Think of a Number, Any Number

Abstract: Anyone who has read Douglas Adams’ novel cycle, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, will probably agree that it is saturated with irony, but few people would manage to define how or why. Irony can be used as an indirect but clear communicative strategy, by which the true meaning of a text is eventually eradicated. There are many different types of irony, and all types can be used for miscommunication. In this essay I have tried to establish what Adams' text is telling the reader and I have found that it is not simply a science fiction story about the humorous travels of Arthur Dent. In fact, what the text is not telling the reader is at least as interesting. Adams' text is a multi-layered ironic miscommunication, telling the reader that there is no truth or meaning in existence.