Contact

The only science fiction novel by a prominent astronomer who was the late twentieth century's foremost popularizer of science was bound to be something special, and Carl Sagan's "Contact" certainly is. No other science fiction novel is quite like it in its thrilling realism; one can easily believe that a sequence of events similar to that in the book could begin taking place tomorrow. The book is filled with a plethora of wonderful plot twists, fascinating details of scientific fact and speculation, and unexpected bits of characterization that only Sagan could have thought to include. Sagan, who apparently considered himself a "spiritual agnostic," explored religious as well as scientific issues in this work, and the result is arguably heretical if seen from a traditional religious standpoint -- but not heretical in the specific way a reader might initially expect. Indeed, the story's climactic twist makes "Contact" into a twentieth-century equivalent of "Paradise Lost" -- a work which, while subtly heretical, is one of the most awe-inspiringly religious books ever written.

Jodie Foster's reading of "Contact" on this recording is absolutely superb. She differentiates between the voices of all the characters and her own voice as narrator -- even her voice for Ellie Arroway, the character she played in the movie of "Contact," is a subtly more energetic and characterful version of her normal voice. Foster also employs about seven different accents (counting her usual American accent) in the course of the recording, moving effortlessly from one to another when characters from several different countries have conversations. At one point, when Sagan's text describes a character as having an almost (but not quite) non-existent Russian accent, Foster even manages to produce exactly that! She also evokes all the varying moods of the story, conveying Sagan's sense of awe and wonder at the beauty and majesty of the universe. Foster's performance on this recording is probably the best reading of a book which I have ever heard.

I listened to this recording over several nights, and was in suspense from one night to the next, wondering what would happen next. This superb example of the intelligence and artistry of Carl Sagan and Jodie Foster is highly recommended. Six out of five stars.

I have seen the movie, read the book, and listened to the audio cassettes (in that order), and I am happy to admit that I am responsibly obssessed with this literary work by a brilliant man, Carl Sagan. Using the book's main characters as a mouthpiece for many of his personal views, Carl Sagan is successful in revealing that science and religion are NOT necessarily mutually exclusive. And Jodie Foster's performance as Ellie Arroway in the movie as well as the reader in the audio version is unsurpassed. The ending in the book made me weep big ole soppy tears, not because it is sad, but rather because it is so incredibly uplifting. If only there were such definitive proof of .... (well, I won't spoil it for you). Perhaps someday we will be ready to handle such evidence. In the meantime, wouldn't it be nice to actually make Contact? Perhaps then we could set aside our petty global differences and unite with a single purpose to join the cosmic family - if indeed "they" would let us in. Carl Sagan presents us with a glimpse of such a reality, although it is still perhaps just beyond our ability to convince ourselves that it could actually come true. Thank you Carl ... wherever you are.

For those who loved the movie, you should have read the book first- and then you'd have hated the movie. The movie's ending was anti-climactic, whereas the last page of the novel presents one of the most mind-boggling concepts I have ever encountered- a picture built into a number. And not just any picture! I found this to be a genuinely moving book- a distinct rarity in the science fiction world. And for the lost soul who rated the book a "1" because Carl is an "atheist"- you totally missed the point of the book! Like Einstein, Carl was an agnostic- but he was profoundly and deeply "religious," in his way, as the ending of the book makes so clear. Carl's reverence and concern for this planet and for its future generations should qualify him for sainthood, in any religion. As Carl said of Euclid's Geometry, this book is "a great read."

Like most of his work, Sagan puts across the sciences and professions of astronomy and astrophysics across for the lay reader with great ability and an obvious feeling for his subject and his readers. I enjoyed the humanness of his characters, the realities of their work world, and the science in which they were involved. I read the book before watching the video and felt, as I usually do, that the book was better. One can always create more side plots and develop to a greater extent the individual characters in a volume of so many pages, which the reader can set aside at will and return to as needed. The director must stick to a central theme and be constantly mindful of budgetary constraints. I also thought the relationship of the heroine with her father was more intense and surprising in the book than in the movie.

Contact is grand, it is epic, and it is vast in it's hypotheses and plotline. However it is also one of the most touching and personable books you will ever read.

I agree with others who have said that the twists and turns in the plot are fantastic. No doubt. But my favorite thing about this book is Ellie's character - her tenacity, her passion, and her undaunted *faith* while yet an athiest and a scientist. The pursuit of truth and the hope that there is someone (or something) "out there" have always been two passions for in my life, and so it is no wonder this story touched a deeply personal chord inside me.

You should know that there are several very large differences between the book and the movie (I did like the movie very much by the way, and felt Jodie Foster did a superb job as Ellie). The following are "minor spoilers". In other words, they are subtle hints at what you may have missed if you only saw the movie, but, I have not outright told you what is in the book either:

1) Palmer Joss's character looks quite different in the book, and has a different background, than the hot-bodied heart-throb portrayed in the movie by McConaughey (McConaughey did well with the part written for him, I admit).

2) Ellie and her dad's relationship is much more personal than the short snibets depicted in the movie.

3) Ellie is not the only person who meets the Caretakers (aliens) in the book version.

4) During the first contact with the alien ("her dad"), the conversation is much longer and more detailed. The alien shares paragraphs of information about the outside universe, what they have discovered, an intriguing discussion on pi and the secrets this number holds, and what they feel the future holds for other worlds in the galaxy. This was a significant difference from the movie, though I can see why Zemeckis needed to shorten some of it due to its extensiveness.

5) The book has a fantastic twist at the end which the movie did not include. It revolves around something Ellie learned about pi during her conversation with the alien.

There are other differences but these were the most significant ones to me.

If you are on the lookout for books with a similar theme/feel, try Jack McDevitt's "The Engines of God" and "The Hercules Text", especially the latter.