When I first began The NPR's Top 100 Science-Fiction & Fantasy Books Challenge, I knew there were going to be some titles that were going to be difficult for me to get through. I did not think this was going to be one of those titles.
What made this book so hard? Right away I can tell you that part of what made is difficult to read was the fact that Mr. Sagan included a lot of technical details in the book that I felt kind of distracted from the story. I would be going along nicely, following the plot, and then get interrupted by a lengthy description of what the radio telescopes were doing. I realize that it is certainly within my capabilities to understand all of this, but frankly when I'm reading a story, I tend to skim over the technical details and get back to what the characters are doing. I found myself in this book often skimming over the text, and then a page or two later realizing I hadn't really read any of it, and then I would have to go back and try again. It was vaguely reminiscent of reading a text book for class.
The actual story moved a bit slowly. Caution: There will be spoilers below this lovely picture of a lake.
This book became one of those that I am glad to have read, but not one that I will read again. The story has a lot of build up in it. The scientist at SETI receive an encoded message that ends up being instructions on how to build 'The Machine' as they call it. During the process of decoding the instructions, understanding them, building The Machine, and finally up until the day it is activated, the reader gains an increasing anticipation of what exactly is going to happen, how is it going to end?
Finally they activate The Machine and as suspected it takes them on a trip into space, much faster than the speed of light, and they finally arrive at an alien world and meet the extraterrestrials. Here's where I was majorly disappointing. The world they land on doesn't look different from our own. The five scientist end up on a manufactured planet that has a sandy beach and ocean waters. The 'aliens' they meet are disguised to look like humans, in fact humans that were important in each of the individuals lives. Each scientists is lead to a deep personal truth. All very fine and well, but I will openly admit I was hoping for the characters to see amazing otherworldly sights and meet fantastical beings wildly different from humans.
In the end, I am glad that I read this book, but I'm not sure it's one that I will read again.
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