The Bunker – News without the nonsense The Cosmic Absurd – How The Hitch-Hiker’s Guide To The Galaxy nearly explains our world
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Nov 25, 2025 
Arvind Ethan David, a writer and producer known for adapting The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy for immersive theatre, joins the conversation. They delve into the radical ideas of Douglas Adams, exploring how his work critiques politics and technology. Arvind shares insights into the new staged production, the absurdity of everyday life, and how the immersive format captures the book's chaos. They also dissect the relevance of Adams' satire in today's climate and draw parallels between tech leaders and Adams' characters, like Zaphod Beeblebrox.
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Perspective Through Cosmic Humiliation
- The Hitchhiker's Guide reframes human significance by showing we probably don't matter much in the cosmos.
- That perspective is comforting and sharpens satire on politics, bureaucracy and hubris.
A Childhood Conversion
- Arvind first read Hitchhiker's at about age 11 on his grandmother's easy chair and felt the book 'reprogram' his brain.
- He remembers feeling smarter, less alone, and excited about the world.
When Reference Works Become Propaganda
- The Guide predicted the internet but also warned how centralised platforms can corrupt information for profit.
- Its line 'if the guide differs from reality, reality is at fault' mirrors social media's factual distortions.
