Here’s an interesting situation, the Radio Times reviewer has not been given a chance to hear the upcoming HHGTTG sequel, entitled And Another Thing…. This is despite the fact that the reading begins Monday on BBC Radio 4.

So what should we to read into this?

My opinion, is it probably doesn not mean a lot. The book, and the abridged reading of it, for BBC Radio 4, have both been embargoed. That means nobody not involved with the production gets to read it before it comes out.

This isn’t new, it’s been done for quite a while on big books. Most famously with the later Harry Potter books.

The idea is for the publisher to control the thrust of reviews (and such) so as to give one all-mighty-push-through into the public consciousness. So really it says a lot more about the publisher’s policies than the strength of any particular book that is being embargoed. And history shows that both well and badly written books have been embargoed.

Myself, I’ve not read any Eoin Colfer, and I stopped reading Douglas Adams books shortly before he died.

What do you think about this?

And Another Thing… (book #6 in The Hitch-Hiker’s Guide To The Galaxy series)
By Eoin Colfer; Read by Stephen Mangan and Peter Serafinowicz
10 Broadcasts – Approx. 2 Hours 30 Minutes [ABRIDGED]
Broadcaster: BBC Radio 4 / Book At Bedtime
Broadcast: October 12 – October 23 2009 @ 22:45
Eoin Colfer’s sequel to Douglas Adams’ The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy series.

They’ve also roped Arthur Dent (as portrayed by Simon Jones) to do a little audio promotion for the book HERE.

Jones, by the way, is also the narrator for Hyperion’s UNABRIDGED audiobook of And Another Thing….

Here’s Eoin Cofler explaining how the sixth book in a three book series came to be written by someone other than DNA…

[Thanks Roy!]

Posted by Jesse Willis