The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

"The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy", which started as a radio show on BBC, achieved monumental success. The eponymous novel topped the English bestseller list in 1984, and Adams became the youngest writer to receive the "Golden Pen" award for 1 million books sold. The 1982 TV adaptation solidified the success of the Hitchhiker series, while the 2005 feature film, with a budget of $50 million, doubled its production costs and was nominated for 7 awards. The popularity of the satirical "trilogy in five parts" spilled into the music and computer industries. For instance, bands like Radiohead, Coldplay, and NOFX use quotes from Adams's novel, and Level 42 is named after the main plotline of the book.