This is part four of a five-part review spanning “The Ultimate Hitchhiker’s Guide,” by Douglas Adams.

I think its time that you know something about our Earth and life as it is.

Eventually our planet will be destroyed, and there is nothing you can do about it. However, the second most intelligent species on Earth will come to our aid, that being the dolphins. Before a Vogon construction fleet demolishes the planet, the dolphins will bring another “shadow” Earth from another timeline into the future so that we can continue living. Then they will depart to escape the destruction, and cease to exist on the future Earth. Because of this, we should thank the dolphins in advance for their kindness. Perhaps the best way to do this is to make living for them easier by not polluting the oceans. (This message brought to you by the Campaign to Save the Humans)

In So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish, book four of the Hitchhiker’s series, Arthur finally makes it back to Earth. He hitchhikes in a car driven by a man named Russell, and in the car discovers a “heart-thumpingly beautiful” woman by the name of Fenchurch. He finds her again and doesn’t get a chance to tell his life story before she leaves. After finally regaining contact with Fenchurch, Arthur discovers that she also can fly, and they spend more time together. They eventually go to Wonko the Sane, looking for answers to why the dolphins have disappeared. Wonko decided that he couldn’t live in a world in which there were instructions for use on a bag of toothpicks, and built a house called Outside the Asylum.

This is by far one of the coolest buildings imaginable. The entire house is built inside out to keep the world in. In this way, Wonko can live outside the instructions-on-the-bag-of-toothpicks world. Here’s an excerpt from the description of Outside the Asylum:

“Where it really got odd was the roof.

It folded back on itself like something that M. C. Escher, had he been given to hard nights on the town, which is no part of this narrative’s purpose to suggest was the case, though it is sometimes hard, looking at his pictures, particularly the one with all the awkward steps, not to wonder, might have dreamed up after having been on one, for the little chandeliers which should have been hanging inside were on the outside pointing up.

Confusing.”

I love this description, because it paints such a vivid picture of the inside-out house in my head. When Adams goes into detail about a particular matter, he really makes sure not to leave anything out. The sign above the door even says “Come Outside.”

There’s also a bit of irony with Wonko the Sane’s name. Anyone who hears his name most likely immediately thinks that he’s some sort of wacko, because he has such a ridiculous name. His wife is frustrated with having to put up with Wonko’s insistence in living outside the Asylum. However, in reality, Wonko is very much sane. He realizes that a scientist must be like a child: see first, think later, and then test. Otherwise you’ll only see what you were expecting. Wonko, ironically enough, ends up being more reflective than most.