This is one of those books which I abandoned midway on my first try. Seeing the growing collection of unread titles on my kindle shelf forced me to come back to it, instead of finding solace in a new shiny title.
Carl Sagan, being the exemplary scientist that he is, has not taken the medium of science fiction lightly. This is a book that is strongly rooted in “real” science. Wherever possible, Sagan has referenced and pointed to actual rules, laws, and discoveries. Much like most science fiction, Contact tries to use the tapestry and freedom afforded by this unencumbered genre of story telling to discuss and draw light on a message much deeper and more complicated than what the story holds.
The crux of the story is simple in itself - a message from beyond with instructions to build a machine and a tale of what happens once the machine is switched on. While conventional sci-fi writers might choose to focus on the later part of the story, with more scope for interesting adventures and alien contact, Sagan has instead chosen to focus on the first part. Being a proponent of science and evidence based beliefs, Sagan has masterfully examined the impact of such a message on humanity as whole - particularly the impact on international politics and religion. There are long chapters with deep discussions on advanced beings, of the almighty creator, and their mixed motives.
Similar to his efforts with the ‘Cosmos’ TV series, Carl Sagan has tried to introduce some grand ideas of humanity and our existence in this galaxy in a form that is palatable to the masses. Given his diverse background, Sagan has still managed to piece together a story that makes the reader stop and think about the big questions that most of us routinely brush under the rug.
If you’re interested in a slightly biased, but mostly critical discussion on science, theology and extra-terrestrial life, then you’d find ‘Contact’ interesting.