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names - Why was Marvin called "the paranoid android"?


Marvin, from The Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy, is clearly depressed, but there are not any indications that I recall (from the books, at least ) that he is paranoid. Yet both in-universe and out-of-universe, he's very often referred to as "Marvin the paranoid android" (Wikipedia even lists this as an alternate name for the character). Why is this? Is the character in the original radio show more paranoid?



Answer



Quite simply because it rhymes.


There is no suggestion that Marvin is clinically paranoid anywhere in the series.


Zaphod Beeblebrox is the first person to use the epithet in the radio series. Also, he calls Marvin many things as the series progresses. However, it is the Paranoid Android that sticks. Most characters refer to Marvin as a Robot, not as an Android. There aren't so many snappy phrases that use the word robot.


Zaphod often uses nicknames for other characters. They aren't always good descriptions.


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