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Following on the footsteps of many other scientists like Asimov and Arthur C. Clarke, Carl Sagan wrote a novel: Contact. Unfortunately for us, contrary to the aforementioned authors/scientists this is Sagan only work of fiction.

Contact is an interesting mix of hard science and the exploration of the nature of faith and truth, that does an excellent job at showing us how politics can mess everything up. It’s also a favorite of mine.

Dr. Ellie Arroway, an astronomer on a quest to find extra-terrestrial life, is the director of a group of scientists searching for out-of-planet signals. When a computer picks up a signal coming from the vicinity of the star Vega, which turns out to be a series of prime numbers, Ellie and the world get to confirm that there’s life somewhere out there.

As the plot moves along, Sagan goes into the minutiae of the science involved, explaining the origin of the SETI program and how the satellites work. He never treats us as idiots, though. And for those less science-incline, not paying attention to his explanations doesn't mean not enjoying the store-- the plot is easy to follow even without getting well acquainted with all the sciency-things it involves.

The novel, written during the Cold War, shows the tension between the USSR and the US but also Sagan's hope for it ending. For instance, when the alien message is decoded, the nations come to an unlikely truce as they promise to share their information in order to build the machine as instructed by the message. The tension among functionaries and countries is there, but so it is their willingness to work together.

Most interesting is the nature of the machine humanity is about to build. What will it do? How does it work? No one has any idea, and a lot of time is spent in trying to figure out if this machine should even be built in the first place.

One thing I like about this book is how well-constructed Sagan's female characters are. Ellie Arroway is brilliant, strong and imaginative, and she knows it. As she has to fight her way into being accepted by the scientific community she doesn't take any bullshit from anyone, no matter what. And she does it without turning into a crazy harpy, remaining the levelheaded but passionate scientist she is. Sagan also makes the President of the USA a woman, but it's just a fact he throws out, never made into a big deal.

This book is a brilliant look at humanity and how we look at the world and our place in it. It leaves you thinking, both about the world at large but also about personal and very private beliefs.

One word of caution, don't expect a lot of action or craziness with this book —so don't worry, it's nothing like the movie—but an extremely well put together mystery that will surprise you more than once.