A best-selling science-fiction novel, first published in 1986, by a Pulitzer Prize-winner. In December 1999 a multinational team journeys out to the stars, to the most awesome encounter in human history. Who - or what - is out there?
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Newsweek "Like a good mystery, "Contact" keeps us curious to the end...ingenious and satisfying."
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
About the Author
Sagan was Dir. of the Laboratory for Planetary Studies & David Duncan Prof. of Astronomy & Space Sciences at Cornell University.He played a leading role in the Mariner, Viking & Voyage expeditions to the planets & was a recipient of the Pulitzer Prize for literature. He died in 1996.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
54 of 54 people found the following review helpful
By W. Robinson
Format:Paperback
This book is proof enough that one of the world's greatest space scientists can also write great SF!
It is a super SF novel, but it's more than that. Throughout the book, Carl Sagan's love and hope for the human race shine through.
Eleanora Arroway, a woman who has known her fair share of bad times in her life, eventually becomes the head of a space center which listens for messages from intelligent extraterrestrials. Against all the odds, a message is discovered and deciphered. Instead of being a message telling us how to create the perfect society, or a religious revelation, it turns out to be a blueprint for a highly-advanced machine.
Do they dare build it? And if they do, what will the machine do? Religious fundamentalists battle with governments and scientists to destroy the project. For the machine, chillingly, is clearly designed to carry a team of people...
If the machine is built, who will ride in it, and where will it take them? You will have to read it to find out!
This book has been made into a movie, but, although it's good, I felt that it did not really do justice to the book. This is one of the finest SF novels I've read - great characters, a gripping plot, high adventure, and to cap it all, a wonderful ending (which is not the same as the movie). An uplifting book which I recommend to one and all. Simply fab!
It is a super SF novel, but it's more than that. Throughout the book, Carl Sagan's love and hope for the human race shine through.
Eleanora Arroway, a woman who has known her fair share of bad times in her life, eventually becomes the head of a space center which listens for messages from intelligent extraterrestrials. Against all the odds, a message is discovered and deciphered. Instead of being a message telling us how to create the perfect society, or a religious revelation, it turns out to be a blueprint for a highly-advanced machine.
Do they dare build it? And if they do, what will the machine do? Religious fundamentalists battle with governments and scientists to destroy the project. For the machine, chillingly, is clearly designed to carry a team of people...
If the machine is built, who will ride in it, and where will it take them? You will have to read it to find out!
This book has been made into a movie, but, although it's good, I felt that it did not really do justice to the book. This is one of the finest SF novels I've read - great characters, a gripping plot, high adventure, and to cap it all, a wonderful ending (which is not the same as the movie). An uplifting book which I recommend to one and all. Simply fab!
27 of 27 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
This book is simply brilliant,it flowlessly combines science, science fiction, and a deeply moving story. What would happen if an alien civilization much more advanced than us made contact with us? What would they think about us? How would we feel when we knew that we're no so special as we thought, that there are people more intelligent, more advanced and above all, more civilliced than us? Sagan brilliantly played with these questions along the story, wich tells us about the life of Ellie Arroway, the most deeply involved astronomer in the whole affair of finding a message from allien beings, decoding it, and finally make contact. Through Ellie's point of view, we witness the whole story: Team work of scientist around the globe, political affairs (deep criticism of virtually every political system is descreetly included in Ellie's conversations with her coleages), religious affairs, the achievement of the goal, the hipocrisy and cruelty of politicians, and private aspects of Ellie's life as the death of her father, her relation with her mother and stepfather, her love affairs; this may seem beside the point in this story, but, are scientific questions and doubts such as the existence of extra terrestrial intelligence more important than "simple" personal questions and doubts about our lives? Sagan also played brillantly with this question, and when I finished the book, I started to ponder a few things, as the scientific I am, and as the human being I am. As I said, a deeply moving and exciting story.
18 of 18 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
Having seen the movie first, and loved it, my expectations were high.
I was not in the least disappointed.
This is a conciousness altering book that provides food for the soul.
Inspiring, deeply moving and full of a wonder that makes you feel young again.
Immediately after finishing Contact I went outside and gazed up at the stars. And smiled.
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4.4 out of 5 stars
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Very very different to the film.
World respected scientist Carl Sagan takes us on an adventure of cosmic proportions, the first contact between mankind and aliens. Read more
Published 2 months ago by privatepetexxx
4.0 out of 5 stars
Contact By Carl Segan
I returned tis book, as it was not what I wanted.
But If it is anything like the film, It will be great
But If it is anything like the film, It will be great
Published 4 months ago by Hugh Hailes
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent, well worth reading
Well worth reading, well written. Somewhat different to the movie starring Jodie Foester, though personally I'd recommend both rather than one over the other!
Published 4 months ago by S. Dyer
5.0 out of 5 stars
Perfect
Everything was perfect. Fast shipiment and so on. Buying from Brazil and shiping to London. Perfect. Nothing to complain. Very happy with this purchase.
Published 8 months ago by Facioli
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Favourite
After all these years this is still one of my favourite books.
There are those who claim it's 'too technical', or 'too boring', or even 'unrealistic'. Read more
There are those who claim it's 'too technical', or 'too boring', or even 'unrealistic'. Read more
Published 18 months ago by BDI
4.0 out of 5 stars
fascinating
This book is fascinating and gave me a fresh look when looking at the stars above.
The only thing: I dont think we human would take the risk to build the machine. Read more
The only thing: I dont think we human would take the risk to build the machine. Read more
Published 20 months ago by Eric le rouge
5.0 out of 5 stars
So much better than the movie!
The movie drew me to this book as the concept behind it was so fascinating. What if we made contact with another world, what would it mean for humans as a species and what... Read more
Published 23 months ago by Victoriasponge
3.0 out of 5 stars
tries hard
This book has good ideas and characters as well as a nuanced story, but for some reason I just didn't think it was all that good. Read more
Published 23 months ago by rob crawford
3.0 out of 5 stars
space explained
I thoroughly enjoyed this book for about the first three quarters of the story. Then I found myself becoming irritated by it and I semi scanned to the end. Read more
Published on 22 April 2011 by B. WARDER
2.0 out of 5 stars
Would have made a great short story
The science vs religion thing was simply overplayed and frankly got a bit dull. It was neither interesting nor insightful and meant that half the book was unnecessary. Read more
Published on 4 April 2011 by Andrew
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