The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Books in Order
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series is 6 books by Douglas Adams and Eoin Colfer, published 1979 to 2009. Start with The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (1979). We have catalogued 5 of them so far, with 10 editions between them; the rest are being added.
- Books
- 6
- 5 of 6 catalogued so far
- Editions tracked
- 10
- Numbers
- 2 to 6
- Published
- 1979 to 2009
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Reading order
The The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy books in the order they were published, with the year each first appeared.
- 1The Hitchhiker's Guide to the GalaxyArthur Dent is whisked off Earth by his friend Ford Prefect moments before it is demolished for a hyperspace bypass, and learns the planet's true purpose.Buy a copy: eBay1979
- 2The Restaurant at the End of the UniverseZaphod Beeblebrox is drawn into a plot to find out who really runs the universe, while the crew of the Heart of Gold head for Milliways, the restaurant at the end of time.Buy a copy: eBay1980
- 3Life, the Universe and EverythingArthur and Ford are swept to Lord's Cricket Ground and join Slartibartfast in trying to stop the robots of Krikkit from wiping out all life.Buy a copy: eBay1982
- 4So Long, and Thanks for All the FishArthur finds himself back on an Earth that should not exist, falls in love with Fenchurch and sets off to see God's final message.Buy a copy: eBay1984
- 5Mostly HarmlessThe Vogons take over the Guide while Arthur works as a sandwich maker on a remote planet and Trillian's daughter Random arrives.Buy a copy: eBay1992
- 6And Another Thing...Eoin Colfer picks up the story as the Vogons threaten the survivors' new colony on the planet Nano and Zaphod seeks help from the god Thor.Buy a copy: eBay2009
Editions we track
| No. | Cover | Book | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | The Restaurant at the End of the Universe First | 1980 | |
| 3 | Life, the Universe and Everything First | 1982 | |
| 4 | So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish First | 1984 | |
| 5 | Mostly Harmless First | 1992 | |
| 6 | And Another Thing… First | 2009 |
About The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is the comic science fiction series that Douglas Adams first wrote for BBC Radio 4, where it began on 8 March 1978, before turning it into novels published by Pan Books from 1979. There are 6 novels, from The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (1979) to And Another Thing... (2009): Adams wrote the first five, his 'trilogy in five parts', up to Mostly Harmless (1992), and Eoin Colfer wrote the sixth with the backing of Adams's widow. Readers who count only Adams's own books will find five. The first two novels adapt the radio scripts, while the later ones were written as books from the start.
Frequently asked questions
What order should I read the The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy books in?
Start with The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (1979), then The Restaurant at the End of the Universe and Life, the Universe and Everything. The full list on this page gives every book in order with its first edition year.
How many The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy books are there?
There are 6 books in the The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series, from 1979 to 2009. We have catalogued 5 of them so far.
What is the first The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy book?
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, first published in 1979, is the first book in the The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series.
Where these facts come from
- The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)
- The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy books: a complete guide, Pan Macmillan (panmacmillan.com)
Every fact on this page was checked against the sources listed. Checked 2 November 2026. Reviewed by Harriet Ellis; read how we check facts.
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