Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.3 4.3bsd-beta 6/6/85; site topaz.RUTGERS.EDU Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!cmcl2!seismo!columbia!topaz!mike%bambi From: mike%bambi@mouton.ARPA Newsgroups: net.sf-lovers Subject: Sagan's CONTACT - short review Message-ID: <3742@topaz.RUTGERS.EDU> Date: Sun, 22-Sep-85 23:48:03 EDT Article-I.D.: topaz.3742 Posted: Sun Sep 22 23:48:03 1985 Date-Received: Wed, 25-Sep-85 10:13:39 EDT Sender: daemon@topaz.RUTGERS.EDU Organization: Rutgers Univ., New Brunswick, N.J. Lines: 29 From: mike%bambi@mouton I've been waiting for this for some time, being a big fan of COSMOS. The good news is that Sagan can write a fairly good novel. The characterization is deft, if a bit heavy-handed, and the plot moves nicely along. The bad news is that it isn't as mind-blowingly interesting as the subject entails. When I first heard that Sagan was working on a movie about first contact, I thought it might be everything CLOSE ENCOUNTERS wasn't. If a movie was made from this novel, it might indeed be that. But the novel itself just moves too slowly. The tone is much like that in James Gunn's THE LISTENERS - though the earlier book did what I consider to be a better job (though less detailed scientifically, it addressed the wonder and probable results of first contact better.) There are many superficial resemblences between CONTACT and THE LISTENERS - such as a sympathetic evangelist and a rise of millenialism. There's a lot more politics in CONTACT. (Astute observers will see a bit of A FOR ANDROMEDA by Fred Hoyle here too.) All in all, a good read (I'm saving the last 50 pages for tomorrow) but you may want to wait for the paperback, since the hardback is an unusually high $18.95. (One also wonders what happened to Proxmire in the universe of CONTACT.) Michael Caplinger mike@bellcore.arpa ihnp4!bambi!mike Brought to you by Super Global Mega Corp .com