March 31, 2015

“Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency” by Douglas Adams – Vectors of Interconnectedness

Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency by Douglas Adams (Book cover)
Douglas Adams is rightfully known as one of the most original and thought-provoking science-fiction writers out there, penning the immortal Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy which will probably be spoken of so long as people remember how to speak.

However, the author's genius in the world of literature is far from being limited to that one chef-d'oeuvre, and Dick Gently's Holistic Detective Agency is certainly a magnificent example of that.

The book sets out to be something unique in itself and rarely seen in the genre: a science-fiction detective mystery comedy. As you can most certainly imagine, the genius of Douglas Adams succeeds in its difference and originality in virtually every way you can imagine.

The story goes in many directions at once, though they are all governed by the humorous atmosphere established by the author and cemented by regular interjections that always feel natural but still manage to catch you off-guard and make you burst with laughter.

To sum up the story as best as possible without giving anything away, the titular Dirk runs his detective agency and specializes in providing people with the “whole” solutions to their problems.

It seems that the busy season has dawned upon Dirk once again, as he finds himself face-to-face with inconveniences such as time travel, ghosts, the end of the world, Johann Sebastian Bach, a missing cat, and being broke all the time.

As was mentioned before, the book goes in many directions and it does manage to fulfill the requirements to belong all the categories it yearns for. The science-fiction feeling is omnipresent due to the use of various strange and alien gadgets, with technology beyond our reach, but not so far as to grant you godlike powers.

The detective part of it, well, as you can guess Dirk has some rather strange clientele coming into his office and tasking him with increasingly odd tasks, sending him chasing after more than a mystery over the course of the story.

Amidst all of that Adams finds the time to poke fun at a lot of real-world things, and those mainly involve around computers, the various digital programs and apparatuses we use at increasingly high rate, and of course, the actual people on both ends of the equation: the creators and the consumers.

Rest assured though, Adams is a true wordsmith if there ever was one and the humor never feels crude, out of place or insulting... just poking fun in good spirits.

Now, if you know anything about Adams then you know that this is the kind of book where all entertaining factors aside, there is a lot of depth to be found and philosophical notions to dwell upon, encompassing those large existential themes which don't have any ultimate answers or conclusions.

Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency by Douglas Adams (Book cover)
All things considered, Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency is most definitely a breakthrough novel, straying on a different and largely uncharted path in the realms of science-fiction and succeeding in splendid fashion at delivering the kind of story you come back over and over again, the kind that can stay with you for ages.

It is a book I recommend to all science-fiction fans, and especially those who want a proper introduction to Douglas Adams' capabilities.



Douglas Noel Adams (11 March 1952 – 11 May 2001)

Douglas Noel Adams
(11 March 1952 – 11 May 2001)


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Born on the 11th of March 1952, Douglas Adams has made a name for himself in the literary community as being one of the most original and inspiring writers in the science-fiction genre, penning numerous timeless classics, including The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.


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