Magratheans

Magratheans are a fictional alien race from Douglas Adams' "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" series. They are a deeply ancient and sophisticated civilization renowned for their ability to construct entire planets. Magrathea was a legendary planet that specialized in the creation of luxury custom-built planets for the ultra-rich. The Magratheans themselves were not seen in their full glory for a long time, having gone into hibernation after the immense effort of building the Earth, which was a supercomputer designed to find the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything.

The primary function of Magrathea was the building of planets for wealthy clients who desired their own unique worlds. This was a highly specialized and lucrative business in the galaxy. The Magratheans achieved this feat through advanced technological means, capable of manipulating matter on a planetary scale. They designed and constructed these planets according to the specific, often extravagant, requirements of their customers.

The Magratheans are depicted as a species that values art, craftsmanship, and a certain degree of indolence. Their hibernation was a response to the perceived end of demand for their services, believing that the universe had already reached its peak of planetary construction. However, the destruction of Earth by the Vogons, and the subsequent quest to find the Ultimate Question, inadvertently awakened some of the Magratheans, revealing their existence and the planet's purpose. The surviving Magrathean engineer, Slartibartfast, is a key character who explains the history and function of Magrathea and its creations, particularly Earth.