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  • Contact

  • By: Carl Sagan
  • Narrated by: Laurel Lefkow
  • Length: 14 hrs and 45 mins
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (371 ratings)
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Contact cover art

Contact

By: Carl Sagan
Narrated by: Laurel Lefkow
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Summary

The future is here...in an adventure of cosmic dimension. In December, 1999, a multinational team journeys out to the stars, to the most awesome encounter in human history. Who - or what - is out there? In Cosmos, Carl Sagan explained the universe. In Contact, he predicts its future - and our own.

©1997 Carl Sagan (P)1997 Simon & Schuster

Critic reviews

"Contact deals with issues...worth pondering. The range and depth of ideas is quite uncommon." ( New York Times Book Review)

"Like a good mystery, Contact keeps us curious to the end...ingenious and satisfying." (Newsweek)

What listeners say about Contact

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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  • W
  • 29-05-15

Excellent

Would you listen to Contact again? Why?
I would definitely listen to Contact again and not just because it was a brilliant story or because I know I'm going to get more from revisiting it. I spent much of the first listen comparing it to the film but now I've done that, the book will be foremost in my mind and I'll be able to relax with the story.

What other book might you compare Contact to, and why?
I can't think of a direct comparison, but there are elements of The Wizard of Oz and Narnia in there - in a really small way!

Which scene did you most enjoy?
My favourite scene was the debate between Ellie and the 2 pastors on the nature of her belief in science versus theirs in religion. As far as I can tell, belief, faith and respect for each other's views is the heart of the book. I don't know much about Carl Sagan, but I get the sense he didn't believe in absolute certainties and he handles both viewpoints fairly and with an open mind in the book. He leaves you thinking.

Any additional comments?
If you like lots of technical detail and science alongside your philosophical debate, then you'll really enjoy this story. Personally, I tend to focus on the latter, but I didn't find the science overwhelming or overly uninteresting and zoning out on the odd detail didn't detract from what was an excellent book.
First class narration too.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Fantastic delivery

The narrator's impeccable reading style brought this great book to life. She breathed and became the characters, creating the illusion of reality, involving the listener in Ellie's experiences.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
  • RJ
  • 07-07-14

Great Contact

If you could sum up Contact in three words, what would they be?

Interesting and very well read.

What did you like best about this story?

The narration and the differences to the film version

What about Laurel Lefkow’s performance did you like?

I thought it was Jodie Foster?

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

No

Any additional comments?

Enjoyed

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Beautiful, but infuriating at times

I'm not well enough read to know for certain but this exploration of SETI and its implications are probably some of the best in fiction. However, it sometimes comes across as unrealistic. Although the story features dissenting voices and antagonists I feel it has a slightly naïve view that the world would pull together altruistically in the face of such an event, rather than turn on each other. I think the Internet initially showed this might be possible but as the Internet of 2016 and the attitudes to climate change show us the public at large and the media are impatient and easily distracted and wouldn't have time for this despite the perspective it should have given them.

The narrator's character voices were quite distracting at times. Perhaps the audio book can't convey a sense of awe as effectively as film or prose, but the story felt a little flat where it should have been inspiring. The croaky voices and dodgy accents didn't do much for me and Laurel's voice was often exhausting after a long session.

Carl Sagan was an inspiration. If you'd like to take a journey into his imagination then this is the place to do it. Or if you need some hopeful optimism about our place in the universe, some well grounded science and excited descriptions about the buzz of discovery then give it a try.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Very poor audio book

If you liked the film then don't buy this audio book. The narration is very poor and monotonous. This is one of the very few audio books I haven't got to the end of. Chapter 8 was the furthest I managed. If I could get my money back I would ask.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Breathtaking

Inspiring, thought provoking and human whilst at same time reaching to the stars and beyond and into the depths of the human heart.

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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Only half a sci fi book

You could cut cut out 60% of this book and it would be better. The majority of the book is introversion and boring soul searching. Also the 3 nr literature quotes at the start of each chapter is annoying. As an astronomer Carl Sagan is up there with the best as an author nah.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Most enjoyable

Coming to this audio book after watching the film of the book many times ,I was please find that the film makers had kept largely to the books narrative, a superbly narrated performance of carl sagans book you can almost hear his voice despite the female narrator , the female voice adds depth to the story as its is from the main characters perspective , yes very enjoyable

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Disappointed

It is very rare that I find a book that is not as good as the movie and this is one of those rarities. It was very dry and at times long winded. I’m sure that if you are an astronomer, this would be fascinating. For me, I prefer Issac Asimov.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

A great first contact novel

This is a fabulous story. I, too, write first contact science fiction and it was enjoyable to listen to the audiobook having loved the film.

However, the film rather messed up the ending which is far better explained in the audiobook.

SPOILER - The only aspect I don't buy is the need for advanced civilisations to make it impossible for people to prove that they have had an encounter. Childish in that sense.

Still worth five stars.

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