Don't Panic (Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Towel with the words "Don't Panic" on Towel day

For other uses, see Don't panic.

Don't Panic is a phrase used in the book The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams. It comes from the fictional intergalactic travel guide The Hitchhiker's Guide To the Galaxy, that theoretically served to show planet-hoppers how to see the Universe on less than thirty Altairian dollars a day. The words are printed on the cover of the Guide (always capitalized) "in large friendly letters".^[1]^(p.3) The novel explains that this was partly because the device "looked insanely complicated" to operate, and partly to keep intergalactic travelers from, well, panicking.^[1]^{(p. 27)}

In the novel, it is said that despite its many glaring (and occasionally fatal) inaccuracies, the Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy itself has outsold the Encyclopedia Galactica because it's slightly cheaper, and because it has the words "Don't Panic" on the cover.^[1]^(p.3)

In the novel's typography, the words "DON'T PANIC" are always typeset in upper-case.

On the cover of the novel (in early U.S. editions), the words are often accompanied by the image of a round green figure with skinny arms, sticking out a bright red tongue, who also appeared on the 2005 edition of The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. This text also appeared on the covers of the Illustrated Editions of the first novel.

Much like "42" and "knowing where your towel is",^[1]^{(p. 34)} the words are sometimes used among fans of the books and radio series to show that they have this passion in common.