A review by manuphoto
Contact by Carl Sagan

adventurous emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

I really enjoyed this one. I first saw the movie, and I’ve seen it multiple times. It is one of my favourite sci-fi movies. I’ve had the novel on my TBR for years and I’ve finally taken the time to read it. 

 

Carl Sagan was a scientist and a scientific popularizer, a gifted one. In Contact, he wrote a novel that goes deep into humanity, religion, science and society. From Ellie’s brilliance to her misgivings. From the respect she commands to the misogyny she suffers, I think she’s a fantastic character who embodies many layers of our society. 

 

The plot is very similar to the movie’s (which was adapted from the novel) but, of course, goes into greater details with more characters. It’s also interesting to see how many sci-fi tv shows and movies have taken ideas from Contact, ideas that aren’t in the movie (looking at you, For All Mankind). 

 

Is the novel perfect? No. Sagan has Avery clear prose, but the pacing is not always perfect. He makes a remarkable novelist for somebody who isn’t one by trade, but he isn’t a great novelist by any means. That being said, some “true” novelist have way worse writing, especially in sci-fi. Everything’s relative… pun intended.