Restaurant At The End Of The Universe

The sequel to HitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy, part two of the five part trilogy by science-fiction/humor writer DouglasAdams. ISBN 0345391810

One of the most memorable bits is a table side conversation with a cow genetically engineered to be rather serene about being consumed and able to vocalize this to restaurant patrons in order to assuage their guilt over eating beef. (The joke: Provided they don't mind eugenics and brainwashing)

I also like his mention of Bistromathics (it may be in another part of the trilogy [it's in #3 -- GarethMcCaughan]). Bistromathics is a field of mathematics originally developed through observation of the way that people calculate their share of the bill at bistros, and how it is certain that the amount of money collected is never equal to the amount of the bill. One of the key developments in the field is the reci-exclusive number system which consists of all numbers that are not equal to themselves. You mean "recipriversexclusions", right?

Apologies if I've mangled this. I'm going from memory. I've long ago lent my copies of his sci-fi books to people who have disappeared with them. I'm not certain how cause and effect plays into this. -- MichaelFeathers

More strongly, it's a cow that wants to be eaten.

"let's meet the meat!"

A very PythonEsque? sequence. Remember the waiter on a cart? "I'm the special. Try me with some rice!"

Zaphod: "Hand me the rap-rod, Plate-Captain". Waiter: "I'm sorry, sir ?" Zaphod: "The phone, waiter, the phone. Jeez, you guys are so unhip it's a wonder your bums don't fall off"

Waiting at Victoria Station, the blokes and I once had this idea that Pubs could text-message subscribers at an appropriate interval, on an opt-in basis as to number of patrons, age/gender stats, for deciding where to water after a long days programming.

CategoryBook