content: Reading this book in 1998, I found that many of Sagan's fictional premises have now entered into the realm of science fact. The idea that a supermassive black hole exists at the center of the galaxy has been confirmed by the Hubble Telescope. It's a shame that Sagan did not live to witness the findings, but CONTACT is a testament to his vision. I found that book was too long-winded, and could have been trimmed to half its length. The movie used only one pilot--Ellie--in the dodecahedron capsule rather than a whole team, and this seems to work better dramatically. Of course, the real treat of this novel is Sagan's treasure chest of technical knowledge, which he showers on the lay reader without condescension.