Recommended Age:
14
+
Great for independent readers who enjoy immersive, thoughtful science fiction with character-driven exploration.
About the Book
Radio astronomer Ellie Arroway has dedicated her career to the search for extraterrestrial intelligence and finally intercepts a signal containing the blueprints for an interstellar transport machine triggering a global political and religious crisis over who should make first contact and what it means. A thoughtful, scientifically grounded novel that takes both the scientific and spiritual dimensions of first contact seriously. Sagan's only novel, and a remarkable one.
Content Ratings
💡
Moderate Themes
The book explores the tension between scientific and religious interpretations of first contact with an alien signal, the politics of who gets to speak for humanity, and the personal cost of a life devoted to a question others consider futile.
⚔️
No Violence
No violence. Conflict is political, religious, or philosophical rather than physical.
Engagement:
Genre:
Science Fiction
Published:
1985
Page Count:
432
