This has got to be, by far, the most popular series of books (4) that Douglas Adams ever wrote. By now, everybody in the galaxy must know what the meaning of life, the universe, and everything is. (If not, go read this right now!) Hitchhiker's Guide is the story about the one human left in the universe, who's friend happens to have a copy of said Guide. The previous sentence may require some explaining.
See, just like life on our terrestrial sphere, bureaucracies everywhere else are as immovable as ever, and when the earth is slated for destruction to make way for a new hyperspace bypass, there's nothing we could have changed, even if the notice had reached us. Arthur Dent (the main protagonist of the story) coincidentally had his house slated for destruction the same day, and the red tape surrounding both events is immovable. By some chance in his favour (though this may be debated) Arthur's friend Ford Prefect is actually an alien, and hitches a ride off earth at the last minute, taking Arthur along with him.
That's actually about the last place that things really make any sense whatsoever. This book is most one of humour, with the science fiction helping it along. Douglas Adams has an amazing method of story telling that is unlike any I have encountered, causing me to strongly suggest its reading, even if you don't normally read science fiction (which this is merely in part). I can almost guarantee that if you read the first book, you'll want to read the next three.
(The HitchHiker's guide is a series of 4 books: "So Long and Thanks for all the Fish", " I don't include the 5th book, because it was written long after the first set, and for other reasons. See my writeup of "Mostly Harmless" for more.)