The conclusion of the book is unusual in that the majority of text on the last page is blacked out, allowing the reader to choose the ending he or she would most prefer.

[1] Key plot points in the novel include a secret of the British Prime minister, and a "space first" by an astronaut named Sickert.

[5] Though the book sold well,[1] it remains one of Idle's lesser-known works,[5] and is notable as the first published novel by a member of the Monty Python team.

"[6] In an interview with The Globe and Mail in 2002, Idle again made reference to the rarity of the book, quipping, "Worth quite a bit on the Internet, I hear.

"[8] A book of the same title was mentioned by Idle and Cleese in the Monty Python's Flying Circus episode "Sex and Violence" during "The Wrestling Epilogue" sketch, in which a humanist philosophy professor, author of a novel entitled Hello Sailor, debates an Anglican monsignor over the existence of God in an officiated wrestling match.