It is December 1999, the dawn of the millennium. A team of international scientists is poised for the most fantastic adventure in human history. Af...
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Feb 07, 2012
Keely
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Sagan was a lucid and impassioned defender of rationality and clear thought. Unfortunately, his foray into fiction did little to increase the understanding of his philosophies, and much to muddy the waters of once clear thought. Inspired by Asimov and Heinlein, he decided that fiction was as good a place as any to explore his ideas on science, belief, and wonder.
While we expect long, in-depth explanations from non-fiction, fiction readers want more than just a lecture from the author More...
While we expect long, in-depth explanations from non-fiction, fiction readers want more than just a lecture from the author More...
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Jul 02, 2008
L Greyfort
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"Your god is too small."
The heroine makes this comment about 2/3 of the way through this novel. She is trying to get across the idea that, if your god cannot encompass the knowlege which humans have so laboriously amassed over the millenia (which is only about two teaspoons worth in comparison to the enormity of the universe!), then there is something wrong with the god you've made for yourself.
A lot of what is going on in Sagan's book, it seems to me, is the More...
The heroine makes this comment about 2/3 of the way through this novel. She is trying to get across the idea that, if your god cannot encompass the knowlege which humans have so laboriously amassed over the millenia (which is only about two teaspoons worth in comparison to the enormity of the universe!), then there is something wrong with the god you've made for yourself.
A lot of what is going on in Sagan's book, it seems to me, is the More...
Mar 18, 2009
Charlie
rated it:
I was surprised by how similar the original story was to the movie, as I had heard they butchered it. Not so. The only changes of any weight were in Ellie's relationships to the other major characters, and the removal of dated material relating to the Soviet Union.
Sagan's forte is definitely in non-fiction science popularization, and it is on display even in this work of fiction, where I'm sorry to say, it doesn't make for particularly good storytelling.
I was not surpri More...
Sagan's forte is definitely in non-fiction science popularization, and it is on display even in this work of fiction, where I'm sorry to say, it doesn't make for particularly good storytelling.
I was not surpri More...
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Jun 22, 2008
Chris
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I can’t say enough good things about the writing of the late Carl Sagan. Previously, the only works of his I had read are his non-fiction works “Cosmos” and “Dragons of Eden”. I didn’t quite know what to expect of his fictional work, though I think I had a few good clues going into it, the first being the fact I’ve seen the film adaptation about fifty times (which I discovered is vastly different than this story, aside from the general, top-level plot) and the second being Sagan’s stated expec
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Dec 17, 2009
Heather's Mum
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Short review - huge book.
I liked Sagan and his "billions and billions" charm. I am sorry he is no longer sharing planet earth with us. As with all of his publications, Contact was well written, entertaining & educational. However, it left me wondering if Sagan truly was an agnostic. (or atheist?)
I hate to admit (& regret the fact) that the religious characters in the book do indeed reflect some Christian's attitudes and beliefs. There are times we (Christians More...
I liked Sagan and his "billions and billions" charm. I am sorry he is no longer sharing planet earth with us. As with all of his publications, Contact was well written, entertaining & educational. However, it left me wondering if Sagan truly was an agnostic. (or atheist?)
I hate to admit (& regret the fact) that the religious characters in the book do indeed reflect some Christian's attitudes and beliefs. There are times we (Christians More...
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Dec 17, 2009
Matthew
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(pre) discussions on science and religion with an atheist friend in the US led her to give me her battered copy of this. anticipating a good read and will start on it asap.
(post) I quite liked Contact, though it was, especially toward the end, very different from what I expected. I thought Carl Sagan might come down more on the side of science, and at the start, when introducing Ellie the astronomer vs Pastor Rankin the crazy narrow minded evangelist, he was, but toward the end I was More...
(post) I quite liked Contact, though it was, especially toward the end, very different from what I expected. I thought Carl Sagan might come down more on the side of science, and at the start, when introducing Ellie the astronomer vs Pastor Rankin the crazy narrow minded evangelist, he was, but toward the end I was More...
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May 28, 2008
Richard
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If there are intelligent beings elsewhere in the universe, why haven't we received a message from them yet? and what would happen if we actually did? Near the end of Contact we learn Carl Sagan's speculative but quite plausible answer to the first question. The bulk of the book concerns his answers to the second question, which are unfortunately far less satisfying.
Contact suffers from an excess of exposition and from generally weak character development. (Isaac Asimov could make thi More...
Contact suffers from an excess of exposition and from generally weak character development. (Isaac Asimov could make thi More...
Jun 28, 2007
Jen
rated it: 
I'm a closet science fiction fan, although I suppose one has to be in the closet about it to be... in the closet.
ANYWAY, this is one of my all-time favorite books Ever. I think I saw the movie first and despite not really liking it, my interest was piqued by the book... and a big book, too. I really like long, good reads (chalk it up to my early interest in historical romance novels which for the most part - especially early Johanna Lindsey ones, none of her new crap - are long and b More...
ANYWAY, this is one of my all-time favorite books Ever. I think I saw the movie first and despite not really liking it, my interest was piqued by the book... and a big book, too. I really like long, good reads (chalk it up to my early interest in historical romance novels which for the most part - especially early Johanna Lindsey ones, none of her new crap - are long and b More...
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Mar 13, 2007
Adarsh
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Contact by Carl Sagan is one of the better works of science fiction dealing with extra terrestrials.
I remember being fascinated reading Sagan's earlier work Cosmos. Flying past the planets of our solar system, a chapter at a time, had excited me as it did the entire world.
When I noticed another book by Sagan at the local library, my expectation rose instantly. As I read the back cover and learned that the book touched the topic of extra terrestrials, I had a vague feeling More...
I remember being fascinated reading Sagan's earlier work Cosmos. Flying past the planets of our solar system, a chapter at a time, had excited me as it did the entire world.
When I noticed another book by Sagan at the local library, my expectation rose instantly. As I read the back cover and learned that the book touched the topic of extra terrestrials, I had a vague feeling More...
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Feb 14, 2009
Joseph
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I had to start this book six times. I just cound not get intrested in all teh radio telescope bullshit at the start. Once I finished the book I understood how important all that bull shit was to the story and I fell in love with this book I have read it twice since my first completion. If you like religion read it, if you like science fiction read it, if you think there is life out there read it.
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Jan 06, 2012
Shweta's Book Journal
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Science fiction can be really fulfilling but sometimes times I have encountered the outrageous kind too ,though it can be fun ,but not quite stimulating. But once in a while a book comes along which leaves a mark. Contact by Carl Sagan was one of them. When I decided to read Contact I knew what the story was about because I had watched the movie adaptation and even liked it . But there were things I didn't understand well and as I had watched it some 8 years back .At that time my 'School going
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Dec 23, 2011
Stefanie
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Man, I just love Carl Sagan so much. He's so good at sharing the wonder of science in a way that's accessible to people. It's really inspiring. This book is very simple to read, with clear language and an understandable explanation of most scientific phenomena, yet probes deep into both theological and psychological depths like few tales can. The result is something both enjoyable and inspiring.
In Contact, Sagan's ability to capture the beauty and imagination of scientific research th More...
In Contact, Sagan's ability to capture the beauty and imagination of scientific research th More...
Jul 26, 2011
Michael
rated it:
Sagan's book is as vividly imagined as any fairy tale in its depiction of first contact with an extraterrestrial intelligence, and maintains a healthy dose of realism in its portrayal of human and government reaction to that contact. However, the book reads like molasses: Sagan is long-winded and overly wordy, as if he was writing for English majors; in addition to the language, he's far too cerebral in the way he structures the story, and the entire book passes without any emotional reaction fr
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Jul 22, 2011
Amanda
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I saw the movie about a year ago, and I must say that this novel FAR surpassed my expectations. I expected it to be dry and a challenging read, and although there were some places that were dry and difficult to get through, the book as a whole was engaging and intriguing. Some of the science was over my head (physics? red shift?), but for the most part, Sagan breaks down the science into simple language that most people should be able to understand. Mostly, however, this book is an examination o
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May 06, 2011
Simon
rated it:
Quality science fiction from one of science's all-time great communicators, Carl Sagan. I'm with Carl in the sense that the universe is so mind-bogglingly big it's just absurd - in fact, ridiculously arrogant - to imagine that we're the only intelligent life out there, or even the most intelligent life out there.
There's also a very satisfying bit of far-out alien weirdness at the end of the book, which I really like. I want my imagination stretched a bit when I read this kind of More...
There's also a very satisfying bit of far-out alien weirdness at the end of the book, which I really like. I want my imagination stretched a bit when I read this kind of More...
Jan 23, 2011
Mike
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Although it's an insult to Dr. Sagan, I couldn't help but think "Da Vinci Code from the 80s," especially towards the end. Regardless, aside from being a better written book, it's a completely different story than what was portrayed in the 1997 movie. Despite the few flaws in storytelling and believability in the final chapters, the overall novel is phenomenal.
The first half of Contact is largely similar to the movie, but upon deciphering the schematic for "the Machine, More...
The first half of Contact is largely similar to the movie, but upon deciphering the schematic for "the Machine, More...
Jan 18, 2010
Aaron
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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Sep 04, 2009
The
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Oct 11, 2009
Tammy
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I wanted to read this book because I so much enjoyed the movie starring Jodie Foster and Matthew McConaughey. The story deals with the following questions: What would be the impact of extra-terrestrial intelligence on the peoples and nations of the world? What would we do? How would we react? What challenges would such a discovery bring? For some reason that film moves me as it explores questions about the intersections of faith and science.
Working upon the premise that the bo More...
Working upon the premise that the bo More...
Apr 26, 2011
Pikachu
rated it:
I really liked this book. Sure, in some places, Sagan went a little overboard on the science part of science-fiction, but he did a good job. I remember back in high school, I had this really nerdy teacher for Astronomy. In addition to theorems and other stuff, he also showed us clips from Star Wars with such criticisms such as "Lasers cannot be contained in such finite space!" or "THERE'S NO SOUND IN SPACE@!!" (he said this every time there was a PEW PEW sound from one of the
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Jul 31, 2010
Melisa
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This was a re-read for me. It's one of the few books that I believe is better in an abridged version. I've listened to it abridged, and the pacing is much better. There are several parts of the book where Sagan spends an unnecessary amount of time on details that don't really move the plot along or develop the characters. Other than that, the idea of picking up a hidden message from an alien species on radio telescopes is great and the social, political and religious ramifications that Sagan
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Aug 02, 2011
Stephanie
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I picked up a tattered copy of Contact because I thoroughly enjoyed the 1997 movie with Jodie Foster. The characters were vivid with complex back stories, the plot itself was intriguing, and the interplay of religion and science was completely necessary.
I was not as impressed with Contact the book as I had been with Contact the movie. Although the plot was the same, it is obvious that Sagan is a scientist, not a literary author. He writes in a style that has mass market appeal--a gen More...
I was not as impressed with Contact the book as I had been with Contact the movie. Although the plot was the same, it is obvious that Sagan is a scientist, not a literary author. He writes in a style that has mass market appeal--a gen More...
Sep 04, 2010
Serena
rated it:
The movie made me intrigued, the book made me tired.
While Carl Sagan's intelligence will always eclipse my own, his storytelling techniques are somewhat lackluster. The novel has several great ideas, and the characters are all deeply interesting and multi-dimensional. But he needn't spend two hundred pages on the discovery/decryption of the message and another one hundred pages on the building of the Machine, all leading to a brief what-felt-like ten minute journey in space. A simple More...
While Carl Sagan's intelligence will always eclipse my own, his storytelling techniques are somewhat lackluster. The novel has several great ideas, and the characters are all deeply interesting and multi-dimensional. But he needn't spend two hundred pages on the discovery/decryption of the message and another one hundred pages on the building of the Machine, all leading to a brief what-felt-like ten minute journey in space. A simple More...
May 22, 2010
Dinah
rated it:
I will never again feel bad for buying a book based on its cover. ESPECIALLY when Jodi Foster is on the cover.
I don't know what to say about this book exactly, except that it makes math and science beautiful in a way I haven't experienced in a long time. Every chapter has its own page of epigraphs from an incredible range of literary sources, everything from medieval Church doctrine to Dickinson poems to the philosophers and astronomers you'd expect (you know, the Greek ones).
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I don't know what to say about this book exactly, except that it makes math and science beautiful in a way I haven't experienced in a long time. Every chapter has its own page of epigraphs from an incredible range of literary sources, everything from medieval Church doctrine to Dickinson poems to the philosophers and astronomers you'd expect (you know, the Greek ones).
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Jul 09, 2008
11thzone
rated it:
carl sagan was one of my personal heroes, a true scientist for the masses. his book contact is an insightful look into what would happen if we were to recieve a message from beyond the heavens. good movie too.
" hey dad?...do you think there are people on other planets?"
" well i guess id say, if it is just us....seems like an awful waste of space."
" hey dad?...do you think there are people on other planets?"
" well i guess id say, if it is just us....seems like an awful waste of space."
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Sep 27, 2011
Jessica
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http://virtualmargin.blogspot.com/2011/07/contact-29100.html
Carl Sagan was blessed with ridiculous talent. He had the super-intelligence to be a renowned astronomer, and the rare ability to translate that knowledge into accessible writing. Creative and non. And beyond that he was a promoter of peace and humanism. What I'm trying to say here is we should start The United Church of Carl Sagan.
Like all good science fiction, the plot may be out-of-this-world, but it's pointing di More...
Carl Sagan was blessed with ridiculous talent. He had the super-intelligence to be a renowned astronomer, and the rare ability to translate that knowledge into accessible writing. Creative and non. And beyond that he was a promoter of peace and humanism. What I'm trying to say here is we should start The United Church of Carl Sagan.
Like all good science fiction, the plot may be out-of-this-world, but it's pointing di More...
May 02, 2011
Chris
rated it:
I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I wasn't thrilled and amazed, but had a very pleasant sense of satisfaction upon its completion.
The idea to read it came from my enjoyment of the movie version of this story. What impressed me the most was how drastically different the two stories were, yet how close they were in essence. The combo is a terrific study of expert re-working of a story and excellent screenwriting.
But back to the book. This is clearly Sagan's manifesto set More...
The idea to read it came from my enjoyment of the movie version of this story. What impressed me the most was how drastically different the two stories were, yet how close they were in essence. The combo is a terrific study of expert re-working of a story and excellent screenwriting.
But back to the book. This is clearly Sagan's manifesto set More...
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Oct 05, 2010
Mobill76
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I read the book first. It's very different from the movie. I like both. I think the movie took a lot of liberties with Sagan's vision that certainly pissed off the purists. Readers of the book will not find the same sympathy for faith that was exhibited in the movie. The book is a tour de force of science over religion. It's a good story. Sagan's writing shows a definite ivory tower disconnection with what passes for believable social situations. But the story is compelling enough to drag you th
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Mar 09, 2010
Valentina
rated it:
Made famous by the feature film with the same name, starring Matthew McConaughey and Jodie Foster (as a disclaimer...I have not seen the movie), Contact is a book, written by a serious astronomer, about extraterrestrial life, and the possibility of an encounter between humans and other forms of life living on far-away planets, hundreds of thousands light-years from Earth.
Since the author, the late Carl Sagan, knows what he is talking about, the most compelling part of the book is the one More...
Since the author, the late Carl Sagan, knows what he is talking about, the most compelling part of the book is the one More...
Mar 27, 2011
Andreas
rated it:
This novel is the story of a radio astronomer who manages to detect a signal from space, and what happens after. The scope is large, but Sagan keeps it going smoothly forward to the incredible conclusion. The discussion of science versus religion is well done, and lacks the bitter antagonism which could easily have creeped in. Fills you with a sense of wonder like few other books, and while it makes you feel small in the Universe, it nevertheless manages to convey a message of hope and love.
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