Who wrote 'The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy'?

Douglas Adams wrote “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.” The novel was published in 1979 and adapted from the first four parts of Adams’s BBC Radio 4 comedy series, which began broadcasting in 1978.

The story follows Arthur Dent after Earth is demolished to make way for a hyperspace bypass. Adams combined science-fiction adventure with absurdist comedy, creating memorable ideas such as the answer “42,” the instruction “Don’t Panic,” and the electronic Guide itself.

A common mix-up is confusing the author of the novel with contributors to later adaptations. Adams created the series and wrote the first five novels; Eoin Colfer wrote the authorized sixth novel, “And Another Thing...,” published in 2009 after Adams’s death. Neil Gaiman wrote an official companion, but not the original novel.