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The film version blows. Matthew McConaughey can suck it.
So Carl Sagan, who worked on the SETI program for several years, basically works through the "what if" scenario in which extraterrestrials communicate a message to our planet. The idea seems simple enough, but Sagan explores in detail the political, scientific and spiritual ramifications of such a monumental event ever taking place. Some on Earth seek further understanding of the message and its instructions while others claim it is the voice of the Devil himself. The protagonist, astronomer Ellie Arroway, is a strong, curious, superbly intelligent woman who has set aside emotional ties to friends and family in favor of understanding the universe. She is a nuanced character who feels the pain of her decision long after she even knew she made it.
Sagan's style is clean, gorgeous, and says just what it needs to say without embellishment, without tricks, and without showing off. He is not interested in writing for writers, which I think is what I find so refreshing about his prose. This is the only piece of fiction I have read by Sagan, and his awe and humility about the universe and our place in it transition seamlessly into narrative form. As he says so perfectly: "For small creatures such as we the vastness is only bearable through love."
So Carl Sagan, who worked on the SETI program for several years, basically works through the "what if" scenario in which extraterrestrials communicate a message to our planet. The idea seems simple enough, but Sagan explores in detail the political, scientific and spiritual ramifications of such a monumental event ever taking place. Some on Earth seek further understanding of the message and its instructions while others claim it is the voice of the Devil himself. The protagonist, astronomer Ellie Arroway, is a strong, curious, superbly intelligent woman who has set aside emotional ties to friends and family in favor of understanding the universe. She is a nuanced character who feels the pain of her decision long after she even knew she made it.
Sagan's style is clean, gorgeous, and says just what it needs to say without embellishment, without tricks, and without showing off. He is not interested in writing for writers, which I think is what I find so refreshing about his prose. This is the only piece of fiction I have read by Sagan, and his awe and humility about the universe and our place in it transition seamlessly into narrative form. As he says so perfectly: "For small creatures such as we the vastness is only bearable through love."