Whatever you do, Don’t Panic! There’s a new mobile app coming out soon that almost every geek will want to download immediately. Yes, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy is finally fulfilling its destiny, and actually producing a Guide for you to take with you wherever you go. And not only is it fully supported by the estate of Douglas Adams, but it also features the voice of none other than the original Arthur Dent himself: Simon Jones.

Like many geeks my age, I grew up with the Hitchhiker’s books and TV show, and the radio programs a bit later when they came out on LP — remember those? I must have read at least the first two books at least twenty times each when I was a kid, and can still replay the theme music in my head (yes, I know it’s an Eagles tune, but that’s not how it’s cataloged in my mind). So when I got an email about the mobile app project, I leapt at the chance to cover it. And when I was offered the chance to interview Simon Jones, I could barely wait.

Simon Jones

Jones, for those who don’t know, was the original Arthur Dent. He was Arthur on the radio shows, which predate the books. He’s the one Douglas Adams said he had had in mind when he created the character in the first place. So, my apologies to Martin Freeman — who did a great job as Arthur in the movie, and whom I (incidentally) can’t wait to see as Bilbo — but there really is no other perspective on it: Simon Jones will always be Arthur Dent, in the same way that Leonard Nimoy will always be Spock… only more so.

The Hitchhiker’s mobile app will, essentially, be your own copy of the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy — meaning the device from the stories, rather than the stories themselves. I mean, you can pull up Wikipedia on your smartphone, but will it tell you about the Babel Fish or the Ravenous Bugblatter Beast of Traal? Well, OK, of course it will, because it’s largely written by geeks — but will it tell you about them with cartoons on a soothing green background and tell you about them aloud in Simon Jones’s voice? I think not. The app will be all about the Hitchhiker’s universe, as though you really were using the Guide. Like the Star Trek PADD app that came out recently for iOS, the Hitchhiker’s app will be somewhat interactive, but will not go so far as to be a game. That’s despite the fact that the company that’s producing it, Hothead Games, is (as its name would subtly suggest) primarily a maker of games.

We can report a GeekDad-exclusive item of information: The Hitchhiker’s app will be coming out for all iOS devices. As Jones said when I spoke with him, this only makes sense, as Douglas Adams was one of the first — if not the first — in the UK to own an Apple computer. I would be surprised if they didn’t port it to Android devices if it’s popular on the iTunes App Store, but if they have plans to do so I’m not aware of them. No firm release date has been set for the app, though it won’t be too long — I’ll report back with that information when I have it.

For right now, enjoy the screenshots above and below, and listen to my conversation with Simon Jones, which has been posted to the GeekDads podcast feed for your convenience. If you’re a Hitchhiker’s fan — and if you’ve read this far I expect you are — you should listen: Not only does he sound exactly the same now as he did when he played Arthur Dent (which brought back memories for me), but he and I talked about some very fun stuff that you probably don’t know about yet — and not just about the app. He was an absolute delight to talk to, just as friendly and funny as any interviewer could possibly hope for.

You can subscribe to the podcast in iTunes.

You can subscribe directly with this RSS feed.

You can download or listen to Simon Jones.mp3.

Scroll down for more screenshots from the app. And check out the official app website (Warning: Autoplays a brief audio clip.)

All screenshots are copyright by, and courtesy of, Hothead Games.
The photo of Simon Jones is copyright by, and courtesy of, Simon Jones.