I've read a lot of derivative works and had seen the movie, but hadn't gotten around to actually reading the book. It seems to have held up pretty well. ( )

So, I liked the story...but the big words and uber-science left me confused at times. Not the author's fault...but it took a bit of mental gymnastics for me to figure out. I prefer this story to the movie adaptation especially since Ellie goes with others through the wormholes. The parallels in Ellie's family story are clearer at Sagan's hand...and no mushy (and condescending) Palmer Joss romance to get in the way. I found this original version has a more believable storyline without exploiting cliche gendered stereotypes. ( )

I remember mildly liking the movie when it came out years ago, so when I saw the book I grabbed it. The book is almost always better than the movie right?

While it's certainly been a while, as I recall the movie really does track the book pretty well. The characters are fuller, and there are more of them, but the story line's pretty much the same.

Since it centers around a time line based on the turn of the millennium, every once in a while it seems dated - the real future turned out a lot less rosy. The commentary around faith and science still rings true though.

Enjoyed it. ( )

I'm not going to rate this book, because my opinion of it is too heavily influenced by seeing the film first. There was absolutely no dramatic tension because I knew pretty much everything that was going to happen. I also have no interest in religion and it seemed to have a big role in the book. Imagine receiving a message from space and then talking about old superstitions that stopped making sense a very long time ago.

I guess maybe Sagan is some sort of mystic, which is why he engages with mysticism. Anyhoops, who knows what my experience would be if I hadn't already seen Jodi Foster go through this shit once?

Carl Sagan has long been one of my favorite scientists for his clear-headed explanations of how the cosmos works. He's inspired countless younger folks to pursue a career in astronomy and been a guide to the wonders of the universe for many of us.
But a science fiction writer he is not.
His novel, "Contact," is interesting for its basic theme - a first contact between earthlings and an advanced, alien civilization. But his plot isn't very compelling and, perhaps surprisingly, he doesn't use his premise to speculate on what such a world-shattering experience might look like.
It's not a spoiler to reveal that the basic story involves a coded message from outside the solar system received at radio telescopes around the earth. The message includes the plans to build a complicated device that seems to promise contact with an alien civilization which is apparently far more advanced than what we have now on earth. Sagan is writing in 1985, but he sets his story a decade in the future, at the end of the 1990s.
Part of his problem is there is little tension in his plot. The message is recognized, deciphered and the device is built, though it requires the efforts of all the advanced industrial nations on the planet and forces them to learn new, sophisticated techniques shared by the aliens.
And then the device is finished, a delegation of five scientists is selected for the initial crew, and the device is turned on.
What follows is, in a word, disappointing.
The aliens DO figure out a novel way to communicate with us. But right there, when you expect Sagan to key up those cosmic questions you'd want to ask a civilization of god-like creatures who themselves are just part of a vast array of peoples inhabiting the universe, Sagan draws a blank.
You'd think one would ask just how this gosh-darned device that brought us here works, for starters, and what exactly does that mess of organic stuff in the middle of it do? What sorts of energy are you guys packing these days and how did you figure it out? What sort of critters are you, do you ever argue with your neighbors, is there some central intelligence that sorts things out? A Universal General Assembly? A Council of Super-Intelligences?
And, by the way, how many more of ya'll are out there and how many of them are pretty similar to us here on Earth? And in particular, how many of them destroy themselves and in what ways? What are the biggest challenges we face getting to the point where we'll be allowed to mingle with the rest of the galaxy, e.g., and can you offer us any assistance or is doing it ourselves the ticket we need for admission?
But no. Although the crew members are all scientists, they have no plans as to how they will engage the aliens, no lists of questions they'd like answered (How do we stop the aging process? Is nuclear fusion really gonna be worth the effort?). Surprisingly, given Sagan's involvement with the plaques on the Voyager spacecraft that describe humans, our earth and solar system, nobody brings along even a harmonica to play some music for the aliens. Nor is there any plan to capture what the scientists see and experience, beyond a video camera carried by his heroine who doesn't seem very skilled in its use.
Although the five scientists go their separate ways once they are in alien-land, they never meet to discuss what they each experienced, nor do any of them appear to keep any sort of written journal.
There are holes in the plot that never get resolved and some things that make little sense. Sagan emphasizes that the only way the machine can be built is by all the nations on earth working together given all the new technologies that will be needed to build it. He spends a fair amount of time on the crew selection, in the end choosing an American, a Soviet, an Indian, an African and a Japanese scientist.
But then he almost casually notes that the Soviets decide to build their own version of the machine. Aha, you think, now we'll get competition, espionage, perhaps sabotage, a capitalism vs communism debate... but, no. The Soviet effort just sort of fizzles out and Sagan seems to forget about it. There IS an act of sabotage of the U.S.-built device, which will definitely slow its progress, but Sagan never updates us on how far ahead that leaves the Soviets or whether there is even any debate about whether trillions more dollars will need to be spent.
Instead, he introduces a rogue businessman who builds his own device, in secret, and offers it to the world. Given that he has already hammered the point that such an expensive and complicated device can only be built by every nation on earth working together, this is just silly.
Another clunker: The alien message appears to be coming from the star Vega, some 25 light years from earth. But just as the machine is turned on, the message stops. But even if the aliens stopped the message once they saw that humans had responded, wouldn't the messages they've already sent still take 25 more years to reach earth? Or are they already here in our solar system? Sagan's heroine can't provide an answer other than mumbling something about the aliens perhaps having "limited time travel," an answer just as foolish to readers as to his heroine's interrogators.
Sagan also insists on a human plot line, involving his heroine, an independent-minded female scientist who repeatedly has had to prove her worth to her male colleagues (and played memorably in the movie version of "Contact" by Jodie Foster). She has no interest in a private life, other than driving her sports car in the desert, but in a page or so, she finds herself in love with another scientist and they move in together. And then... um, well, he gets tied up with the bureaucratic details, she says some things that make his official position difficult, and the relationship just fades away. There is no confrontation, no "choose love or science ultimatums".
Even poorly written or plotted science fiction can be enjoyable reading (Looking at you, "The Three-Body Problem") and "Contact" is no exception. Even if Sagan doesn't do a good job imagining what you'd want to ask a super-smart alien, readers may be inspired to do that on their own. In Sagan's defense, he is writing at a terrible time for science fiction novels, just on the cusp of the digital and then Internet revolutions that have totally changed our worldview in the past 40 years. Music was still largely on tape or vinyl, Apple's Mac was derided as an expensive toy, and communication among scientists often relied on a telex machine.
Legendary sci-fi writers like Isaac Asimov, Robert Heinlein and Arthur C. Clarke played it safe and set their stories far into the future, where their imagination could run free.
By choosing 1999 as his "contact" date, Sagan is limited in terms of how different the world will be from as it was when he wrote the book.
But given all of that, the novel is just too pedestrian, too, well, bland. And that's a shame, given the author's pedigree. ( )

I loved the Elly's curious nature that started this scifi story that explores the concept of contact being made with extraterrestrial beings in what seems quite a realistic manner. The book was a bit slow at times but mostly quite enjoyable. 3.5/5 ( )

This novel spans a large amount of time and deals with some of the challenges that would inevitably arise as world nations try to work together. I especially found the parallel of religious faith and Ellie's experience with first contact to be thought provoking. In some ways the story felt like a detailed thought experiment. ( )

Really excellent look at communication with extraterrestrial life. Sagan has a bit too much of his own theology (all right, we get it, Christianity is illogical), but it doesn't detract too much from the story. Really my only criticism. ( )

An excellent book by Carl Sagan. A team of scientists are listening for life on other planets. Ellie is devoted to pure science and receives what seems to be a signal from a far off planet, Vega. The message is confirmed and the government, religious zealots and every fanatic in between wants to be heard. The message contains much more than origionally thought and a huge cover up by congress ensues. A great read by an amazing man. ( )

I'm giving this one, in all honesty, something like a 3.7. It's well enough written it shouldn't be a three and yet not compelling enough to deserve a four. And yet I truly enjoyed it. It's been a long time since I spent so much time reading a hard core Sci-Fi novel, and Stephanie and I read them by parts one a week.

I love getting to delve back into Sagan's mind. I've read his texts, but never his non-fiction, and there's a lovely thrill to reading about scientific details you know are completely true based on the background of the author.

Definitely not time wasted. ( )

Highly enjoyable book, which was obviously written with the intention of bringing astro physics into the popular realm. It for sure achieved this. The main character was a bit bland, but great story, and reading about some in depth science jargon without feeling overwhelmed was great. Touching at points. ( )

What a book. For someone with a vast intellect as Sagan to be able to write a book that is so approachable by all is a feat unto itself. He writes with a wonder that was visible during the "Cosmos" series he hosted. He shows that you don't need to believe in the supernatural to have a wonder about the universe.

Recommended for any and all readers, no matter the genre preference. ( )

Carl Sagan explores a variety of ideas, encapsulating the big topics of religion and the origin of the universe effortlessly and eloquently. His amiable tone and amazing breadth of written language combine to make an exciting and interesting read. Sagan digresses a lot, but it's worth sticking with to understand the finer points he is making. It may be fiction, but you'll learn a lot from this book. ( )

The plot was okay, I guess, but the character development needed a lot of work. The character of Ellie was completley unidentifiable as human. I think that Carl Sagan designed her with creating a female character in mind, because she seems to be a composite of female stereotypes without substance.

She's a complete cipher, and it completely ruined the book for me. ( )

Enjoyed the book even more than the movie. ( )

Definitely a must-read. It changed my perspective on science and religion. It felt like there are events in life that don't need scientific proof for you to know that they were real. On the other side, skepticism is one of the most valuable tools for those who seek to understand the Universe. "Skepticism is the chastity of the intellect".

How big are we? How important is our role, as humans, in the vast universe? Do you think there are other intelligent species out there, other civilizations, maybe millions of years ahead of us in terms of technology, economics, society, everything? What if one of those advanced civilizations contacted us and offered a present? How would a discovery like that change the life on earth? How would people in power react to protect their seats, to protect their bit of nothing which they rule? Carl Sagan explores these questions and many others in a mesmerizing story that, and this I can assure, will make you look at the stars with brand new and wiser eyes.

( )

Review 17 – Contact by Carl Sagan (1985)

ASIN / ISBN: B01NGT5T6A / 978-1857235807

READING DATES: 8 October 2017 to 18 February 2018.

DATE: Saturday, 2 November 2019.

TITLE: Contact: A novel by Carl Sagan (1985)

PUBLICATION: Simon & Schuster; Reprint edition (20 Dec. 2016), 450 pages, Kindle Edition. £5.99

FIRST SENTENCE: “By human standards it could not possibly have been artificial: It was the size of a world.”

REVIEW (1 SENTENCE): Lost girl finds a way to contact dead father, but no one believes her.

QUOTES: “The great radio telescopes of the world are constructed in remote locations for the same reason Paul Gauguin sailed to Tahiti: For them to work well, they must be far from civilization.”

“The universe is a pretty big place. If it’s just us, seems like an awful waste of space.”

“She had studied the universe all her life, but had overlooked its clearest message: For small creatures such as we the vastness is bearable only through love.”

“You’re an interesting species. An interesting mix. You’re capable of such beautiful dreams, and such horrible nightmares. You feel so lost, so cut off, so alone, only you’re not. See, in all our searching, the only thing we’ve found that makes the emptiness bearable, is each other.”

RATING: Excellent 4 stars. ★★★★
GOODREADS: 4.13 ★★★★ ( )

This book was wow. Simply wow. It's very technical at times, which isn't surprising considering it's a book about scientists by a scientist, but it offers up philosophical, cultural, and sociological questions that everyone should think about.

Contact obviously broadened my horizons and opened up my mind. ( )

https://nwhyte.livejournal.com/3743873.html

I had read this soon after it came out in 1985 - I was a big Carl Sagan fan, of course, and lapped it up uncritically. Coming back to it a third of a century later, I can see the flaws, particularly those that were addressed by Zemeckis in making the film. There is way too much info-dumping, and too much philosophical debate on subjects that interested Sagan deeply, but are only loosely connected to the plot. Ellie's relationship with the senior government official is much less interesting to us (and indeed to her) than the screen relationship with the evangelical chap. The coda in which Ellie finds the secret message from the Creators to the Universe concealed in the digits of pi reminded me, perhaps unfairly, of the end of Douglas Adams' So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish (which was published the year before, so this is mere coincidence). But on the other hand, fitting five passengers into the cosmic journey makes it more interesting on paper, where you cannot see the cinematic special effects. And I should not be too harsh: the whole thing is inspired by a sensawunda that I basically share and sympathise with. ( )

Having re-watched the movie many times, I thought it was finally time to give the book a shot. It matches up surprisingly well with the movie, with smart cuts from the book - I was actually impressed by that. The book goes more into Elles family life, which has a different dynamic than the movie.

The part I enjoyed the most in the book were the discussions between Elle and religious leaders. The book went much more into these discussions than in the book. Probably my favorite quotes from the book was by Elle when discussing world overpopulation: "A celibate clergy is an especially good idea, because it tends to suppress any hereditary propensity toward fanaticism."

Overall some definite differences between the book and the movie, but not so much that you're going to be surprised by what's happening. ( )

I watched the movie Contact years ago and thoroughly enjoyed it. I had no idea who Carl Sagan was when I had seen it. I discovered him about 4 years ago after learning that he was behind the original Cosmos, pre-Neil DeGrasse Tyson. Since then, I have fallen in love with his work. Funny enough, I have read about 5 of his books so far and have yet to jump into Cosmos. Terrible I know.

Anyway, I thought it would be interesting to jump into his only fictional work.

What I liked about the story was the hard science. This was missing from the movie but that's expected. I didn't expect the strong religion versus science aspect. The movie touches a bit on this but not as strongly as in the novel. Sagan's writing as always is top notch, in my opinion. He has a way with words and explaining things that makes his work a joy to read.

Overall, I enjoyed it. I found it to be a page-turner.

I think I'll going go watch the movie again!

My thoughts on the ending

Religion is based on faith. By the end of the book, Ellie wanted everyone to believe that the events that occurred in the Machine really did happen. But she had no proof. The videotapes were empty. She hoped society would have faith in her and believe her story. She ends up looking for faith. The final sentence in the novel is: For small creatures such as we the vastness is bearable only through love. Maybe Sagan's message was that regardless of what you believe in, love is what gets us through everything. ( )

Dropped around chapter 4. Couldn't get into it. I think I enjoy his non-fiction more than his fictional prose. He obviously has a great passion for astronomy and describing how the universe works, but the rest of it doesn't flow quite as well.

Enjoyed a lot about the book, but particularly Sagan's predictions and inferences about future technology and society. Seeing the world through the lens of the past was quaint, if not comforting, at times. I saw in the acknowledgements that he hoped scientific advancements render the book obsolete, which was prescient. I was more interested in the science and political elements of the book versus the character studies, which tended to be exhaustive for my tastes. Overall, great read from a great human. ( )

“Contact” was the first work by Carl Sagan that I read. I remember first reading about it on a messageboard discussing faith and arts, and thinking, hmm, that sounds interesting. The novel follows Ellie Arroway, a scientist involved in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI), from her childhood, where she shares a close relationship with her father before his sudden death, to her struggles to be accepted as a scholar and scientist in a male-dominated field. The bulk of the novel surrounds a message being transmitted to the earth from a planet called Vega, which is heavily encrypted and turns out to contain instructions for building a machine whose purpose is not known. Ellie, as the first one to discover this message, becomes one of the leading experts and consultants for this project.

The writing is heavily weighted with scientific explanations and descriptions, which can be daunting for those without a science background. Still, chapters such as the debate between Ellie and two religious leaders are packed with theological, philosophical, and scientific nuggets of thought. It is a hefty novel, and readers may get bogged down in some sections, but it is a rewarding chronicle of one woman’s journey through science and belief. ( )

I felt that every phrase of this book carried a special meaning to me. I'll sure be rereading it many times. ( )