Published in 1985, Carl Sagan’s Contact is a rare masterpiece written by a practicing scientist that achieved both critical acclaim and massive popular success. Moving beyond the non-fiction of Cosmos, Sagan used the medium of the novel to explore the "grandest of all questions": Are we alone? The narrative follows Dr. Ellie Arroway, a SETI researcher who discovers a mathematical signal from the star system Vega. Unlike many sci-fi tropes of the era, Contact focuses on the rigorous scientific, political, and religious fallout of such a discovery, ultimately serving as a profound meditation on the compatibility of scientific inquiry and human wonder.
Edition: Stated First Edition, First Printing (1985).
Publisher: Simon and Schuster, New York.
Bibliographic Point: Features a complete number line (1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10) on the copyright page, confirming its status as a true first state.
Binding: Original publisher's cloth-backed boards. The binding remains remarkably tight, and the text block is square.
Dust Jacket: Original unclipped jacket in Good condition, exhibiting minor shelf wear and light rubbing typical of its age.
Condition Points: The internal pages are clean, crisp, and entirely free of markings. Minor bumping is present at the corners of the boards.
For the science fiction or science history collector, a first printing of Contact is a mandatory "modern high-spot." This copy is particularly desirable for its tight binding and clean internal state, which are often compromised in well-read copies of this popular title. It captures the mid-80s aesthetic of Simon and Schuster’s major releases and stands as the definitive physical form of Sagan's only work of fiction. At $35, it represents an excellent value for a clean, collectible first state of a book that redefined the "First Contact" subgenre.
Published in 1985, Carl Sagan’s Contact is a rare masterpiece written by a practicing scientist that achieved both critical acclaim and massive popular success. Moving beyond the non-fiction of Cosmos, Sagan used the medium of the novel to explore the "grandest of all questions": Are we alone? The narrative follows Dr. Ellie Arroway, a SETI researcher who discovers a mathematical signal from the star system Vega. Unlike many sci-fi tropes of the era, Contact focuses on the rigorous scientific, political, and religious fallout of such a discovery, ultimately serving as a profound meditation on the compatibility of scientific inquiry and human wonder.
Edition: Stated First Edition, First Printing (1985).
Publisher: Simon and Schuster, New York.
Bibliographic Point: Features a complete number line (1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10) on the copyright page, confirming its status as a true first state.
Binding: Original publisher's cloth-backed boards. The binding remains remarkably tight, and the text block is square.
Dust Jacket: Original unclipped jacket in Good condition, exhibiting minor shelf wear and light rubbing typical of its age.
Condition Points: The internal pages are clean, crisp, and entirely free of markings. Minor bumping is present at the corners of the boards.
For the science fiction or science history collector, a first printing of Contact is a mandatory "modern high-spot." This copy is particularly desirable for its tight binding and clean internal state, which are often compromised in well-read copies of this popular title. It captures the mid-80s aesthetic of Simon and Schuster’s major releases and stands as the definitive physical form of Sagan's only work of fiction. At $35, it represents an excellent value for a clean, collectible first state of a book that redefined the "First Contact" subgenre.
