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4.07 AVERAGE
4.07 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
This book is for people who enjoy reading political thrillers; the story is more about how and why first contact happens, not so much about the actual contact itself. With that said, I have to give Sagan props for spinning a first contact book this way. The mysteries that unraveled throughout captured my attention.
hopeful
This is my new favorite sci-fi book. Sagan is a genius. He tackles ideas like intelligent design, science, and faith in this book brilliantly. The best part is that the aliens do exist in the story, but we never learn what they look like or who they are. Instead, the main character learns about herself and about humanity from them. I liked her character a lot too. She’s the same type of woman as Amy Adams in arrival, the scientist in annihilation, ripley in alien. I need to see the movie so I can see Jodie Foster play her.
I enjoyed the math-y bits in here that they don't highlight as much in the movie adaptation. The plot feels somewhat unresolved, so if you don't like a neatly-tied-up plot ending, you might find this book frustrating. I enjoyed it but didn't love it.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is a tremendous book, and a great example of thoughtful science fiction. It surprised me to learn it was written in 1985, and while Sagan sought to look into the near future to explore scientific discovery and experimental theology, he clearly didn’t see the end of the Soviet Union coming. The popular movie, starring Jodie Foster as Ellie and Matthew McConaughey as a more prominent Joss, is one of my favorite films from childhood. It captures a sense of awe in science and discovering our reality, and navigates questions of skepticism and faith.
What surprised me, then, are the ways in which this book deviates. It is in part rooted in Cold War rivalries and therefore features more geopolitics, but the most fundamental change is that of religion. Ellie is still a militant agnostic who spars with theological leaders, but she encounters in her journey a much more concrete understanding of the universe. Her story is still difficult for many to believe, but her resolve and religious awakening is built on bridging the gap between scientific knowledge and mere faith in the unknown.
What surprised me, then, are the ways in which this book deviates. It is in part rooted in Cold War rivalries and therefore features more geopolitics, but the most fundamental change is that of religion. Ellie is still a militant agnostic who spars with theological leaders, but she encounters in her journey a much more concrete understanding of the universe. Her story is still difficult for many to believe, but her resolve and religious awakening is built on bridging the gap between scientific knowledge and mere faith in the unknown.
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes