THE (ALMOST) UNDELETED

The Listeners, by James E. Gunn, will be at once very familiar and possibly quite shocking to those who have read Contact, by Carl Sagan. These two stories tell not only the same core story, but the authors were thoroughly informed by each other, Gunn by Sagan's scientific work, and Sagan by Gunn's novel. The differences in the execution, however, warrant separate discussion of each. The Listeners is an underrated and introspective tale of individual and racial redemption and absolution with very subtle influences from the Christian Bible. Five plus out of five stars.

The Listeners was originally published serially in Galaxy Magazine during the Pohl and then Jakobsson eras, with one of the six original stories oddly finding its way into MSF&F in the late 60's. For those of you.....Please click here or on the book cover above.