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  • Contact

  • By: Carl Sagan
  • Narrated by: Laurel Lefkow
  • Length: 14 hrs and 45 mins
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (378 ratings)
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Contact cover art

Contact

By: Carl Sagan
Narrated by: Laurel Lefkow
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Summary

The future is here...in an adventure of cosmic dimension. In December, 1999, a multinational team journeys out to the stars, to the most awesome encounter in human history. Who - or what - is out there? In Cosmos, Carl Sagan explained the universe. In Contact, he predicts its future - and our own.

©1997 Carl Sagan (P)1997 Simon & Schuster

Critic reviews

"Contact deals with issues...worth pondering. The range and depth of ideas is quite uncommon." ( New York Times Book Review)

"Like a good mystery, Contact keeps us curious to the end...ingenious and satisfying." (Newsweek)

What listeners say about Contact

Average customer ratings
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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Amazing!

Brilliantly written and brilliantly performed. It's much better than the film (unsurprisingly, bearing in mind this is 7 x longer!) I recommend this version as opposed to the 4 hour Jodie Foster version. This version is the full story laid out in amazing detail. The Jodie Foster voiced version of this book is very badly recorded as well as not being the full story - that one is more like an extended version of the movie.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Carl Sagan is the prophet of us atheists

as we say in hindi: bolo Carl baba ki jai! The story of extraterrestrial contact could not have been more intriguing, profound and satisfying. Carl really knew how to spark wonder and inspire!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent

I would like the universe to be like this. I hope it is. I hope we survive to see it.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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fantastic

I am believe I waited so long to listen to this story I've seed the film like 10 times and this is far far better!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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What a triumph

This was an amazing book combining science with fiction. I was totally unable to stop listening. Excellent narration by Laurel she added to the realism. I would highly recommend it as there is something to find for everyone.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

A great first contact novel

This is a fabulous story. I, too, write first contact science fiction and it was enjoyable to listen to the audiobook having loved the film.

However, the film rather messed up the ending which is far better explained in the audiobook.

SPOILER - The only aspect I don't buy is the need for advanced civilisations to make it impossible for people to prove that they have had an encounter. Childish in that sense.

Still worth five stars.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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very nice story, excellently read

very nice story, excellently read.
great characters. great plot. nostalgic yet futuristic. great ending. worth a listen

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    5 out of 5 stars
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So good I might listen to it again immediately

What made the experience of listening to Contact the most enjoyable?

Laurel's delightful reading kept me completely engaged. i now associate Ellie with Laurel's voice.

What about Laurel Lefkow’s performance did you like?

It didn't seem like she was reading a book to me, more that she was the voice in my head as I was reading it.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Most enjoyable

Coming to this audio book after watching the film of the book many times ,I was please find that the film makers had kept largely to the books narrative, a superbly narrated performance of carl sagans book you can almost hear his voice despite the female narrator , the female voice adds depth to the story as its is from the main characters perspective , yes very enjoyable

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Ashamed that I waited so long to read this

The film was enjoyable. But this. Such a deep insight into Sagan's character that I was moved to tears.
Little wonder that his other public works are so beguiling, even today.
Listen or read today, especially if you haven't seen the film.

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