First published 2011
This anthology brings together acclaimed science fiction writers exploring humanity's first encounters with alien life. Marty Halpern has curated stories from the past thirty years that examine contact scenarios ranging from subtle infiltration to outright warfare to spiritual transformation. The collection features contributions from Stephen Baxter, Orson Scott Card, Cory Doctorow, Karen Joy Fowler, Neil Gaiman, Stephen King, Ursula K. Le Guin, Elizabeth Moon, Pat Murphy, Charles Stross, Michael Swanwick, Harry Turtledove, and other leading genre authors. These tales span the spectrum of possibility, from insidious alien influence that works beneath human awareness to violent confrontations that threaten civilization to transcendent meetings that expand consciousness itself. The Guardian praised this collection as providing an excellent snapshot of contemporary science fiction's treatment of one of the genre's most enduring themes.
Genres: short-stories, science-fiction
Vibes: suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: alien-invasion, first-contact
Period: Past 30 Years
491 pages · Paperback · Night Shade Books