# Recommend a First Contact novel (sci-fi) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 3, 2004, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-first-contact-novel-sci-fi/277897 "2004-12-03T15:17:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![furt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/439d5e/32.png) [@furt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furt)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2004, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-first-contact-novel-sci-fi/277897/1 "2004-12-03T15:17:38Z")
Looking for recommendations of realistic science fiction novels that deal in whole or in large part with the first contact and/or normalization of relationships between humans and E.T.s. Special request for books that explore alien biology/psychology/sociology (Niven & Pournelle’s The Mote in God’s Eye would be an example). Quality “alien invasion” books are welcome. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2004, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-first-contact-novel-sci-fi/277897/2 "2004-12-03T15:23:20Z")
‘Contact’ by Carl Sagan is a good one. Dry, but the science is realistic as all hell. ‘Footfall’ by Niven/Pournelle is another archetypal ‘first contact with invasion’ book. Harry Turtledove’s ‘WorldWar’ series posits a world in which first contact occurs in 1942 as an alien race invades during WWII and it’s clear that Turtledove thought long and hard about the culture and biology of the invaders. A main continuing point is the inability of each side to understand the others for a while. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2004, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-first-contact-novel-sci-fi/277897/3 "2004-12-03T15:26:38Z")
Also, \*Speaker for the Dead \* by Orson Scott Card. Some hate it, I enjoyed it. ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2004, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-first-contact-novel-sci-fi/277897/4 "2004-12-03T15:29:58Z")
I really liked Greg Bear’s “The Forge of God”. Avoid its sequel at all costs though. ---
**Author:** ![furt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/439d5e/32.png) [@furt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furt)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2004, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-first-contact-novel-sci-fi/277897/5 "2004-12-03T15:43:31Z")
> [@Jonathan Chance](#): > > ‘Contact’ by Carl Sagan is a good one. Dry, but the science is realistic as all hell. > > ‘Footfall’ by Niven/Pournelle is another archetypal ‘first contact with invasion’ book. I almost mentioned these as other examples of books I liked. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![OtakuLoki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ac8455/32.png) [@OtakuLoki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OtakuLoki)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2004, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-first-contact-novel-sci-fi/277897/6 "2004-12-03T15:56:05Z")
Roger MacBride Allen’s The Ring of Charon is a really odd first contact novel, with aliens that can’t seem to notice humans. I’ll also second the recommendations for Harry Turtledove’s World War books, and the Niven/Pournelle Footfall. ---
**Author:** ![Glory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7cd45c/32.png) [@Glory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Glory)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2004, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-first-contact-novel-sci-fi/277897/7 "2004-12-03T16:07:46Z")
I really enjoyed [The Color of Distance](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0441002447/qid=1102090085/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/102-9255809-8243345?v=glance&s=books). ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2004, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-first-contact-novel-sci-fi/277897/8 "2004-12-03T16:50:50Z")
Robert J. Sawyer’s [Calculating God](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0812580354/qid=1102092470/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/102-7491648-8499308?v=glance&s=books) might fall into the category you’re talking about. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2004, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-first-contact-novel-sci-fi/277897/9 "2004-12-03T16:52:34Z")
Childhood’s End by Arthur C. Clarke ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2004, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-first-contact-novel-sci-fi/277897/10 "2004-12-03T16:53:34Z")
Clarke’s “Rendezvous with Rama” is one of my faves. Just avoid all the sequels scrupulously. ---
**Author:** ![furt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/439d5e/32.png) [@furt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furt)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2004, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-first-contact-novel-sci-fi/277897/11 "2004-12-03T17:08:57Z")
> [@Thudlow Boink](#): > > Robert J. Sawyer’s [Calculating God](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0812580354/qid=1102092470/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/102-7491648-8499308?v=glance&s=books) might fall into the category you’re talking about. I liked the first part, but thought the last few chapters turned into Star Trek V. ---
**Author:** ![SusanStoHelit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7ab992/32.png) [@SusanStoHelit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SusanStoHelit)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2004, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-first-contact-novel-sci-fi/277897/12 "2004-12-03T17:31:58Z")
I second the Orson Scott Card recommendation (although the First Contact book would be _Ender’s Game, not Speaker_) Two books that may fit your description are: [The tripod series](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/068900852X/qid=1102094613/sr=1-5/ref=sr_1_5/102-2886562-5728909?v=glance&s=books) by John Christopher. They are classified Young Adult, but I’ve enjoyed them as an adult. In the first book, aliens come to earth and enslave humanity, but the next books deal with humans studying the alien’s habits and physiology to defeat them. A similar book is [The Way of the Pilgrim](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0312866623/qid=1102095080/sr=1-6/ref=sr_1_6/102-2886562-5728909?v=glance&s=books) by Gorden Dickinson. The character uses his linguistic skills to get near the invading aliens and learn how to defeat them. However, I think the book that you are looking for is Ray Bradbury’s _The Martian Chronicles_. The invading force is humans, not aliens, but they still manage to clash with the Martians (killing nearly all of them in the process.) ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2004, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-first-contact-novel-sci-fi/277897/13 "2004-12-03T17:33:14Z")
CJ Cherryh writes fantastic books about going native, mostly - **The Pride of Chanur** is the first book in the Chanur series, which is about First Contact from the other side. The Mri Wars trilogy, now collected in one volume, is great - not first contact per se, but “first understanding” or whatever - it’s about going native. The trilogies that start with **Foreigner** have a little bit of First Contact at the beginning but are mostly about understanding an alien culture (and again with the going native theme). She’s done some really great things with that idea (good thing, too, cause she sure does use it a lot) - I think it’s in the Mri Wars books that another alien species goes on about how the strength of humans is their adaptability and their ability to separate a member from the group and have it “go native” and grok another group. I think it’s really interesting. CS Friedman’s **The Madness Season** is also good in this regard. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2004, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-first-contact-novel-sci-fi/277897/14 "2004-12-03T17:47:03Z")
It’s only a short story, by Murray Lenster’s _First Contact_ is considered classic. ---
**Author:** ![Papermache\_Prince](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f05b48/32.png) [@Papermache\_Prince](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Papermache_Prince)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2004, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-first-contact-novel-sci-fi/277897/15 "2004-12-03T17:48:40Z")
You might try Kay Kenyon’s The Braided World or Tropic of Creation. There’s an [excerpt](http://www.kaykenyon.com/ch-bw-kk.htm) from The Braided World at her website. ---
**Author:** ![SusanStoHelit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7ab992/32.png) [@SusanStoHelit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SusanStoHelit)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2004, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-first-contact-novel-sci-fi/277897/16 "2004-12-03T18:49:30Z")
If you want a Good Alien story, try Julian May’s _Intervention_ series. They deal with humanity’s response to First Contact, good and bad, and also with the next stage in human evolution. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2004, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-first-contact-novel-sci-fi/277897/17 "2004-12-03T18:56:02Z")
> [@Jonathan Chance](#): > > Harry Turtledove’s ‘WorldWar’ series posits a world in which first contact occurs in 1942 as an alien race invades during WWII and it’s clear that Turtledove thought long and hard about the culture and biology of the invaders. A main continuing point is the inability of each side to understand the others for a while. He only had to think long and hard enough to be able to come up with a vaguely sensible reason why a starfaring race, able to traverse 12-odd light years, is attacking with 1990-style weaponry. :dubious: However, the books are fun, fun, fun, but don’t expect a lot of believability from them. And for fans of the series (And I own every one of the WW and Colonization books in hardback), the last Colonization novel is set to be released December 28th. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2004, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-first-contact-novel-sci-fi/277897/18 "2004-12-03T19:04:57Z")
Robert Sawyer’s _Illegal Alien_. I’m not an SF fan, but I rather enjoyed this one. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2004, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-first-contact-novel-sci-fi/277897/19 "2004-12-03T19:31:51Z")
> [@SusanStoHelit](#): > > I second the Orson Scott Card recommendation (although the First Contact book would be _Ender’s Game, not Speaker_) You’re forgetting about the trees. ---
**Author:** ![SusanStoHelit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7ab992/32.png) [@SusanStoHelit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SusanStoHelit)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2004, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-first-contact-novel-sci-fi/277897/20 "2004-12-03T20:10:43Z")
Maybe, **Munch** , but I always think of First Contact as first contact with any alien species ever. This may be easier if the OP had a few more specs. What are these recommendations for, furt? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-first-contact-novel-sci-fi/277897.md?page=2)