Cover Reveal: See the Final Cover for Neil Gaiman's Don't Panic

Don't Panic is a must-read for fans of Neil Gaiman or of Gaiman's late friend and contemporary Douglas Adams. Part biography, part oral history, and part comprehensive fan guide, it brims with Gaiman's trademark wit and insightfulness.  

This unique book will tickle both readers who aren't yet familiar with Adams or his extraordinary sci-fi legacy, and his most devoted fans. Adams, who passed away suddenly in 2001 at just 49 years old, is best known for the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy franchise, a sci-fi comedy that began as a radio play and evolved into a multi-book series. 

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But his impact on science fiction, and on comedy as a whole, extends beyond Hitchhiker's. In Don't Panic, Gaiman also peels back the curtain on Adams' other creative pursuits, such as his time-travel detective novel Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency, his work on the BBC's Doctor Who, and his many collaborations with members of the legendary British comedy group Monty Python. 

Although Hitchhiker's ultimately made him a household name among sci-fi fans, Adams faced financial and professional discouragement on his road to penning a bestseller. Don't Panic has fascinating insight into Adams' bleak "wilderness years," during which he worked as a bodyguard for a wealthy family and lived with his mother to try and avoid financial ruin while pursuing his dreams. 

Gaiman also describes the extreme creative frustration Adams experienced even at the height of his success—for instance, while agonizing over the script for the Hitchhiker's pilot, Adams left increasingly distraught notes for his future self to read: "If you ever get the chance to do a proper, regular job ... take it. This is not an occupation for a healthy, growing lad [...] this is not written after a bad day. This is written after an average day."

In a foreword penned for a 2003 edition of Don't Panic, Gaiman wrote that he had "wanted to write this book more than anything." Gaiman's passion for the hilarious Hitchhiker's Guide series, and for his friend Douglas Adams, is evident throughout Don't Panic. Like Adams himself, this volume is funny and serious all at the same time. It deserves a home in the digital library of any sci-fi fan—right alongside your towel, of course. 

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(The meaning of life is 42.)