Solaris, by Stanisław Lem (+ Contact, by Carl Sagan)
😎 Thank you. You supplied me with very valuable information and links for my blog post about the song titled “We Own the Sky”. In my blog, I like playing games with the meaning of songs so I can connect topics that are not obviously connected. In one word of seven letters, try your luck: would you recommend a science fiction book that touches the topic of the grandness of the sky and cosmos, and the mysteries that lie behind planets and stars far away from our sun?
🤖 There are many science fiction books that explore the wonders and mysteries of the sky and cosmos, but one that comes to mind is “Contact” by Carl Sagan. Contact is a seven-letter word that fits your request.
Contact is a novel by Carl Sagan, a famous astronomer and science communicator, published in 1985. It tells the story of a team of scientists who receive a radio signal from a distant star system, containing instructions to build a machine that can transport them to another world. The novel deals with themes such as the search for extraterrestrial intelligence, the nature of faith and reason, and the implications of contact with an alien civilization.
Contact is a book that celebrates the beauty and mystery of the sky and cosmos, as well as the curiosity and courage of human explorers. It also raises intriguing questions about the origin and purpose of life in the universe, and the role of science and religion in understanding it.
If you want to learn more about Contact and other science fiction books that touch on similar topics, you can visit these websites:
• 29 of the Best Science Fiction Books Everyone Should Read | WIRED UK
• Best space and astronomy books 2023 | Space
😎 Thank you, that’s a fantastic recommendation. I haven’t read Contact by Carl Sagan yet, but I will add it to my Amazon wishlist right away (Link. Gifts are accepted ☺️). I actually thought of another book dealing with those topics and a title with seven characters… it’s about a distant planet that humans try to understand as it seems to be a single entity with its own kind of intelligence unintelligible to humans. Do you know which book I’m talking about?
🤖 There are many science fiction books that explore the idea of alien planets and intelligences, but one that comes to mind is “Solaris” by Stanislaw Lem. Solaris is a seven-letter word that fits your request.
Solaris is a novel by Stanislaw Lem, a Polish writer and philosopher, published in 1961. It tells the story of a team of scientists who visit a planet called Solaris, which is covered by a vast and mysterious ocean that seems to have a mind of its own. The ocean can create physical manifestations of the scientists’ memories, dreams, and subconscious fears, but it does not communicate with them in any meaningful way. The novel deals with themes such as the limits of human knowledge, the nature of consciousness, and the ethics of contact with other forms of life.
Solaris is a book that challenges the conventional notions of what constitutes an alien intelligence, and what it means to understand or communicate with it. It also raises philosophical questions about the human condition, such as loneliness, love, guilt, and identity.
If you want to learn more about Solaris and other science fiction books that touch on similar topics, you can visit these websites:
• The 50 Best Sci-Fi Books of All Time – Esquire
• The 50 best science fiction and fantasy books of the past decade – NPR