Books like The vanishing hitchhiker by Jan Harold Brunvand

A concise biography of Douglas Adams, tracing his journey from struggling sketch writer to celebrated author of the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy series, concluding with his untimely death at 49 in 2001.

A collection of urban legends and legends compiled by author Jan Harold Brunvand, focusing on modern folklore and its variations over time.

The Encyclopedia of Urban Legends is the definitive work from the world's foremost authority on the study of urban legends, Jan Harold Brunvand. This encyclopedia offers descriptions of hundreds of individual legends. The thorough coverage of urban legends includes all countries in which published urban legend collections are presently available. Urban legends are a specimen of modern folk narrative, and this encyclopedia contains entries on how to collect, classify, and analyze texts and performances.Other entries discuss the relationship of urban legends to literature, film, comic books, music, and many other areas of popular culture. Coverage includes academic legends, earthquake stories, Internet resources, tabloids in urban legends, and more. All entries are cross referenced and feature brief bibliographies. A general bibliography suggests further readings on the subject. The volume is richly illustrated and is based on the latest scholarship, including materials available on the Internet.