If life is going to exist in a Universe of this size, then the one thing it cannot afford to have is a sense of proportion.

The Hitch-Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy also mentions alcohol. It says that the best drink in existence is the Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster, the effect of which is like having your brains smashed out with a slice of lemon wrapped round a large gold brick.

The world is a thing of utter inordinate complexity and richness and strangeness that is absolutely awesome. I mean the idea that such complexity can arise not only out of such simplicity, but probably absolutely out of nothing, is the most fabulous extraordinary idea. And once you get some kind of inkling of how that might have happened ' it's just wonderful. And . . . the opportunity to spend 70 or 80 years of your life in such a universe is time well spent as far as I am concerned.

And for all the richest and most successful merchants life inevitably became rather dull and niggly, and they began to imagine that this was therefore the fault of the worlds they'd settled on.

In the beginning the Universe was created. This has made a lot of people very angry and been widely regarded as a bad move.

If you stick a Babel fish in your ear you can instantly understand anything said to you in any form of language.

Anyone who is capable of getting themselves made President should on no account be allowed to do the job.