Michael Wenton-Weakes is a character in Douglas Adams' Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency books.
Biography[]
Michael Wenton-Weakes was the younger son of Lord Magna and Lady Magna. He had an older brother, Peter.[1]
He lived in a house in Chelsea in London, at a number 17.[1]
He was editor of the magazine Fathom published by Magna House. Michael heavily mismanaged it to suit his own tastes to the detriment of the magazine, which lost the company a lot of money. After his mother sold the magazine to Gordon Way, Michael was let go and replaced by new editor A. K. Ross. Michael's fury at this made him the ideal host for the ghost of the Salaxalan engineer, who relayed his story to Michael through the writings of Samuel Taylor Coleridge. Michael sympathised with the ghost's plight and agreed to help it, and the bond was cemented when the ghost drove him to murder his replacement (in the BBC Radio 4 adaptation, it is his mother, Lady Magna, he murders). Weakes, under possession from the engineer, collects diving equipment and takes it with him to Urban Chronotis, to whom he begs for help in rectifying his mistake. Dirk Gently presses to ensure Michael is a willing participant in this, and Michael briefly resurfaces to reaffirm that he is indeed willing to go through with it. They travel to the Salaxalan ship in orbit, before finally sending Michael, and the engineer, on their way to prevent the Salaxalan ship from exploding. It is unknown what happened to Michael after this point, though Chronotis' interference in history prevents Lady Magna from selling Fathom, thus removing Michael's motivation to follow through with the ghost's plan.[1]
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Behind the scenes[]
In the Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency BBC Radio series, Michael is voiced by the actor Michael Fenton Stevens.