What’s Your Favorite ‘First Contact’ Story?
By John DeNardo |
Wednesday, September 3rd, 2008 at
12:12 am
Editor Marty Halpern is looking for reader suggestions for their their favorite post-1980 “first contact” story (novella length or shorter).
Marty writes:
I’m being fairly liberal in my interpretation of “first contact”; possibly “first meeting” would be a more appropriate term (one such story example would be Neil Gaiman’s “How To Talk to Girls at Parties”).Please send your responses to: firstcontactstory at gmail dot com.
And in the Subject line: First Contact Story
Requirements:
- to reiterate: the story must have been published since 1980
- only one story suggestion per person or email address
- include story title and author
- include publication source, only if known (please don’t guess)
- include a sentence or two explaining why this story is your favorite/the best (this point is actually not a requirement, but it would be nice to have)
- Deadline for reader responses: Sunday, September 28, 2008
After September 28, Marty will select three responses at random from all the submissions, and these “winners” will receive a gift to be determined by the editor himself.
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- Can You Name This Story?
- Books Received for July 2008, Week 2 (Pick Your Favorite Cover!)
Filed under: Books
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What a pity that it has to be novella length or shorter. I hoped to suggest Mary Doria Russell’s The Sparrow.
It is not the only one but now I would consider Blind Lake, by Robert Charles Wilson (Tor Books).
It is not easy to explain (most of the Sf writers cound’nt achieve this goal) how strange and incredible, and how difficult could be a contact with another sentient species.
Thanks,
Carles.