The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy thrives on the concept of absurdity, where events unfold randomly without any apparent cause or meaning. This doesn't mean the entire book is merely a series of random events. In fact, many of the most absurd incidents are triggered by the Infinite Improbability Drive aboard the Starship Heart of Gold. Chapter 10 offers a relatively logical explanation of this drive, allowing the novel to introduce its most peculiar oddities and coincidences.

For instance, the Heart of Gold rescues Arthur Dent and Ford Prefect as they drift through space precisely because it is highly improbable. This same force causes Arthur’s limbs to vanish, transforms Ford into a penguin, redecorates the ship's bridge with mirrors and potted plants, and makes a whale appear above Magrathea. These events are remarkably unpredictable. Their impact is intensified by the setting, where characters strive for rationality, making the absence of reason even more evident. Characters often attempt to justify their actions, disregarding the chaos around them.

This theme emerges in the first chapter when a demolition crew arrives to demolish Arthur Dent's house. Mr. Prosser insists that Arthur received an adequate and reasonable warning, but Arthur finds it absurd that the demolition plans were "on display" in a locked filing cabinet in an abandoned lavatory in the dark basement of the planning office, behind a sign reading "Beware of the Leopard." Throughout the book, bureaucratic thinking conflicts with the universe's inherent absurdity, frequently leading to an even more exasperating form of absurdity.

The book challenges the widespread belief that humans create meaning, instead portraying them as receivers of meaning, fulfilling roles designated by the animals around them. This concept is most clearly seen in the interaction with laboratory mice. Scientists perceive that they are studying mice to gain insights into nature, but in reality, the mice are observing the scientists to learn more about humans. For these mice, the Earth's ten-million-year history and its significance reach a peak at a predetermined moment when Earth will disclose the Question to the Answer.

For dolphins, who are considered the second most intelligent species on Earth, surpassing humans, humanity is regarded as worth saving. However, when humans misinterpret the dolphins' warnings about an impending disaster—mistaking their whistles and backward somersaults for simple tricks—the dolphins board their constructed spaceship and leave. Even Earth's landscapes carry meanings vastly different from those humans typically assign them. For example, Norway's fjords are not the result of glacial processes but are the creations of Slartibartfast, who enjoys designing fjords and has even received several awards for his work. The novel implies that every element of the natural world holds unique significance, as suggested by the greatest thinkers, yet humans are unable to perceive these meanings due to their limited understanding.

The book begins with what is usually seen as the ultimate conclusion—the destruction of Earth. However, it soon widens its scope to show that Earth was just a minor component of a much larger plan. Earth was created by the Magratheans, who only did so because they were compensated. Consequently, its destruction, much like the tearing down of Arthur Dent's house or the crumpling of a sheet of paper, is insignificant to those who used it. From this viewpoint, and given the numerous life forms Arthur Dent meets on his journey, Earth's temporary nature is depicted as trivial.

This novel presents the universe as a vast cultural tapestry that Earth's residents don't quite grasp. Characters from planets like Vogsphere, Betelgeuse, and Magrathea seem to have an intrinsic understanding of each other, despite their different backgrounds....