Retro Review: Contact Carl Sagan 1985

This is Carl Sagan's only novel, in which he poured all his scientific and philosophical musings that he introduced to us in Cosmos and other excellent works, into an entertaining and well-placed story. You don't even realize you're learning a lot of science as you follow the struggles of Ellie Arroway, an astronomer, to navigate the political and cultural shoals to bring the benefits of first contact with extraterrestrials to humanity.

If you're looking for space opera, Star Trek, Star Wars, or Independence Day, you won't find it here. This is Science Fiction in the best sense, which is to say, an intelligent examination of the social and cultural impact of a technological innovation. In this case, the innovation is developing the technologies to contact a culture far in advance of our own. This obviously has a deep impact all across our global culture. Imagine the effect on ants if they could be made aware of the difference between themselves and humans.

The novel is set right around the turn of the 21st century, and Sagan weaves some interesting predictions about the state of the political, cultural, and technological landscape. It is fun to compare and contrast his vision with what actually has come to pass. It is well worth the time to hand your mind over to the master popularizer of science for a fun and enlightening adventure.