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The Listeners
A classic of science fiction, this book predicted and inspired the creation of the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI)—the organization dedicated to the search for extraterrestrial life. A tale of contact with alien life hailed by leaders of SETI organizations and today's leading science fiction authors as hugely influential, the story appeals to both science fiction readers and the hundreds of thousands of members of various SETI organizations.
195 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 1972
26 people are currently reading
1156 people want to read
About the author
James E. Gunn
267 books118 followersAmerican science fiction author, editor, scholar, and anthologist. His work from the 1960s and 70s is considered his most significant fiction, and his Road to Science Fiction collections are considered his most important scholarly books. He won a Hugo Award for a non-fiction book in 1983 for Isaac Asimov: The Foundations of Science Fiction. He was named the 2007 Damon Knight Memorial Grand Master by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America.
Gunn served in the U.S. Navy during World War II, after which he attended the University of Kansas, earning a Bachelor of Science in Journalism in 1947 and a Masters of Arts in English in 1951. Gunn went on to become a faculty member of the University of Kansas, where he served as the university's director of public relations and as a professor of English, specializing in science fiction and fiction writing. He is now a professor emeritus and director of the Center for the Study of Science Fiction, which awards the annual John W. Campbell Memorial Award for best novel and the Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award at the Campbell Conference in Lawrence, Kansas, every July.
He served as President of the Science Fiction Writers of America from 1971–72, was President of the Science Fiction Research Association from 1980-82, and currently is Director of The Center for the Study of
Science Fiction. SFWA honored him as a Grand Master of Science Fiction in 2007.
Gunn began his career as a science fiction author in 1948. He has had almost 100 stories published in magazines and anthologies and has authored 26 books and edited 10. Many of his stories and books have been reprinted around the world.
In 1996, Gunn wrote a novelization of the unproduced Star Trek episode "The Joy Machine" by Theodore Sturgeon.
His stories also have been adapted into radioplays and teleplays:
* NBC radio's X Minus One
* Desilu Playhouse's 1959 "Man in Orbit", based on Gunn's "The Cave of Night"
* ABC-TV's Movie of the Week "The Immortal" (1969) and an hour-long television series in 1970, based on Gunn's The Immortals
* An episode of the USSR science fiction TV series This Fantastic World, filmed in 1989 and entitled "Psychodynamics of the Witchcraft" was based on James Gunn's 1953 story "Wherever You May Be".
Gunn served in the U.S. Navy during World War II, after which he attended the University of Kansas, earning a Bachelor of Science in Journalism in 1947 and a Masters of Arts in English in 1951. Gunn went on to become a faculty member of the University of Kansas, where he served as the university's director of public relations and as a professor of English, specializing in science fiction and fiction writing. He is now a professor emeritus and director of the Center for the Study of Science Fiction, which awards the annual John W. Campbell Memorial Award for best novel and the Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award at the Campbell Conference in Lawrence, Kansas, every July.
He served as President of the Science Fiction Writers of America from 1971–72, was President of the Science Fiction Research Association from 1980-82, and currently is Director of The Center for the Study of
Science Fiction. SFWA honored him as a Grand Master of Science Fiction in 2007.
Gunn began his career as a science fiction author in 1948. He has had almost 100 stories published in magazines and anthologies and has authored 26 books and edited 10. Many of his stories and books have been reprinted around the world.
In 1996, Gunn wrote a novelization of the unproduced Star Trek episode "The Joy Machine" by Theodore Sturgeon.
His stories also have been adapted into radioplays and teleplays:
* NBC radio's X Minus One
* Desilu Playhouse's 1959 "Man in Orbit", based on Gunn's "The Cave of Night"
* ABC-TV's Movie of the Week "The Immortal" (1969) and an hour-long television series in 1970, based on Gunn's The Immortals
* An episode of the USSR science fiction TV series This Fantastic World, filmed in 1989 and entitled "Psychodynamics of the Witchcraft" was based on James Gunn's 1953 story "Wherever You May Be".
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 73 reviews
August 13, 2022
This is a wonderfully plotted first contact story, with a lovely secondary plot featuring thoughtfully drawn up characters but unfortunately its presentation is bulked up with a dry delivery of just about every quote which ever considered a topic related to SETI. The book is filled with chapters called "Computer Run" which were just piles of these quotes and the end result is that this feels more like an essay than a novel.
"It was the stethoscope with which they took the pulse of the all and noted the birth and death of stars, the probe with which, here on an insignificant planet of an undistinguished star on the edge of its galaxy, they explored the infinite."
The first contact story is told over two generations. Old MacDonald receives a first intelligent signal of extraterrestrial origin while manning the listening post at what is essentially the SETI Institute, but then because the source is 45 light years distant, we must wait 90 years for any potential reply, so Junior MacDonald takes up the task and awaits the anticipated reply.
Junior didn't want the job initially because he had always felt the work was more important to his dad than he himself was. But on taking the job he learns to admire his dad and learns that his dad loved him very much.
"To the Project," Maria said. "May there be a signal received tonight."
MacDonald shook his head. One should not mention what one desires too much. "Tonight there is only us."
Am I the only one who reads the above quote and thinks that MacDonald mustn't desire the "us" he mentions very much then? Well apart from that very nerdy slip up, MacDonald loves to cook dinner and is generally very caring towards his wife even if his work is getting between them to an unhealthy degree. This book shows that it was possible to get gender equality right, at home and in the work place, back in 1972 when many other authors were still mussing it up.
"We have this curious mixed sense of liberation and serenity, as if by contact with creatures who are truly alien we have discovered what it means to be truly human."
It also tackles some racism issues I think mostly respectfully. There was an exchange which was something like "are you happy that you have a black president?" to which the reply was something like "about as happy as you are to have a white man heading your department" and I honestly don't get it. But Old MacDonald is a black man and plenty of his internal dialogue is about him wanting to help his son evade racial discrimination, though his son thinks he's being over dramatic. It's an interesting sub-plot.
For an extremely pro science novel, with an atheist protagonist this book handles religion delicately and respectfully too. It essentially takes the stance that we may interpret whatever we like from what we learn as long as we never interfere with the learning process. Brilliant.
The book starts with a lengthy preface from the author which I did skip but seemed at a glance to give an account of how the story came about.
My only gripe with this book were the "Computer Run" chapters. I don't believe they added any value to the story and they may have worked better as appendices, along with the "Translations" and "Acknowledgements" sections.
So, I do recommend this story but with the advice to skip the Computer Run sections.
"It was the stethoscope with which they took the pulse of the all and noted the birth and death of stars, the probe with which, here on an insignificant planet of an undistinguished star on the edge of its galaxy, they explored the infinite."
The first contact story is told over two generations. Old MacDonald receives a first intelligent signal of extraterrestrial origin while manning the listening post at what is essentially the SETI Institute, but then because the source is 45 light years distant, we must wait 90 years for any potential reply, so Junior MacDonald takes up the task and awaits the anticipated reply.
Junior didn't want the job initially because he had always felt the work was more important to his dad than he himself was. But on taking the job he learns to admire his dad and learns that his dad loved him very much.
"To the Project," Maria said. "May there be a signal received tonight."
MacDonald shook his head. One should not mention what one desires too much. "Tonight there is only us."
Am I the only one who reads the above quote and thinks that MacDonald mustn't desire the "us" he mentions very much then? Well apart from that very nerdy slip up, MacDonald loves to cook dinner and is generally very caring towards his wife even if his work is getting between them to an unhealthy degree. This book shows that it was possible to get gender equality right, at home and in the work place, back in 1972 when many other authors were still mussing it up.
"We have this curious mixed sense of liberation and serenity, as if by contact with creatures who are truly alien we have discovered what it means to be truly human."
It also tackles some racism issues I think mostly respectfully. There was an exchange which was something like "are you happy that you have a black president?" to which the reply was something like "about as happy as you are to have a white man heading your department" and I honestly don't get it. But Old MacDonald is a black man and plenty of his internal dialogue is about him wanting to help his son evade racial discrimination, though his son thinks he's being over dramatic. It's an interesting sub-plot.
For an extremely pro science novel, with an atheist protagonist this book handles religion delicately and respectfully too. It essentially takes the stance that we may interpret whatever we like from what we learn as long as we never interfere with the learning process. Brilliant.
The book starts with a lengthy preface from the author which I did skip but seemed at a glance to give an account of how the story came about.
My only gripe with this book were the "Computer Run" chapters. I don't believe they added any value to the story and they may have worked better as appendices, along with the "Translations" and "Acknowledgements" sections.
So, I do recommend this story but with the advice to skip the Computer Run sections.
February 14, 2022
Three and a half stars.
For me, the radio signal contact with interstellar civilizations is a subject that I am passionate about. It can be said that it is one of the most current subgenres in science fiction, since it is the only really plausible form of contact with alien civilizations.
As for The Listeners, I find it very interesting and enjoyable to read, considering that it was written in 1972 and that it is clearly an expanded short story.
On my read list of radio signal contact novels:
His Master's voice (1968) by Stanislaw Lem.
The Listeners (1972) by James E. Gunn.
Contact (1985) by the great Carl Sagan.
The Hercules Text (1986) by Jack McDevit.
Factoring Humanity (1999) by Robert Sawyer.
XX (2020) by Rian Hughes.
For me all these novels are recommendable, especially if you like the subject. Who knows, one day we may be lucky enough to witness a contact in this way.
For me, the radio signal contact with interstellar civilizations is a subject that I am passionate about. It can be said that it is one of the most current subgenres in science fiction, since it is the only really plausible form of contact with alien civilizations.
As for The Listeners, I find it very interesting and enjoyable to read, considering that it was written in 1972 and that it is clearly an expanded short story.
On my read list of radio signal contact novels:
His Master's voice (1968) by Stanislaw Lem.
The Listeners (1972) by James E. Gunn.
Contact (1985) by the great Carl Sagan.
The Hercules Text (1986) by Jack McDevit.
Factoring Humanity (1999) by Robert Sawyer.
XX (2020) by Rian Hughes.
For me all these novels are recommendable, especially if you like the subject. Who knows, one day we may be lucky enough to witness a contact in this way.
September 4, 2009
Involvement in the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) might be the ultimate job for the extremely dedicated. Most scientists might not be willing to spend their careers listening for signs of intelligence out there, dealing with bureaucratic nonsense, constantly fighting for funding, and knowing that the chances of actually hearing anything are remote.
The Project has spent the previous 50 years listening to the stars, using the "Little Ear" radiotelescope at Arecibo, Puerto Rico. The rest of the world does not share the interest of the scientists on duty, so The Project is on the bureaucratic chopping block. Everything changes the day that a message is received.
It isn’t so much a message as it is early human radio broadcasts beamed back to Earth, with the message inside, as a series of something like dots and dashes. It is analyzed, and turned into a very stylized picture of the sender (specifically, from the star Capella). An interpretation of the message says that Capella’s binary star system is becoming very unstable. Perhaps one of the stars is about to go supernova, and the message is an attempt, before their race perishes, to learn that they are not alone in the universe.
There is much discussion in The Project as to whether or not Earth should answer the Message. An answer is sent, consisting of a similar stylized picture of humans, knowing that it will take 90 years for the message to reach Capella, and for them to send a response. The Day of The Reply is a worldwide holiday on Earth. Billions of people are tuned in to see The Reply, but it’s not what they were hoping for.
This is a really good and plausible novel. It shows how one moment of "Oh, my God!" (receipt of a message from space) can make up for many years of nothing. It’s recommended.
The Project has spent the previous 50 years listening to the stars, using the "Little Ear" radiotelescope at Arecibo, Puerto Rico. The rest of the world does not share the interest of the scientists on duty, so The Project is on the bureaucratic chopping block. Everything changes the day that a message is received.
It isn’t so much a message as it is early human radio broadcasts beamed back to Earth, with the message inside, as a series of something like dots and dashes. It is analyzed, and turned into a very stylized picture of the sender (specifically, from the star Capella). An interpretation of the message says that Capella’s binary star system is becoming very unstable. Perhaps one of the stars is about to go supernova, and the message is an attempt, before their race perishes, to learn that they are not alone in the universe.
There is much discussion in The Project as to whether or not Earth should answer the Message. An answer is sent, consisting of a similar stylized picture of humans, knowing that it will take 90 years for the message to reach Capella, and for them to send a response. The Day of The Reply is a worldwide holiday on Earth. Billions of people are tuned in to see The Reply, but it’s not what they were hoping for.
This is a really good and plausible novel. It shows how one moment of "Oh, my God!" (receipt of a message from space) can make up for many years of nothing. It’s recommended.
April 30, 2019
The Listeners is the novel that inspired Carl Sagan to write Contact. James Gunn certainly blazed new trails in writing this in the early 1970s and, while it does go places that Contact never does, it feels a bit dated now as the scientists are men & the women are wives or secretaries. Frankly Contact is a much better novel, so if you are interested in reading a novel about listening for alien life, I would recommend that.
Note Reputation Books printing the paperback edition that I read. I purchased it new and it was printed last year, but I still had a page fall out while reading it. That shouldn't be the case.
Note Reputation Books printing the paperback edition that I read. I purchased it new and it was printed last year, but I still had a page fall out while reading it. That shouldn't be the case.
July 12, 2012
Thought it'll be like Sagan's Contact, and it was - but not in the way I expected. Listeners predates Contact but has the same sense of indescribable awe, that sense of hunger and loneliness you get when you look up at a starry sky on a quiet night and let yourself think... but that's not all that's similar. Woven through the story of SETI and the intellectual aspect of the search is a beautiful, touching, and very emotional human drama - a story of the people behind the search, of lives that paid the price for dedication to an ideal - and the strength of that ideal that kept them going long after any reasonable limit had been crossed.
And it's still understandable why. You can still empathize with both of them, know why they did what they did.
Considering it's such a short book, Gunn's ability to compress that much into so few pages puts it closer into poetry than prose.
And it's still understandable why. You can still empathize with both of them, know why they did what they did.
Considering it's such a short book, Gunn's ability to compress that much into so few pages puts it closer into poetry than prose.
June 26, 2017
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, despite its flaws. The characters are a bit too eloquent, honest, and good. Humanity responds a bit to well to a message from the stars. Would have been nice to have some jerks and dishonest, selfish people. Despite this optimism, the book is still very melancholic about our failings in our interactions with each other. Well written and compelling throughout.
March 22, 2011
This was a great read. No car chases, no gun battles! Just the emotional/mental changes that the world would go through if we received a message back from out in space.
May 25, 2020
A beautiful poignant book.
September 19, 2025
This was a very interesting science fiction book, because it wasn't very much 'science fiction'. What it was was 'science' and 'fiction'. Everything felt very plausible, apart from the failed extrapolation of the level of technology we'd have achieved by the 2050s. The novel wasn't exactly 'exciting' since, just as I'm sure it looks in the reality, it was all about sitting for hours and analyzing signals received. And when the signals did come, it turned into an exploration how humanity could react to such a revelation. I'd like for this section to be expanded in great detail, though. Still, an interesting take on the 'first contact' topic.
November 11, 2012
...In the end I thought The Listeners featured a little bit too much promotional material for the SETI project but it is a fascinating read nonetheless. Gunn picked a subject that isn't particularly sexy and yields very little in the way of visible or easy to understand results and turned it into a good story anyway. It is a bit melancholic at times, some readers will not particularly care for the characters. I guess I can see why it didn't sweep the awards or turns up in lists of must read classics. After having read it, I think it does deserve more recognition than it has received. This novel is definitely one of the pleasant surprises encountered in my Grand Master Reading Challenge reading. I may have to check out some of Gunn's short fiction in the future.
Full Random Comments review
Full Random Comments review
September 6, 2011
Clearly the inspiration for Sagan's Contact, an interesting book about the future that avoids any sort of world building, with the exception of mentioning "the computer" that said, a kind of humanistic sentimental story is told. The fine conclusion reminds me of a particularly fine episode of Star Trek - Next Generation that I will not spoil for interested readers although the book predates THG by many years.
May 1, 2018
Thought provoking and poetic. Like all sci-fi greats, Gunn tells an intriguing story without knocking you over the head with details. He instead lets the reader's imagination piece together the time gaps and implications of each event. This is the first book I read from him and it won't be the last.
October 20, 2015
are we alone in this entire universe? scary.
August 10, 2014
The Listeners is a short novel that nevertheless manages to fit in some thought provoking ideas. It's more than a 'first contact' (with extra-terrestrial intelligence)novel. It's a novel of faith.
The novel's focus is on 'The Project' which is the search for extra-terrestrial intelligence. Since the scientists have no way of sending out messages they are effectively listening for any sign that 'we are not alone'. Robert McDonald is the project's Director who, along with his colleagues has spent decades 'listening' with no tangible results. His role is ensure motivation and belief is strong within the team whilst also dealing with outside factors that threaten the future of The Project.
The Project has been listening without success for fifty years with McDonald at the helm for the previous fifteen. As McDonald faces budgetary concerns and the threat of closure he is dealing with an influential journalist who is openly planning an expose of The Project and a damaging article. During the journalist's visit the scope of the novel changes as a signal is received from a satellite of a distant planet , Capella. The Capellans have heard radio waves transmitted from Earth since the 1930's and it has taken until 2028 for the message to get back to Earth - a round trip of ninety years.
McDonald faces the moral responsibility of sharing the message with Earth, deciding on the response and engaging with those who would choose not to reply or those who discredit the validity of the message. The novel passes through the generations as another ninety years pass waiting for the reply from Capella which is particularly powerful and frightening as to the idea of us 'being alone' on Earth. The last sentence of the novel though ends on such a positive note of belief and perseverance and that humanity / other intelligent life has the capacity to grow.
On one level this book is a huge promotion for SETI (Search for Extra Terrestrial Intelligence) and indeed this book predates it, envisages it and is a powerful advocate of the need to listen. The structure of the book is interesting as each chapter is interspersed from real and fictional scientists, poets, artists, philosophers, writers and cultural history from throughout mankind. They ponder the question of life in the Universe and our place in it. These chapters set the context and provide the reader with ideas to the big questions about life on other planets and how they would view us. Are we a threat, an exploitative resource, significant or not, or an opportunity to learn and share intelligence and understanding. Gunn firmly nails his colours to the mast of promoting the search for extra terrestrial intelligence is intertwined with our evolution as a species.
Most of the quotes in between the chapters are from Gunn's contemporaries and early founders of SETI. In many respects this book is an effective time capsule as to the understanding of the search in the 1960's (although over fifty years later the big ideas remain the same and as such the big questions no nearer to being answered).
In terms of being a 'time capsule' the novel discusses the nature of time and more importantly faith. It's an interesting concept to be dedicated to a task knowing full well that the results will not be realised in one's life time. It seems in our modern world we think in terms of months and the next election for results, not in a generation or two - this is seen in our governments behaviour. Something as important as understanding if we are truly alone in the Universe will always be difficult to convince a government to fund (at the same time - as a species we haven't begun to meet the basic needs of our own yet so it could be argued how can we begin to understand the 'other' when we don't understand ourselves).
As a novel of faith it asks the reader to believe and the people of Earth to believe that it is worth listening for decades with no tangible results. It has an interesting resolution to the major religious question of whether we are unique and created in God's image. I think the novel successfully realises a belief in God and the notion that we are not the only intelligent life in the Universe. I don't consider myself religious but I think this was handled masterfully.
What I really like about the novel is Gunn's optimism. He has a faith in human nature. Part of this may be evident in the optimism and forward looking nature of the 1960's but I think it is mostly due to the authors belief in mankind. I suspect similar novels written today would have a dystopian nature whereas this is decidedly different. I'm not sure if Man evolves and solves it's issues because of the existence of the Capellans or because it is the natural order of things. In a world of such suffering and pain I find Gunn's novel a message of hope and I find this refreshing and a pleasure to read. Through Gunn's eyes the world is a better place in a hundred years and that's a vision I'm glad to read.
One of the novels key themes is one of communication - McDonald (like Gunn) is a linguist first, then a scientist. McDonald oft quotes significant figures (in their original language) to illustrate a point and much of his role and success isn't in listening for signs from the universe, it's listening to other persons and their point of view. The novel focuses on understanding the Capellans but it's also about understanding other perspectives. McDonald doesn't use linguistic tricks to convince his peers (including President's and religious leaders) he uses understanding and visionary leadership. (I think Gunn demonstrates an awareness of leadership theory in advance of what was commonly believed in the 1960's).
The characterisation of the novel is weak in places and I struggled to be overly interested in McDonald, his family and his colleagues. The relationship between Father and Son is an interesting dynamic and even made me think about my relationship with my son and his future. However, I felt the way the estranged Bobby McDonald picks up his father's work was a bit clunky. The theme of dedication to work, or one's life's work and it's impact on the family is explored but Maria McDonald comes across as a weak character who only exists in this novel in the context of her husband. She says, 'yes, husband' then gives up. In a novel of hope, Maria has little.
There are tons of ideas in the novel but not much happens in the novel. It will make you think but isn't particularly exciting and doesn't wow the reader.
A small complaint about my SF Masterworks Kindle edition. Translations for the quotes are at the back, like the print version I presume however the translations are not linked so it's a real pain to access the translation. The technology exists to fix this and use the format to it's capability. For the publishers not to do this is just lazy.
The novel's focus is on 'The Project' which is the search for extra-terrestrial intelligence. Since the scientists have no way of sending out messages they are effectively listening for any sign that 'we are not alone'. Robert McDonald is the project's Director who, along with his colleagues has spent decades 'listening' with no tangible results. His role is ensure motivation and belief is strong within the team whilst also dealing with outside factors that threaten the future of The Project.
The Project has been listening without success for fifty years with McDonald at the helm for the previous fifteen. As McDonald faces budgetary concerns and the threat of closure he is dealing with an influential journalist who is openly planning an expose of The Project and a damaging article. During the journalist's visit the scope of the novel changes as a signal is received from a satellite of a distant planet , Capella. The Capellans have heard radio waves transmitted from Earth since the 1930's and it has taken until 2028 for the message to get back to Earth - a round trip of ninety years.
McDonald faces the moral responsibility of sharing the message with Earth, deciding on the response and engaging with those who would choose not to reply or those who discredit the validity of the message. The novel passes through the generations as another ninety years pass waiting for the reply from Capella which is particularly powerful and frightening as to the idea of us 'being alone' on Earth. The last sentence of the novel though ends on such a positive note of belief and perseverance and that humanity / other intelligent life has the capacity to grow.
On one level this book is a huge promotion for SETI (Search for Extra Terrestrial Intelligence) and indeed this book predates it, envisages it and is a powerful advocate of the need to listen. The structure of the book is interesting as each chapter is interspersed from real and fictional scientists, poets, artists, philosophers, writers and cultural history from throughout mankind. They ponder the question of life in the Universe and our place in it. These chapters set the context and provide the reader with ideas to the big questions about life on other planets and how they would view us. Are we a threat, an exploitative resource, significant or not, or an opportunity to learn and share intelligence and understanding. Gunn firmly nails his colours to the mast of promoting the search for extra terrestrial intelligence is intertwined with our evolution as a species.
Most of the quotes in between the chapters are from Gunn's contemporaries and early founders of SETI. In many respects this book is an effective time capsule as to the understanding of the search in the 1960's (although over fifty years later the big ideas remain the same and as such the big questions no nearer to being answered).
In terms of being a 'time capsule' the novel discusses the nature of time and more importantly faith. It's an interesting concept to be dedicated to a task knowing full well that the results will not be realised in one's life time. It seems in our modern world we think in terms of months and the next election for results, not in a generation or two - this is seen in our governments behaviour. Something as important as understanding if we are truly alone in the Universe will always be difficult to convince a government to fund (at the same time - as a species we haven't begun to meet the basic needs of our own yet so it could be argued how can we begin to understand the 'other' when we don't understand ourselves).
As a novel of faith it asks the reader to believe and the people of Earth to believe that it is worth listening for decades with no tangible results. It has an interesting resolution to the major religious question of whether we are unique and created in God's image. I think the novel successfully realises a belief in God and the notion that we are not the only intelligent life in the Universe. I don't consider myself religious but I think this was handled masterfully.
What I really like about the novel is Gunn's optimism. He has a faith in human nature. Part of this may be evident in the optimism and forward looking nature of the 1960's but I think it is mostly due to the authors belief in mankind. I suspect similar novels written today would have a dystopian nature whereas this is decidedly different. I'm not sure if Man evolves and solves it's issues because of the existence of the Capellans or because it is the natural order of things. In a world of such suffering and pain I find Gunn's novel a message of hope and I find this refreshing and a pleasure to read. Through Gunn's eyes the world is a better place in a hundred years and that's a vision I'm glad to read.
One of the novels key themes is one of communication - McDonald (like Gunn) is a linguist first, then a scientist. McDonald oft quotes significant figures (in their original language) to illustrate a point and much of his role and success isn't in listening for signs from the universe, it's listening to other persons and their point of view. The novel focuses on understanding the Capellans but it's also about understanding other perspectives. McDonald doesn't use linguistic tricks to convince his peers (including President's and religious leaders) he uses understanding and visionary leadership. (I think Gunn demonstrates an awareness of leadership theory in advance of what was commonly believed in the 1960's).
The characterisation of the novel is weak in places and I struggled to be overly interested in McDonald, his family and his colleagues. The relationship between Father and Son is an interesting dynamic and even made me think about my relationship with my son and his future. However, I felt the way the estranged Bobby McDonald picks up his father's work was a bit clunky. The theme of dedication to work, or one's life's work and it's impact on the family is explored but Maria McDonald comes across as a weak character who only exists in this novel in the context of her husband. She says, 'yes, husband' then gives up. In a novel of hope, Maria has little.
There are tons of ideas in the novel but not much happens in the novel. It will make you think but isn't particularly exciting and doesn't wow the reader.
A small complaint about my SF Masterworks Kindle edition. Translations for the quotes are at the back, like the print version I presume however the translations are not linked so it's a real pain to access the translation. The technology exists to fix this and use the format to it's capability. For the publishers not to do this is just lazy.
March 4, 2025
4⭐️
interesting. don’t exactly understand the ending.
interesting. don’t exactly understand the ending.
February 24, 2019
As always, this post will reflect my personal opinion. I know that The Listeners is a classic book, one that has been cited by SETI as a major factor in the project becoming known and supported by others. I know that at that time, doing a reasonable sci-fi book was a feat. I know that the writer was a believer in the contact with aliens and human nature and so on, and thus he must have been a nice guy, with similar desires to mine and other space-looking people. However the book annoyed me to no end.
The first and biggest of all problems is the insistence of the writer to add to the book all kinds of quotes from various works, many of them in a foreign language - that is, other than English. It was the reason why originally publishers refused his manuscript. Now, even if I understand the language, I don't know the quote. There is an annex at the end of the book that translates everything, but really, when a character randomly interrupts a perfectly good conversation to spout something unintelligible in another language, that guy is an asshole!
Then there was the construction of the book, the Project being presented like something that held sway over the human heart. All you had to do to convince anyone of anything was turn on the speakers so that they hear static, while the main character would do PR work, knowing exactly what to say to manipulate the other person. I would not have a problem with that, if the manipulation would not be completely obvious and most of the time completely ridiculous. It felt like a Naruto episode where the other ninja, filled with power, suddenly decides to switch sides because Naruto is such a nice guy. I know I don't inspire confidence when I compare a classic sci-fi book with a Japanese manga, but for me it was the same quality of work, which may be entertaining, but not great.
All the people and events changed in order to conveniently support the plot. It felt fake and it is a lousy writing technique, more suited to pulp. I did not enjoy that.
As for the plot itself, it is about this Project, which is pretty much SETI, that suddenly receives an alien signal piggybacked on 90 years old radio transmissions. What people do and say is so underwhelming that it felt like I was wasting my time while reading the book. That is why it took so long to finish it. My conclusion: while a classic for the science fiction genre, I did not enjoy the book or empathise with its characters. The plot is difficult to swallow and the story is very dated. I would not recommend it.
The first and biggest of all problems is the insistence of the writer to add to the book all kinds of quotes from various works, many of them in a foreign language - that is, other than English. It was the reason why originally publishers refused his manuscript. Now, even if I understand the language, I don't know the quote. There is an annex at the end of the book that translates everything, but really, when a character randomly interrupts a perfectly good conversation to spout something unintelligible in another language, that guy is an asshole!
Then there was the construction of the book, the Project being presented like something that held sway over the human heart. All you had to do to convince anyone of anything was turn on the speakers so that they hear static, while the main character would do PR work, knowing exactly what to say to manipulate the other person. I would not have a problem with that, if the manipulation would not be completely obvious and most of the time completely ridiculous. It felt like a Naruto episode where the other ninja, filled with power, suddenly decides to switch sides because Naruto is such a nice guy. I know I don't inspire confidence when I compare a classic sci-fi book with a Japanese manga, but for me it was the same quality of work, which may be entertaining, but not great.
All the people and events changed in order to conveniently support the plot. It felt fake and it is a lousy writing technique, more suited to pulp. I did not enjoy that.
As for the plot itself, it is about this Project, which is pretty much SETI, that suddenly receives an alien signal piggybacked on 90 years old radio transmissions. What people do and say is so underwhelming that it felt like I was wasting my time while reading the book. That is why it took so long to finish it. My conclusion: while a classic for the science fiction genre, I did not enjoy the book or empathise with its characters. The plot is difficult to swallow and the story is very dated. I would not recommend it.
April 13, 2020
Picking out a message among innumerable signals or “voices” is the work of SETI, the search for extraterrestrial intelligence, and it’s the theme of James Gunn’s The Listeners. This is a first contact story from 1972 that Carl Sagan credited as one of the most influential in helping to launch SETI on an international scale. While dated in some obvious ways (it’s a man’s professional world) The Listeners probes the human response to first contact with dramatic and lyrical intensity.
Gunn projected his setting fifty years into the future to 2025-27 when radio astronomers at the Arecibo station in Puerto Rico have been straining to separate signal from noise for almost half a century and have nothing yet to show for their work. They fight fatigue and disillusionment but soldier on under the guidance of their director, Robert MacDonald. a benevolent if flawed man who somehow makes everyone feel inspired about their work.
A signal arrives just as the Project is struggling to retain its funding from Congress. An alien source has wrapped a message amid pop culture radio voices captured from earth. The interpretation of the message poses the question of whether or not to respond as well as how the world will be affected by it. Since the origin of the message is 45 light years away near the star Capella, it will take 90 years to receive a reply to any message sent from earth. That determines the timespan of the story.
Gunn poured a cascade of voices into The Listeners in the form of “Computer runs” with dozens of quotations from real and imagined future scientists, writers, religious figures, politicians and news reports. Interspersed among these runs are chapters capturing critical moments for the Project’s survival.
Each of these scenes relates the interactions of a few key characters as they make crucial decisions about the Project, the message and their own lives. Even though the story of first contact with an alien species is of worldwide significance, Gunn is interested in the human scale impact on the lives of a few key figures:
Read the rest of the review at SciFi Mind
Gunn projected his setting fifty years into the future to 2025-27 when radio astronomers at the Arecibo station in Puerto Rico have been straining to separate signal from noise for almost half a century and have nothing yet to show for their work. They fight fatigue and disillusionment but soldier on under the guidance of their director, Robert MacDonald. a benevolent if flawed man who somehow makes everyone feel inspired about their work.
A signal arrives just as the Project is struggling to retain its funding from Congress. An alien source has wrapped a message amid pop culture radio voices captured from earth. The interpretation of the message poses the question of whether or not to respond as well as how the world will be affected by it. Since the origin of the message is 45 light years away near the star Capella, it will take 90 years to receive a reply to any message sent from earth. That determines the timespan of the story.
Gunn poured a cascade of voices into The Listeners in the form of “Computer runs” with dozens of quotations from real and imagined future scientists, writers, religious figures, politicians and news reports. Interspersed among these runs are chapters capturing critical moments for the Project’s survival.
Each of these scenes relates the interactions of a few key characters as they make crucial decisions about the Project, the message and their own lives. Even though the story of first contact with an alien species is of worldwide significance, Gunn is interested in the human scale impact on the lives of a few key figures:
Read the rest of the review at SciFi Mind
March 20, 2024
The book is interlocked with spanish, italian, latin and old-english quotes that I absolutely positively hated. Most of them have no connection to the plot whatsoever and only disturb the reader from the main events. There was only one likeable character and that was the protagonist Robert MacDonald. Everyone else was either too mediocre or just deserving frowns. The plot is interesting, but very slow-paced with kickstart introduction and quick ending. Some commonalities can be seen between movie The Contact and this book as the setting is way too similar. I do not recommend this book to anyone except completionists who need to read every book about SETI. There is hardly anything memorable that I will be able to recall in 1 year's time after reading this book. Yeah, and I almost forgot, the "Computer run" chapters were driving me crazy - randomly selected text, again, with very little connection to the rest of the book. 100% time wasting guaranteed. Moreover, the book is terribly typeset, as if somebody was using Word for the first time in their life with the itchy need to try out as many fonts and buttons as possible.
Edit, 8 years later: Upgrading from 2 stars to 3 stars. I was wrong about not remembering anything from the book. There is one scene I vividly remember, and that is about Robert and his wife (don't want to spoil more). Anyway, somehow, it stands out quite a lot compared to other books.
Edit, 8 years later: Upgrading from 2 stars to 3 stars. I was wrong about not remembering anything from the book. There is one scene I vividly remember, and that is about Robert and his wife (don't want to spoil more). Anyway, somehow, it stands out quite a lot compared to other books.
August 25, 2023
2025: the search for extraterrestial life is going on for 50 years. The boss MacDonald is the soul of the undertaking. He is constantly motivating the others, always exuding confidence. But in secret he too has his doubts.
It was so-so.
A specialty of this book was a huge collection of citations, that the author uses. I am sure, this granted him some reward of merit. But in my opinion it did not make a better book. It feels a little pretentious to me.
There are some odd points in the plot that I disliked:
The search for ET-signals has been going on for 50 years and when they FINALLY find something, they are not ecstatic, dancing on the tables. Instead it's more like "oh, and by the way, we found a signal. What's for lunch?".
And then this highly skilled brainiacs need 6 months to come up with the idea that the signal might be a picture? In reality that would take scientists no more than 6 minutes.
Another thing I disliked was this religion where the salient point is that humanity is alone in the universe with God. I don´t buy that.
And finally the black US president who is obsessed with his son and his ignorance of the plight of the black people was also quite unbelievable.
All in all this would have been more suitable for a short story and not a novel.
It was so-so.
A specialty of this book was a huge collection of citations, that the author uses. I am sure, this granted him some reward of merit. But in my opinion it did not make a better book. It feels a little pretentious to me.
There are some odd points in the plot that I disliked:
The search for ET-signals has been going on for 50 years and when they FINALLY find something, they are not ecstatic, dancing on the tables. Instead it's more like "oh, and by the way, we found a signal. What's for lunch?".
And then this highly skilled brainiacs need 6 months to come up with the idea that the signal might be a picture? In reality that would take scientists no more than 6 minutes.
Another thing I disliked was this religion where the salient point is that humanity is alone in the universe with God. I don´t buy that.
And finally the black US president who is obsessed with his son and his ignorance of the plight of the black people was also quite unbelievable.
All in all this would have been more suitable for a short story and not a novel.
October 24, 2014
This is a fix-up novel, composed from a series of six stories published in the late 1960s and early 1970s, concerning a realistic response of human society to actually receiving a message through CETI.
As a novel, it feels a little padded with lots of quotations after each story, and choppy with repetitions of events from one story to the next. But I found it quite insightful, and respect Gunn's explorations of why we search for other intelligence in the universe, and what we are all about as human beings. If this were a current novel, I would be giving it top recommendations. Unfortunately, the out-of-date setting and behaviors and vision of the future are almost comical to a contemporary reader. (I am trying to picture the first black president of the US with an "afro")
As a novel, it feels a little padded with lots of quotations after each story, and choppy with repetitions of events from one story to the next. But I found it quite insightful, and respect Gunn's explorations of why we search for other intelligence in the universe, and what we are all about as human beings. If this were a current novel, I would be giving it top recommendations. Unfortunately, the out-of-date setting and behaviors and vision of the future are almost comical to a contemporary reader. (I am trying to picture the first black president of the US with an "afro")
August 24, 2017
The listeners is a short novel, almost a short story. The form is also short story like. The book is about a SETI scientist missing the forest for the trees. A nice little read with a memorable point.
September 15, 2020
While Contact, the book and then film, was ultimately derived from this book, the book explores the topic in a very different way. Less dramatic and more profound at the same time in a way. Another musing of what we may learn when we stop and listen.....
August 7, 2018
Characters are a bit flat, but I enjoyed the idea of spreading out contact over a long period of time, which is pretty much how it'll be.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Want to read
November 22, 2021Prequel
“The Listeners” was inspired by Walter Sullivan’s We Are Not Alone. Sullivan was the long-time science editor of The New York Times.” “He had attended a seminal conference of scientists in Washington, D.C., along with many of the people who were being attracted to the idea of listening for messages from the stars—what now is called SETI, the search for extra-terrestrial intelligence—including Frank Drake and Carl Sagan.” “His book described the fascination people have displayed over the centuries about the possibility of life on other worlds, and various proposals for communicating with aliens.”
“Sullivan’s book was fascinating, and included a good deal of material that later found its way into my novel. But what stimulated my writer’s instinct was the concept of a project that might have to be pursued for a century without results.”
“Four and a half decades have passed since the novel was first published, and almost half of the century-long project that the novel envisioned.” “SETI projects on both coasts are still hard at work, trying to pick up messages from the stars, and they continue—without positive results.” “If the novel has any claims to vision, its insight may be found in its evaluation of human desire and persistence in the face of continuing discouragement. But we are nearing the period when the novel begins, and maybe the signal we all have been awaiting—that we are not alone—will soon be received.”
“A SETI project director told me a few years ago that The Listeners had done more to turn people on to the search for extraterrestrial intelligence than any book ever published, and the founder of SETI wrote “it is uncanny how accurately the book describes the romance, dedication, and rigor of SETI research.””
-
“Our civilization is within reach of one of the greatest steps in its evolution: knowledge of the existence, nature, and activities of independent civilizations in space”
“More and more scientists feel that contact with other civilizations is no longer something beyond our dreams but a natural event in the history of mankind that will perhaps occur in the lifetime of many of us. The promise is now too great, either to turn away from it or to wait much longer before devoting major resources to a search for other intelligent beings.”
Report of the Astronomy Survey Committee to the National Academy of Sciences
July 1, 1972
Robert MacDonald—2025
“Is there anybody there?” said the Traveler.
“Back behind everything, lurking like a silent shadow behind the closed door, is the question we can never answer except positively: Is there anybody there?””
“Wasn’t this their task? MacDonald wondered. To detect the thin smoke of life that drifts through the universe, to separate one trace from another, molecule by molecule, and then force them to reverse their entropic paths into their ordered and meaningful original form.”
“We have to base our position on probabilities. Shklovskii and Sagan estimated that there are more than one thousand million habitable planets in our galaxy alone. Von Hoerner estimated that one in three million have advanced societies in orbit around them; Sagan said one in one hundred thousand. Either way it’s good odds that there’s somebody there—three hundred or ten thousand in our segment of the universe. Our job is to listen in the right place or in the right way or understand what we hear.”
SETI
“It was the stethoscope with which they took the pulse of the all and noted the birth and death of stars, the probe with which, here on an insignificant planet of an undistinguished star on the edge of its galaxy, they explored the infinite.”
“We always knew it would be a long search. Not years but centuries. The computers must have sufficient data, and that means bits of information approximating the number of molecules in the universe. Let’s not chicken out now.””
Listening
“There was the image, for instance, of man listening, listening, listening to the silent stars, listening for an eternity, listening for signals that would never come, because—the ultimate horror—man was alone in the universe, a cosmic accident of self-awareness that needed and would never receive the comfort of companionship”
“Perhaps that, in the end, was what kept them going—to stave off the terrors of the night. While they listened there was hope; to give up now would be to admit final defeat.”
“Maybe nobody was there. Maybe nobody was sending signals because there was nobody to send signals. Maybe man was alone in the universe. Alone with God. Or alone with himself, whichever was worse.”
“The Listeners” was inspired by Walter Sullivan’s We Are Not Alone. Sullivan was the long-time science editor of The New York Times.” “He had attended a seminal conference of scientists in Washington, D.C., along with many of the people who were being attracted to the idea of listening for messages from the stars—what now is called SETI, the search for extra-terrestrial intelligence—including Frank Drake and Carl Sagan.” “His book described the fascination people have displayed over the centuries about the possibility of life on other worlds, and various proposals for communicating with aliens.”
“Sullivan’s book was fascinating, and included a good deal of material that later found its way into my novel. But what stimulated my writer’s instinct was the concept of a project that might have to be pursued for a century without results.”
“Four and a half decades have passed since the novel was first published, and almost half of the century-long project that the novel envisioned.” “SETI projects on both coasts are still hard at work, trying to pick up messages from the stars, and they continue—without positive results.” “If the novel has any claims to vision, its insight may be found in its evaluation of human desire and persistence in the face of continuing discouragement. But we are nearing the period when the novel begins, and maybe the signal we all have been awaiting—that we are not alone—will soon be received.”
“A SETI project director told me a few years ago that The Listeners had done more to turn people on to the search for extraterrestrial intelligence than any book ever published, and the founder of SETI wrote “it is uncanny how accurately the book describes the romance, dedication, and rigor of SETI research.””
-
“Our civilization is within reach of one of the greatest steps in its evolution: knowledge of the existence, nature, and activities of independent civilizations in space”
“More and more scientists feel that contact with other civilizations is no longer something beyond our dreams but a natural event in the history of mankind that will perhaps occur in the lifetime of many of us. The promise is now too great, either to turn away from it or to wait much longer before devoting major resources to a search for other intelligent beings.”
Report of the Astronomy Survey Committee to the National Academy of Sciences
July 1, 1972
Robert MacDonald—2025
“Is there anybody there?” said the Traveler.
“Back behind everything, lurking like a silent shadow behind the closed door, is the question we can never answer except positively: Is there anybody there?””
“Wasn’t this their task? MacDonald wondered. To detect the thin smoke of life that drifts through the universe, to separate one trace from another, molecule by molecule, and then force them to reverse their entropic paths into their ordered and meaningful original form.”
“We have to base our position on probabilities. Shklovskii and Sagan estimated that there are more than one thousand million habitable planets in our galaxy alone. Von Hoerner estimated that one in three million have advanced societies in orbit around them; Sagan said one in one hundred thousand. Either way it’s good odds that there’s somebody there—three hundred or ten thousand in our segment of the universe. Our job is to listen in the right place or in the right way or understand what we hear.”
SETI
“It was the stethoscope with which they took the pulse of the all and noted the birth and death of stars, the probe with which, here on an insignificant planet of an undistinguished star on the edge of its galaxy, they explored the infinite.”
“We always knew it would be a long search. Not years but centuries. The computers must have sufficient data, and that means bits of information approximating the number of molecules in the universe. Let’s not chicken out now.””
Listening
“There was the image, for instance, of man listening, listening, listening to the silent stars, listening for an eternity, listening for signals that would never come, because—the ultimate horror—man was alone in the universe, a cosmic accident of self-awareness that needed and would never receive the comfort of companionship”
“Perhaps that, in the end, was what kept them going—to stave off the terrors of the night. While they listened there was hope; to give up now would be to admit final defeat.”
“Maybe nobody was there. Maybe nobody was sending signals because there was nobody to send signals. Maybe man was alone in the universe. Alone with God. Or alone with himself, whichever was worse.”
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 11, 2017
A quick read that feels more like the serialized form of the original story. I can definitely see how James Gunn influenced _Contact_ by Carl Sagan. The book has pages and pages of quotes from the mid 20th century about looking for and finding alien signals. I can also see how the book influenced a whole group of scientists and engineers to help with SETI.
The two most interesting bits are the computer and the Capella civilization. The computer is a monolithic design, patterned after what machines looked like in 1960. But as it grows and eventually learns, it turns into something like the AI that we have today. It isn't HAL 9000 type AI, it is more subtle. The Capella civilization has depth, as even though they are only sending simple diagrams, you feel for them. The rest of the characters I didn't feel much for. It was the yearn for the Message and the Reply that drove the story for me.
The two most interesting bits are the computer and the Capella civilization. The computer is a monolithic design, patterned after what machines looked like in 1960. But as it grows and eventually learns, it turns into something like the AI that we have today. It isn't HAL 9000 type AI, it is more subtle. The Capella civilization has depth, as even though they are only sending simple diagrams, you feel for them. The rest of the characters I didn't feel much for. It was the yearn for the Message and the Reply that drove the story for me.
March 7, 2024
2.5* but I round up
This is several novellas compiled chronologically to create one linear story. It reads as fairly authentic human scientific discovery and encapsulates our fear and excitement towards space exploration really well. That being said, I found myself struggling to get through certain parts of this book, particularly the first half. The author's writing in the second half (which was written years apart from the first novella or two) does more for me as a reader. The 'Computer Runs' chapters/interludes really read more like pages of epigraphs than the 'super computer is absorbing all of human knowledge' event that I think there were intended to be.
Aside from those gripes, there were some fun futuristic themes, particularly around social issues of race, overpopulation, and economics that were set in today's world from the lens of someone writing over 50 years ago. It's fun to see the blend of forward thinking with what came to be.
This is several novellas compiled chronologically to create one linear story. It reads as fairly authentic human scientific discovery and encapsulates our fear and excitement towards space exploration really well. That being said, I found myself struggling to get through certain parts of this book, particularly the first half. The author's writing in the second half (which was written years apart from the first novella or two) does more for me as a reader. The 'Computer Runs' chapters/interludes really read more like pages of epigraphs than the 'super computer is absorbing all of human knowledge' event that I think there were intended to be.
Aside from those gripes, there were some fun futuristic themes, particularly around social issues of race, overpopulation, and economics that were set in today's world from the lens of someone writing over 50 years ago. It's fun to see the blend of forward thinking with what came to be.
September 13, 2020
A really great and thought provoking SF tale - i read contact first and the connection between the 2 is very obvious, in fact Sagan is frequently mentioned in the book. The big ideas and cosmic timescales are as important as the characters, the only character i really disliked was the president - his arguments and decisions made little to no sense - once the genie is out of the bottle there is no putting it back - and any reply other nations seemed eager to make would nullify his whole dopey position - the aliens didn't send a message to the US but to planet Earth and no one seemed able or willing to point this out to him.
February 6, 2018
I won this book in a Goodreads Giveaway. MacDonald 100% believes that life is out there and that intelligent beings will communicate with humans. He and others like him have been listening for over 50 years, but they've heard only silence. Until now. A cryptic message, but what does it mean? MacDonald gets permission to send a reply. The catch? It takes 45 years for the message to reach the planet it came from and another 45 years for them to send a answer back. So 90 years before a answer gets back.
February 7, 2025
Astronomers work diligently each night searching the skies for broadcasts from other planets. After decades of looking, one day they detect a message which has been sent over 40 light years to Earth. How shall they respond? While the plot sounds galactic in proportion, the story is about a small handful of people at the center of the important decisions.
The writing is quite excellent, covering several decades. After reading this and another Gunn book recently, I conclude he's one of the 1970s' best SF writers.
Recommended.
The writing is quite excellent, covering several decades. After reading this and another Gunn book recently, I conclude he's one of the 1970s' best SF writers.
Recommended.
April 1, 2021
I rarely read hard Sci Fi.....this is my first in a long time. I loved the historical feel of it. The quotations used throughout were interesting and engaging. As expected, it was a bit dated, but that added to my enjoyment of the book. I grew up in Huntsville AL and my dad worked at Redstone Arsenal. Space was always a part of our lives.
I grew up waiting for First Contact. This book brought it one step closer for me.
I grew up waiting for First Contact. This book brought it one step closer for me.
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