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First Contact: The Story of Our Obsession with Aliens
A narrative and visual exploration of humanity’s age-old search for--and fixation with--aliens, from the science to pop culture to UFO sightings.
First Contact explores the ancient idea—and epic quest to prove—that we are not alone in the universe. Presented in a heavily illustrated cabinet of curiosities format, the book presents our fascination with aliens from early history to present day, including chapters on alien conspiracy theories, aliens in science fiction, the actual science behind our search for aliens, and what happens if and when they come…or, if we are in fact descended from aliens. Each chapter is filled with bite-sized explainers and longer sections on meatier topics such as habitable zones, xenolinguistics, and UFO religions. Smaller topics will include alien abductions, ancient astronauts, exodinosaurs, Project Cyclops, and the Great Moon Hoax.
First Contact explores the ancient idea—and epic quest to prove—that we are not alone in the universe. Presented in a heavily illustrated cabinet of curiosities format, the book presents our fascination with aliens from early history to present day, including chapters on alien conspiracy theories, aliens in science fiction, the actual science behind our search for aliens, and what happens if and when they come…or, if we are in fact descended from aliens. Each chapter is filled with bite-sized explainers and longer sections on meatier topics such as habitable zones, xenolinguistics, and UFO religions. Smaller topics will include alien abductions, ancient astronauts, exodinosaurs, Project Cyclops, and the Great Moon Hoax.
272 pages, Hardcover
First published September 30, 2025
10 people are currently reading
195 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
January 5, 2026
Becky Ferreira is an incredible writer and researchers and I want to start my review with those two facts. Despite these two points, I didn't end up loving First Contact. It wasn't because the book wasn't well-written or well-researched, it was because I was hoping for so much more from it. The book largely takes a surface level look at a ton of different topics relating to humanity and our relationship with the concepts of extraterrestrial life. The book does so with wonderfully laid out illustrations, pictures and graphics and overall it is a gorgeous book to read throughout.
That all being said, I wish the book delved far deeper on the topics that it covers. The section on alien portrayals of media specifically felt a bit like a slog to get through. "sometimes aliens are saviors, like Superman! -book then proceeds to spend the next page explaining who superman is" and then does the same thing to a few other movies and shows that many people have seen. I wish there was more of a deep dive for each of the sections in the book. I want more perspectives, context and debate. The great missed opportunity is, based on what I have seen in Ferreira's other work, I know that she went into this depth, there were just editorial decisions made in the writing of this book that lead to the more surface-level coverage that we got.
It is a really great book, and comprehensively covers a lot of ground, I just wish it was a few feet deeper.
That all being said, I wish the book delved far deeper on the topics that it covers. The section on alien portrayals of media specifically felt a bit like a slog to get through. "sometimes aliens are saviors, like Superman! -book then proceeds to spend the next page explaining who superman is" and then does the same thing to a few other movies and shows that many people have seen. I wish there was more of a deep dive for each of the sections in the book. I want more perspectives, context and debate. The great missed opportunity is, based on what I have seen in Ferreira's other work, I know that she went into this depth, there were just editorial decisions made in the writing of this book that lead to the more surface-level coverage that we got.
It is a really great book, and comprehensively covers a lot of ground, I just wish it was a few feet deeper.
July 19, 2025
My thanks to NetGalley and Workman Publishing Company for an advance copy of this book that explores the world of alien contact from the early days of many looking up, to the possible future of visiting strange new worlds, and hopefully treating them better than we have this one.
To quote a poster that Fox Mulder of the show The X-Files kept in his office I want to believe. I want to believe that the world and the universe is far bigger, far weirder, and a little more saner in some places than the old sod we are living on. Though to quote Bill Waterson, “The surest sign that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe is that it has never tried to contact us." Not for lack of trying on our part, space probes, Voyager programs and communications have been sent to the stars, asking, begging for digits to make contact with others. As a long time science fiction fan I am sometimes of mixed thoughts about this. For ever Arthur C. Clarke, hey we want to help, there is an H. G. Wells saying, hey humans love to colonize don't you think aliens do too. These points of view along with a lot of science, a lot hope and a lot of humor make up First Contact: The Story of Our Obsession with Aliens by Becky Ferreira a book about aliens, the night sky, what is out there, and if we will ever go there.
The starts with a dedication that paraphrases Douglas Adams, so I knew that I was going to enjoy this. We start with the ancients looking into the night sky and slowly coming to realize how important those blinking lights can be. Stars can tell one's destination, how to sail what to follow in landscape that looks all similar. Stars can tell time, which people used, creating instruments and monuments that have kept the History Channel in the black for years. The clash of science and religion, something that never seems to go away is discussed, with ideas about the Earth being the center of things giving way to the Earth being a small atom in a sea of countless stars and exoplanets. There are stories of aliens, starting with ancient astronauts, to Kenneth Arnold's saucers, even to the US Navy's release of videos showing fast movers and confused pilots. In addition their is a tour of the universe, with ideas and possibilities of what man might someday find, along with the troubles and dangers it would take to get there.
I enjoyed this book quite a bit. This is more of a primer about aliens, planets and space. Hardcore nerds who can name all the Air Force programs on UFO's won't learn anything new, but to people who are intrigued by all this Mars talk, or people like my nephews who are just beginning to look up from their phones and seeing the night sky this is a good read. Ferreira is a good writer mixing facts and lots of sources with a bit of humor. The humor is just right, not to jokey, not to hokey. As I said there is a lot of sourcing here, and gives those readers who are interested more works to look at to further their education. The illustrations are quite good too.
One can just drop in read a section, and than share that information for the rest of the day with people. I did this with my nephews, and was surprised to find they were actually interested. I would recommend this for kids too. My nephews are not readers, but they enjoyed what I shared, and asked questions. A nice book to start with before one enters the contentious world of Ufology, when stories about space were fun, and not about making safe places for millionaires to exploit or hide from dying Earths.
To quote a poster that Fox Mulder of the show The X-Files kept in his office I want to believe. I want to believe that the world and the universe is far bigger, far weirder, and a little more saner in some places than the old sod we are living on. Though to quote Bill Waterson, “The surest sign that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe is that it has never tried to contact us." Not for lack of trying on our part, space probes, Voyager programs and communications have been sent to the stars, asking, begging for digits to make contact with others. As a long time science fiction fan I am sometimes of mixed thoughts about this. For ever Arthur C. Clarke, hey we want to help, there is an H. G. Wells saying, hey humans love to colonize don't you think aliens do too. These points of view along with a lot of science, a lot hope and a lot of humor make up First Contact: The Story of Our Obsession with Aliens by Becky Ferreira a book about aliens, the night sky, what is out there, and if we will ever go there.
The starts with a dedication that paraphrases Douglas Adams, so I knew that I was going to enjoy this. We start with the ancients looking into the night sky and slowly coming to realize how important those blinking lights can be. Stars can tell one's destination, how to sail what to follow in landscape that looks all similar. Stars can tell time, which people used, creating instruments and monuments that have kept the History Channel in the black for years. The clash of science and religion, something that never seems to go away is discussed, with ideas about the Earth being the center of things giving way to the Earth being a small atom in a sea of countless stars and exoplanets. There are stories of aliens, starting with ancient astronauts, to Kenneth Arnold's saucers, even to the US Navy's release of videos showing fast movers and confused pilots. In addition their is a tour of the universe, with ideas and possibilities of what man might someday find, along with the troubles and dangers it would take to get there.
I enjoyed this book quite a bit. This is more of a primer about aliens, planets and space. Hardcore nerds who can name all the Air Force programs on UFO's won't learn anything new, but to people who are intrigued by all this Mars talk, or people like my nephews who are just beginning to look up from their phones and seeing the night sky this is a good read. Ferreira is a good writer mixing facts and lots of sources with a bit of humor. The humor is just right, not to jokey, not to hokey. As I said there is a lot of sourcing here, and gives those readers who are interested more works to look at to further their education. The illustrations are quite good too.
One can just drop in read a section, and than share that information for the rest of the day with people. I did this with my nephews, and was surprised to find they were actually interested. I would recommend this for kids too. My nephews are not readers, but they enjoyed what I shared, and asked questions. A nice book to start with before one enters the contentious world of Ufology, when stories about space were fun, and not about making safe places for millionaires to exploit or hide from dying Earths.
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January 11, 2026It is doubtful we will ever become tired of noting how we are not alone in the universe, and there is the distinct possibility that there are others somewhere in the galaxy. Our obsession with them has been the catalyst for an almost sense of paranoia, there we are very close to a potential alien invasion. Few will forget the drama over the October 30 1938 radio broadcast of H. G. Well’s classic The War Of The Worlds, where Orson Welles narrated the tale, but made it sound like a Martian invasion was at hand. Panic gripped the country like never before, as hysterical people braced for the ultimate confrontation with creatures from Mars.
It seems little is needed to trigger a fascination of fear about aliens from distant worlds, and the obsession with confrontations always stayed strong. They still talk about Roswell New Mexico, nearly 80 years after a supposed crash there of an alien spaceship, with the government covering not only this up, but also bodies of Martians that went down with the ship.
Throughout the pages of the fascinating and entertaining book, Becky Ferreira looks at all aspects of the need to know if we are alone in this vast universe. We have gone to the moon and sent modules to Mars to learn more about the red planet, but the idea of whether aliens are hiding out there observing us, still keeps our inquisitive nature intact.
There have been dozens of movies about the subject, and in most of them, the aliens are hostile, ready for war. The only movie where aliens are friendly and not fearsome, was the classic. E.T.. It is not for lack of trying we do not know if aliens are out there. We have sent messages and even records for aliens to listen to. The fact there has been no response, may be they don’t understand our language or don’t like the music chosen.
There are also stories of alien abduction, the most popular involving Barney and Betty Hill in 1961, returning from their honeymoon in Quebec, heading back through New Hampshire. They felt they were being followed, car suddenly stopping, and the next thing they knew facing alien creatures, then they were back in their car. Much time was lost, but they both felt like they were aboard a spacecraft being observed. Others have said they had similar experiences. Did aliens randomly abduct certain people for study and experimentation?
We may never have concrete answers in our lifetime about the subject, but Ferreira ponders our future on earth, what with climate change, possible extinction, the sun shutting down and more dire thoughts. Maybe the only hope will be in either creating space stations elsewhere, and in doing that, may ultimately and conclusively unite with other species who finally decide contact should now be made.
Stay tuned. Our alien fascination is far from finished.
It seems little is needed to trigger a fascination of fear about aliens from distant worlds, and the obsession with confrontations always stayed strong. They still talk about Roswell New Mexico, nearly 80 years after a supposed crash there of an alien spaceship, with the government covering not only this up, but also bodies of Martians that went down with the ship.
Throughout the pages of the fascinating and entertaining book, Becky Ferreira looks at all aspects of the need to know if we are alone in this vast universe. We have gone to the moon and sent modules to Mars to learn more about the red planet, but the idea of whether aliens are hiding out there observing us, still keeps our inquisitive nature intact.
There have been dozens of movies about the subject, and in most of them, the aliens are hostile, ready for war. The only movie where aliens are friendly and not fearsome, was the classic. E.T.. It is not for lack of trying we do not know if aliens are out there. We have sent messages and even records for aliens to listen to. The fact there has been no response, may be they don’t understand our language or don’t like the music chosen.
There are also stories of alien abduction, the most popular involving Barney and Betty Hill in 1961, returning from their honeymoon in Quebec, heading back through New Hampshire. They felt they were being followed, car suddenly stopping, and the next thing they knew facing alien creatures, then they were back in their car. Much time was lost, but they both felt like they were aboard a spacecraft being observed. Others have said they had similar experiences. Did aliens randomly abduct certain people for study and experimentation?
We may never have concrete answers in our lifetime about the subject, but Ferreira ponders our future on earth, what with climate change, possible extinction, the sun shutting down and more dire thoughts. Maybe the only hope will be in either creating space stations elsewhere, and in doing that, may ultimately and conclusively unite with other species who finally decide contact should now be made.
Stay tuned. Our alien fascination is far from finished.
October 1, 2025
This is a cheerful and convivial look through the history of humanity's search for life "out there". It isn't an "ancient aliens" style book of nonsense, but rather a steady walk through what has actually happened - and what we hope might happen.
It is a beautiful PDF which has been gorgeously typeset and lushly illustrated. So many fonts! Sure, it isn't brilliant for eInk but excellent for a tablet or any other full-colour screen.
The language is unpretentious and accessible. It's probably aimed towards the space-obsessed teen market, but I found it delightful.
> The authorities were decidedly unchill about all this philosophizing, however, and Anaxagoras was condemned to death for impiety—a charge based on his rejection of religious teachings—after he kept insisting the Sun was a hot and large natural object, not some hunky god driving a chariot across the sky.
There aren't any inline references or footnotes - and links to images would be nice - but they're all all stuffed at the end if you want to find more.
It would have been nice if some of the examples were a little more fleshed out:
> Many cultures have imagined themselves as the descendants of celestial objects, or believed that they will ascend to the skies to join their ancestors after death.
But it is an excellent jumping off point for anyone who wants to expand their horizons. The book isn't really in any chronological order so jumps around a fair bit. Full of fascinating titbits - especially radio silence day - and avoids the trap of sticking to just the USA cultural hegemony,
A great starting point for anyone who wants to get quickly acquainted with our (so far futile) attempts to discover alien life.
Many thanks to NetGalley for the preview copy. The book is available to purchase now.
It is a beautiful PDF which has been gorgeously typeset and lushly illustrated. So many fonts! Sure, it isn't brilliant for eInk but excellent for a tablet or any other full-colour screen.
The language is unpretentious and accessible. It's probably aimed towards the space-obsessed teen market, but I found it delightful.
> The authorities were decidedly unchill about all this philosophizing, however, and Anaxagoras was condemned to death for impiety—a charge based on his rejection of religious teachings—after he kept insisting the Sun was a hot and large natural object, not some hunky god driving a chariot across the sky.
There aren't any inline references or footnotes - and links to images would be nice - but they're all all stuffed at the end if you want to find more.
It would have been nice if some of the examples were a little more fleshed out:
> Many cultures have imagined themselves as the descendants of celestial objects, or believed that they will ascend to the skies to join their ancestors after death.
But it is an excellent jumping off point for anyone who wants to expand their horizons. The book isn't really in any chronological order so jumps around a fair bit. Full of fascinating titbits - especially radio silence day - and avoids the trap of sticking to just the USA cultural hegemony,
A great starting point for anyone who wants to get quickly acquainted with our (so far futile) attempts to discover alien life.
Many thanks to NetGalley for the preview copy. The book is available to purchase now.
October 17, 2025
I had fun with this book like I have fun with Becky's newsletters which is the most glowing compliment I can give. The prose and way the book runs through sections (whether it be the various science aspects to extra-terrestrial life, media, conspiracy, or just our own desire to be the ET to the rest of the galaxy) are easy to get through while still being informative. It did take me a minute to get the flow though, it was structured in such a way that it almost reminded me of some of the nature and science books I used to get at the scholastic book fairs in that way and it took me a chapter or two to get in the groove. The bright side of that format is I think this will be really good for anyone without as much time to dedicate to sit and read at once to be able to pick up and do a 1-3 page sections at a time if need be. For me a nice pallet cleanser in some ways but one I can see most people enjoying and getting something out of. It's reignited my urge to do some sci-fi material and I often caught myself stopping mid-chapter to ponder.
But, overall, loved it. It was fun, not too serious, and didn't overstay it's welcome (a real accomplish in the non-fiction realm I frequent, even for books I love). Also, thanks to Becky for the free signed copy (awarded to some of her newsletter readers, which you absolutely should also sign up for).
But, overall, loved it. It was fun, not too serious, and didn't overstay it's welcome (a real accomplish in the non-fiction realm I frequent, even for books I love). Also, thanks to Becky for the free signed copy (awarded to some of her newsletter readers, which you absolutely should also sign up for).
September 23, 2025
This book is a rich exploration of humanity’s enduring fascination with extraterrestrial life. From ancient myths to modern UFO sightings and the science of searching for habitable planets, this book delves into the history, culture, and potential reality of alien contact.
This is a fascinating and visually beautiful book. Insightful and fun to read, it’s full of interesting facts about the universe and humanity’s relationship to it.
Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.
This is a fascinating and visually beautiful book. Insightful and fun to read, it’s full of interesting facts about the universe and humanity’s relationship to it.
Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.
December 5, 2025
I love a good book (fiction or non) about aliens, and this did not disappoint. I like that the author is a science writer and came at the question of whether or not we will ever make contact with other intelligent life from many angles. I loved the moments of humor and wit, and the photographs and diagrams made it fun to read as well.
December 10, 2025
I've read a lot of books about UFOs, and the search for extraterrestrial life. This book handles it as well as any of them It doesn't get weird. It does get casual occasionally, throwing in a vulgar word or crude phrase. It doesn't happen too often, but I noticed.
I might read this book again for a quick overview on the subject or not. Who can say?
I might read this book again for a quick overview on the subject or not. Who can say?
January 26, 2026
Really interesting overview of alien lore and outer space. I learned about planets and found it easy to read, well illustrated and funny!
February 6, 2026
A cute and short read that reminded me of the cool space stuff we’ve been up to over the last decade as well as how we got to it
August 24, 2025
Well written, engaging, and with beautiful images. Would be a perfect coffee table book with substance!
**I received my copy from Netgalley.
**I received my copy from Netgalley.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews