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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
50 of 50 people found the following review helpful
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!
26 of 26 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.
15 of 15 people found the following review helpful
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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Most Recent Customer Reviews
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 6 months ago by BDI
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 8 months ago by Eric le rouge
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 11 months ago by Victoriasponge
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 11 months ago by rob crawford
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 13 months ago by B. WARDER
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 14 months ago by Andrew
Worthy of the Epithet, Classic
Throughout his life, Carl Sagan's proclivity for speculation made many of his colleagues uncomfortable and some of his peers even considered his propensity for indulging his... Read more
Published 14 months ago by John Dexter
One of my all-time favourites!
Having seen and loved the film, I decided to read the book and it's since been re-read many times over and is possibly one of my favourite books of all time. Read more
Published 14 months ago by Slightly Hazy
I enjoyed the film more
Please try not to see the film before you read the book. Whilst I found the book a good steady read with some great ideas, I felt that Sagan's screenplay for the film flowed far... Read more
Published 15 months ago by NJ
intelligent and brilliant
This book is much better than the film, so please read it if you liked the film anyway. If you didn't like the film it's even a better reason to read it. Read more
Published 19 months ago by Harry
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