Contact

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 imagination to be irresponsible. In spite of this hostility (or perhaps because of it), Sagan used Contact to give full reign to his imagination. However, whilst Contact is undoubtedly a remarkable work of fiction, it is far from being an example of fantasy run amok and Sagan never betrays the principles and constraints of his discipline, producing an intelligent and compelling discourse on the role of science in society.It is this self-restraint that is so appealing and marks this book as something very special. Throughout, Sagan never eschews an opportunity to educate his readers or promote science generally and those familiar with his work will be struck by the similarities to his factual writing: remarkably, all that seems to differentiate Sagan's fiction from his non-fiction is a subtle shift in emphasis between speculation and science.Of course, Contact was not only a vehicle for popularizing science but also an opportunity for Sagan to explore his own attitudes and prejudices through a thinly disguised alter-ego. The book revisits many of his favourite themes: the search for (and discovery of) extraterrestrial intelligence provides the central motif of the novel but Sagan also discusses sexual inequality, the politics of space travel, the dichotomy between religious and scientific outlooks, and the dangers nuclear proliferation. We are also given a fascinating glimpse of Sagan's relationship with his parents and an insight into how hurtful he found some of the criticism of his approach to science. For Sagan, Contact was not simply a work of science fiction, it was a very personal odyssey.Contact has aged gracefully since its publication in 1985 even if some of its metaphors seem anachronistic to modern readers (for instance, the American/Soviet relationship) and its message remains relevant to this day. Whilst it may lack the excitement of inter-species battles and inter-planetary wars, it is a hopeful and thoughtful novel deserving of the epithet, classic.

As a keen fan of science I hold a large amount of respect and admiration for Carl Sagan.As for the this story, first of all, the plot's great. Though the writing's a little too detailed and technical in places, it's still very much readable. I was surprised at just how much religion was covered in the story - which I found to be unnecessary, off-putting at times. Especially considering that Sagan wasn't remotely religious himself. As some other commenters have pointed out, it's quite different from the film, if you have happened across it, you'll notice a lot of differences between the novel and the 1990s movie.I wasn't sure whether to rate it a three or a four star. I settled on four stars, which if you can get passed the unecessary bits about religion and the sometimes confusing technical jargon, it's well worth the read.

Got it for my dad for Christmas and he loves the book thanks so much

I am a long-time fan of the movie, but hadn't quite gotten around to reading the book. When I started it, I was - as I often am - a little put out of countenance by the differences. However, what emerges from the book is an even richer, even deeper story. The scientific concepts thrown around at first seemed like window-dressing, but eventually emerge as absolutely core to understanding the message, both in and out of text. Carl Sagan was a wonderful communicator, as his Cosmos series, his books and his lectures clearly show. What Contact shows is that he was also a tremendous story-teller - in retrospect, that's not much of a revelation as all his work is inherently the act of telling stories about the universe. His fiction is infused with fact, but his ability to do that with such seamless elegance is a rare talent.I was also deeply impressed by Sagan's explorations of the issue of faith. I consider Carl Sagan to have been one of the pre-eminent atheistic philosophers of the age, and as such I wouldn't have expected his discussion of faith to be so rounded and so inclusive. He always did have the ability, far beyond those of raving loons like Dawkins, to offer a cogent and respectful deconstruction of theism without being spiteful or dismissive - I'd say Contact though shows that he did have a spiritual side that was more, not less, inspiring with the removal of God from the equation.I won't go so far as to say that, despite my initial suspicion, the book is better than the movie. I will say though that they tell two very different stories - connected in some key players and events, but otherwise radically different in both tone and implication. You can enjoy one without the other, but as with the lessons of scientific co-operation across the world in the book it's better to consider the tale from two perspectives.