'The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy,' which began as a BBC radio drama, was a resounding success. The novel of the same name topped the British bestseller list in 1984, and Adams himself became the youngest writer to receive the Golden Pen Award, given for 1 million books sold.
The 1982 television adaptation cemented the success of the 'Hitchhiker's Guide' book series, and the 2005 feature film, with a budget of $50 million, twice recouped its costs and was nominated for seven awards.
The popularity of the satirical 'five-part trilogy' spilled over into the music and computer industries. Thus, the bands Radiohead, Coldplay, and NOFX use quotes from Adams' novel, and Level 42 is named after the novel's main plot line.
The characters in the equally cult film 'Men in Black' shamelessly use the sarcastic dialogue of Adams' characters.