Talk:Ford Prefect (character): Difference between revisions

Quotes re Ford's selection of the name from memory - if anyone has a copy of the book handy and wants to check, please do.

I remember the same, so I think its right!

Removed "He had simply mistaken the dominant life form." -- just checked the book. Doesn't say anything about Ford thinking cars a life-form. In the TV series, there's a scrolling list of possible names, one of which is Anna Ford. -- Tarquin

You're right but see comment on edit. I think this comment from the author is okay to put in the article, but further elaboration would be speculative. Murphy

... ah. I stand corrected. It's in "A guide to the guide", preface to the 4-in-1 edition. -- Tarquin 18:45 Dec 20, 2002 (UTC)

Oops. I didn't realise there had been any controversy about the line already, and I just removed it again. The thing is, it doesn't make much sense as it is, and even if elaborated upon, it doesn't get much clearer. I suspect that when Adams said, "He had simply mistaken the dominant life form," he was joking. After all, Ford didn't try to disguise himself as a car and fit in with all the other car-oid lifeforms when he arrived, did he...!? Hmm, I'll try to think of some way of making sense of this... -- Oliver P. 11:51 Feb 9, 2003 (UTC)

I've put the quote back in, but added that, "some commentators believe this explanation to be apocryphal, or at least wildly inaccurate." I'm not sure how encyclopaedic that is, but I'm not entirely joking. Adams made up a lot of the radio series stuff as he went along, and later admitted that the explanations of plot features which he gave in interviews were not necessarily the original reasons, because he'd forgotten what they were. Something like that, anyway. I might be able to find the exact quote somewhere... -- Oliver P. 12:16 Feb 9, 2003 (UTC)

I seem to recall somewhere that he just picked a name that seemed to occur frequently. I think the joke about 'mistaken the dominant life form' is a dig from Adams' environmental leanings, he is suggesting that Britain is built for the convenience of cars, rather than people. 2toise 04:21, 20 Oct 2003 (UTC)

I removed the "some commentators believe this explanation to be apocryphal, or at least wildly inaccurate" line... it really didn't look very encyclopaedic to me.

fords real name is not Ix

i have read the german version of the book, so this might be wrong, but in the german language it was told, that fords real name is inexpressible, even to him self, because it is spoken in the dead language of his destroyed planet. Ix was the nickname, given to him by the children of his school.

Yes, you're right. It is like that in the English version of the book as well. —Paul A 04:14, 20 Oct 2003 (UTC)

Having read the book, heard the radio broadcasts, seen the TV series, and played the computer games, I have concluded that an intergalactic observer scanning the ether for TV and Radio signals might conclude that "Ford Prefect" WAS the dominant life form - at least in GB. Reason, ONLY the British would direct radio/TV energy to outer space, dissipating the signal that should be focused on earthly beings. Actually, "Ford Prefect" is probably mentioned more often on English radio than "Human Race", simply because they PAY for it's use. (9-) Steve Laifman, USA (TigersUnited.com)