Douglas Adams' widow gave the ok for this children's writer Eoin Colfer to write the 6th book in the Hitchhiker's series.

Colfer, 43, was a primary school teacher in Ireland before he secured the largest ever advance for a children's novel by an unknown author.

His Artemis Fowl series went on to sell more than 18 million copies worldwide and a film adaptation is due to go into production next year.

The author said he was "terrified" by the prospect of creating a new Hitchhiker book almost a quarter of a century after being introduced to what he described as a "slice of satirical genius" in his late teens.

He said: "My first reaction was semi-outrage that anyone should be allowed to tamper with this incredible series.

"But on reflection I realised that this is a wonderful opportunity to work with characters I have loved since childhood and give them something of my own voice while holding on to the spirit of Douglas Adams".

I hate books written posthumously. Even if this guy is Douglas Adams good, it's more than likely he's still no Douglas Adams. Better he should stick to writing his own fantastic things than to latch on to someone else's coattails.

I'm pretty sure that when Adams killed off all of those characters in the end of "So long and thanks for all the fish" that he meant to end that series. You know, what with them all blowing up on Earth when it was demolished, due to a time rift and such. Sounds kind of final to me.

Adams himself said multiple times that he hated the ending to the last book and considered writing another.

Keep in mind that that doesn't mean I think that this is a good idea.