'', rescuing Arthur Dent and Ford Prefect from prehistoric Earth so they can help him stop the Krikkitmen, a ''very'' dangerous and ''very'' polite race of alien invaders with a grandiose scheme to [[OmnicidalManiac kill everything everywhere.]] The rest of the series' iconic FiveManBand, Galactic President Zaphod Beeblebrox, Trillian, and Marvin the robot, eventually get involved as well.

''Life, the Universe and Everything'' is the third installment of the [[TrilogyCreep increasingly inaccurately-named]] ''Literature/TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy'' trilogy (although, of course, when it was first published the series was still a perfectly accurately-named trilogy). Since franchise creator Creator/DouglasAdams had told his original story in its entirety by the end of ''Literature/TheRestaurantAtTheEndOfTheUniverse'', this one was a [[DolledUpInstallment re-imagining]] of a ''Series/DoctorWho'' screenplay called ''Doctor Who and the Krikkitmen'', which Adams wrote but never produced. He simply recast his original idea with characters from ''The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy'' instead of ''Doctor Who'' characters, and instant history was made.

* AbsoluteXenophobe: The Krikkiters were so isolated and convinced that they were alone in the universe that instant they discover that there is more of the universe beyond Krikkit, they decide "It'll have to go." [[spoiler:Of course, the circumstances were arranged by Hactar so they'd reach that conclusion.]]

* ShoutOut: The wildest party in the universe - which owing to the intervention of some second-generation astro-engineers, now flies drunkenly over the surface of a planet which it periodically raids for more booze and munchies - mirrors Jonathan Swift's creation of the floating city [[GulliversTravels Laputa]], which also produces nothing of its own and acts as a parasite, periodically descending to Earth and taking what it needs by force.

'''''Life, the Universe and Everything''''' is the third installment of the [[TrilogyCreep increasingly inaccurately-named]] ''Literature/TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy'' trilogy (although, of course, when it was first published the series was still a perfectly accurately-named trilogy). Since franchise creator Creator/DouglasAdams had told his original story in its entirety by the end of ''Literature/TheRestaurantAtTheEndOfTheUniverse'', this one was a [[DolledUpInstallment re-imagining]] of a ''Series/DoctorWho'' screenplay called ''Doctor Who and the Krikkitmen'', which Adams wrote but never produced. He simply recast his original idea with characters from ''The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy'' instead of ''Doctor Who'' characters, and instant history was made.

* SoundDefect: In the BBC Radio 4 adaptation, the insertion of the key into the Slo-time lock is interrupted by the Guide, which digresses on the subject of sound effects and why that one didn't "cut the mustard" before substituting a second sound effect.

* NorseMythology: At the party, Thor tries putting the moves on Trillian, much to Arthur's annoyance.

'''''Life, the Universe and Everything''''' is the third installment of the [[TrilogyCreep increasingly inaccurately-named]] ''Literature/TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy'' trilogy (although, of course, when it was first published the series was still a perfectly accurately-named trilogy). Since franchise creator DouglasAdams had told his original story in its entirety by the end of ''Literature/TheRestaurantAtTheEndOfTheUniverse'', this one was a [[DolledUpInstallment re-imagining]] of a ''Series/DoctorWho'' screenplay called ''Doctor Who and the Krikkitmen'', which Adams wrote but never produced. He simply recast his original idea with characters from ''The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy'' instead of ''Doctor Who'' characters, and instant history was made.

->''Describe Life, the Universe and Everything here.''\\\

* CosmicPlaything: Agrajag, a being who is repeatedly reincarnated and then killed by Arthur Dent. Agrajag is driven mad by his own repeated murders.

* DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything: The Cathedral of Chalesm being demolished to make way for industry, except that in this case the effect of using time travel to build the new buildings meant it ''never existed at all''.

...42?

->''Describe Life, the Universe, and Everything here.''\\\

'''''Life, the Universe, and Everything''''' is the third installment of the [[TrilogyCreep increasingly inaccurately-named]] ''Literature/TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy'' trilogy (although, of course, when it was first published the series was still a perfectly accurately-named trilogy). Since franchise creator DouglasAdams had told his original story in its entirety by the end of ''Literature/TheRestaurantAtTheEndOfTheUniverse'', this one was a [[DolledUpInstallment re-imagining]] of a ''Series/DoctorWho'' screenplay called ''Doctor Who and the Krikkitmen'', which Adams wrote but never produced. He simply recast his original idea with characters from ''The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy'' instead of ''Doctor Who'' characters, and instant history was made.

!!''Life, the Universe, and Everything'' provides examples of the following Tropes: