Hugonauts: The Best Sci-Fi Books of All Time

Contact by Carl Sagan - a scientifically grounded and totally ground-breaking first-contact story!

Episode Summary

Modern-day radio astronomers making first contact with an alien civilization - it almost feels like the optimistic counterpoint to the Three Body Problem! Hard science, amazing characters, a wonderful exploration of the interplay between science and faith, and an all-pervasive sense of wonder - this is a book that you will give you ideas to think about for years to come.

Episode Notes

Ellie is a brilliant radio astronomer who has often felt alone in the world. When she detects an indisputably intelligent signal emanating from the Vega system, that all changes - for her and for the entire human race. 

The nations and people of the world begin to come together in the face of the alien intelligence, and humanity faces a simultaneous revival and crisis of faith. Ellie works with an international team of scientists to decode the layers of the Message, and eventually, they realize the Message contains plans for some kind of Machine. Should humanity invest the resources to build the Machine? And if they do, what will happen when they turn it on?

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Hope you love it, keep reading y'all!