20 supremely cozy books and movies for hibernation season

3. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy

Unlike many of the other entries on this list, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy did not start life as a book. Though it’s since become a well-known and beloved-by-many novel series, it actually first emerged as a BBC radio show.

That first BBC Radio 4 show in 1978 soon spread to other media, including books, comics, television series, and a 2005 feature film which is decent enough for background noise and the occasional laugh. It’s even been adapted into a stage show.

For maximum enjoyment, however, you may want to start with the novels, written by Douglas Adams (who also wrote the original radio show and most of the other adaptations, or at least the best ones). If you get a massive omnibus edition, you may even be able to prop it up at just such an angle that people will see the massive tome and leave you alone. Hopefully.

The story generally follows hapless Earthman Arthur Dent. He barely escapes the demolition of the planet Earth by the alien Vogons. Now, the Vogon fleet isn’t here to take advantage of Earth’s natural resources or anything. Instead, our planet is simply in the way of a hyperspace bypass. No hard feelings. Certainly, the bureaucratic Vogons don’t feel too bad about eliminating a minuscule and boring species.

Luckily, Arthur is friends with Ford Prefect (yes, he is really named after a British car popular during the latter half of the 20th century). He thought that Ford was a regular human guy, but it turns out that he’s actually an alien. Even better, he’s a writer for the travel guide known as The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. Dent and Ford make their way onto a Vogon ship and, from there, out into the wider galaxy.

If the destruction of our planet and species sounds a little grim, it doesn’t come across as such in Adams’ work. It’s so full of fun and dark, surreal humor that you don’t much mind.