adams was born in cambridge. when he was a few months old he moved to east london and a few years later to brentwood, essex. he originally received attention when he wrote for the popular tv shows "monty python" and "doctor who" in the 1970s. in 1978 he wrote a science-fiction radio series called "the hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy". it was later turned into a novel. in the early 1980s, it became a television series and in 2005 it became a movie produced by disney. adams also wrote several sequels for radio and as novels. he was also known for his humorous detective novels starring dirk gently, and for his efforts to conserve endangered species. he was an atheist. in 2001, adams died of a heart attack while he was working out at the gym in montecito, california, united states.