All Questions
Tagged with first-contact story-identification
66
questions
10
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1
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SF first contact short story, alien probe visits earth to exchange information, is asked about religion
I recall a short story where first contact occurs when an alien probe enters the solar system, takes up orbit around earth. Turns out that it's a sublight "ambassador/library" with AI on ...
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21
votes
2
answers
3k
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Novel involving the destruction of Jupiter, two alien species, and a neat star drive
The novel, which I read in the 1980's or so, opens with the arrival in the Sol system of a huge starship that ignores Earth and starts to refuel using way too much of Jupiter's atmosphere.
Expeditions ...
- 509
11
votes
0
answers
208
views
Short Story about unexpected first contact
I'm trying to help my dad identify a short story he read when he was young. So it must have been written in early 70s or before.
Synopsis as he remembers it:
The far space scout lands his ship on ...
- 211
17
votes
1
answer
2k
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Looking for SF short story about first contact and humans have to destroy evidence before aliens reach Earth
I read a really great SF short story published in an anthology from the late 1990s (maybe 1996-1997?) that involved humans making first contact with a more advanced alien species whose ambassadors are ...
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5
votes
1
answer
159
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Book series with alien ghosts vulnerable to radio [duplicate]
I read a sci-fi series in the 90's which I remember many details but I can not recall the author or any titles in the series.
What I can remember is:
There is a first-contact situation where the ...
- 347
24
votes
1
answer
294
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SF Novel: Task force tries to fake sentience in a humanoid species to protect a planet from exploitation
I'm certain it was published before 1998, fairly sure before 1994, in paperback.
The background setting of the novel was the distant future, when humanity was part of an interstellar, possibly ...
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13
votes
0
answers
179
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Short story of an alien society without the concept of suicide until first contact with humans
I’m looking for a very short story about a disastrous first contact between humans and aliens, involving a sort of memetic cross-infection. The aliens had never come up with the concept of ‘suicide’ ...
14
votes
1
answer
580
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Dinosaur eggs preserved by alien hatch, alien comes back for them?
I'm looking for a novel about intelligent dinosaurs and aliens.
Probably published in the early 90's. Paperback, English.
Cover was a green alien resembling a small, predatory dinosaur (similar to ...
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21
votes
2
answers
2k
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Short story about alien transmission which ends with the aliens' star exploding
Read this story online a few years back but I am quite sure it was far older, maybe from the 1970s or even earlier.
It has a pair of scientists receiving a transmission from a distant star system. ...
- 1,040
4
votes
0
answers
129
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Alien Nanotech Builds Space Travel Portal
There was a series of books that I read part of back in the 1980s in trade paperback form published in the US. It was newly published then I think. It featured an alien race that had perfected ...
user90961
9
votes
1
answer
544
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Looking for a short story about a posthuman conducting first contact with a primitive alien race on their planet [duplicate]
I probably read this story 20 years ago. I only remember random details about it. The protagonist is a heavily modified human and he is conducting first contact with an alien species on their planet....
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10
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0
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68
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Alien rite, teens tied in trees [duplicate]
After a family discussion we've thought of another memorable but unidentified old short story.
Some astronauts land on a shrubby planet where there are humanoid people with a simple civilization, ...
- 4,635
11
votes
1
answer
503
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Short story involving Aliens attempting to make contact with humanity at a distance
The story involves multiple sets of aliens attempting to make contact with humanity, but not by visiting. Instead, these aliens are broadcasting towards Earth. One group (possibly the first) of aliens ...
- 288
5
votes
1
answer
246
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Short story from an anthology: school children use superior military strategy to defeat an alien invasion
As I remember, the main characters played strategy games at playtime, rather than ball games with the rest of the boys, making them outcasts. But one playtime, aliens land in the playground and ...
- 51
4
votes
0
answers
177
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First contact book where humans, humanoid cat people and other aliens are captured to fight for their alien captors
Humans are captured, transported to an alien starship, then brutally trained to fight by fighting each other. Ultimately a leader emerges and his trained team is then introduced to other captured ...
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32
votes
1
answer
3k
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I am trying to locate a story about first contact where the aliens want to talk to the ship's dog instead of the contact team, any ideas?
The premise is that the dog can tell the aliens more about the real nature of human beings. I've been looking for the story for weeks now.
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16
votes
1
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2k
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A short story (possibility written in the 80's), where humans visit an alien race that evolves fast?
I was from a wikipedia article. Humans discover a primitive race of aliens that are very small, whose sense of time is much more accelerated. Communication with the aliens can take hours for humans, ...
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10
votes
1
answer
367
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80's or earlier story called "There Stands a Statue"(?)
In the 80's(?) I read a story in an secondhand anthology that may be called "There Stands a Statue." The plot I remember is something like this.
In the park there stands a statue; like many others it ...
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16
votes
1
answer
668
views
Humans Stumble Upon Low-Tech Aliens
More than five years ago, I started reading a sci-fi book about advanced humans making first contact with (definitely pre-industrial but might specifically be iron-age, medieval-era) humanoids. I don’...
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10
votes
0
answers
136
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Humanity as a galactic ring species [duplicate]
Short story, published before 1976.
Humanity has spread along the circumference of the galaxy (apparently avoiding the core), and diversified. The main characters are a married couple of a hairless ...
- 1,768
19
votes
3
answers
3k
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Can't remember name of Sci Fi first contact Novel, "solution to the Fermi paradox"
I'm looking for the name of a "first contact" novel, where humans (in the future, who are fairly advanced) receive a signal from an alien world. There's debate about how to respond, or if they should ...
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8
votes
1
answer
210
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SF first contact story where it is revealed that it is humanity's destiny to merge with alien
I believe story was written between 1950-1970. I read it in a large paperback anthology in the 1980s. It was a short story - deep space encounter with alien intelligence. The first astronaut to ...
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-2
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1
answer
197
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An anthology of short stories about first contact [closed]
Years ago I remember seeing an anthology of short stories about first contact, aptly titled: "First contact" (or something like that).
- 11
8
votes
1
answer
477
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Short story, where humans encounter an alien race, tell them stories; the aliens act out the stories and kill the researchers
Can't remember author or title of the story.
Seem to remember the protagonist is an investigator of some sort trying to find out why previously-peaceful alien race has killed the research or liaison ...
- 81
6
votes
1
answer
374
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60s-70s short story: distant future, mankind has spread throughout the galaxy, and make "first contact" with other descendants of Earth [duplicate]
I vividly remember a scene from a short story (?) I read back in the sixties or seventies, and am trying to remember the publication and title. If it sounds familiar to you, please post.
The scene ...
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7
votes
1
answer
724
views
Sci-fi book/series with feline aliens, and a female astronaut [duplicate]
From what I remember, the astronaut made first contact with a race of felines that live on the other side of the Galaxy. They had always been able to see Earth, but Earth couldn't see them because ...
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21
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3
answers
2k
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That's what's unique about humans among all species—"they die"
My friend read this science fiction story as a kid, probably written prior to 1970. Forgive me it's a second hand description: Earth is visited by aliens. The aliens note that every race in the galaxy ...
- 211
13
votes
1
answer
377
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Short Sci-fi Story about a door on the Moon?
I read it in a sci-fi collection book, like a "Greatest Sci-Fi Of XXXX". I read a story years ago while underway on a submarine, about a door that appears on the moon, and a retired astronaut is ...
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6
votes
1
answer
162
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Pre-1990 short story, Earth space probe (NASA?) lands somewhere like Titan and is found by a female alien
As the title says, this would have been pre-1990. A short story in which a space probe from Earth, presumably NASA, lands on a world like Titan and is found by a female member of the local species. I ...
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6
votes
2
answers
176
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Woman Jesuit priest protagonist
I am looking for the title of a sf novel that features a Jesuit who is a woman? It’s a first contact scenario, I think. I remember that the priest had shaved her head as a token of her total ...
- 61
35
votes
1
answer
5k
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Old story where aliens sell humans some machines to heal anything, and then disappear with their loot before we realize we've been scammed
I remember the story fairly well; I've just forgotten the title. (And the author.) I have the impression that the story goes way, way back to the 1950s, but that may be inaccurate. I first read it in ...
- 27.4k
7
votes
1
answer
566
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Looking for a short story title about an alien that encounters a probe on its own planet [duplicate]
This short story concerns an alien creature of some kind that is slowly feeding on the surface of its home planet. It must stay "in its lane" so to speak because others of its species feeds on either ...
- 705
8
votes
1
answer
298
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Short story told from vegetarian alien's POV observing astronaut behavior, including laughter [duplicate]
Probably mid to late 20th century story. I believe the title is something like "Farewell Ilya" or "Goodbye..."
The alien tells the story. Actually, perhaps the astronauts are the aliens, since I ...
7
votes
0
answers
161
views
Short story: ship for first contacts, species most like those contacted would seem to be in charge
This story was from the 1960s or earlier, read in a hardbound collection of stories, possibly all from one magazine.
The spaceship was large and sent on first contact missions. It had several ...
- 42.2k
6
votes
1
answer
254
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Book about suppressing First Contact? Character "Polly Ling"? [duplicate]
This paperback was probably from ca. 1970. The well-off don't want their apple-cart upset by alien tech. Hero saves "Polly Ling" from an alien monster, which turns out to be her husband- she's an ...
- 63
7
votes
1
answer
450
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Short Science Fiction story similar to "Story of Your Life"
I'm looking for a short story that's similar to "Story of Your Life", I read the story through lightspeed magazine, but can't seem to find on their site. I also think it was a lightspeed magazine ...
0
votes
1
answer
208
views
80's or earlier first contact novel: scientists decode alien signal, only to discover the alien civilization is now long dead [closed]
First contact novel read in the 80's where scientists decode alien signal only to discover the alien civilization is now long dead.
- 17
6
votes
1
answer
199
views
Novelette about contact with intergalactic inhabitants after interstellar jump failure
I read a novelette a long time ago, but I can't remember its name or author, in which an Earth interstellar ship has a problem during a jump from one star to another and ends up returning from the ...
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6
votes
0
answers
118
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Identifying story on male human protagonist helping aliens crashed in the mountains
This is a story I read about 20 years ago, but translated so it may have been older. Can't find it by google/google books.
What I remember: there was a single, human male protagonist, in the ...
- 61
3
votes
0
answers
230
views
Short story first contact - Earth can ask anyone a question and nobody can answer
It's a short story about making first contact.
I can remember than the Earth is able to ask a question, but nobody can answer it.
In the end some army attacks the place they are going to send the ...
- 39
14
votes
1
answer
766
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1950s Short Story - Naive Aliens
Short-short story, American author, read in the `1960s, probably in an anthology but might have been a magazine. A pair of gullible aliens are on their first trip to Earth. A (seemingly) friendly ...
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7
votes
1
answer
1k
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Short story about a human who defies aliens who tell him to return to his planet
The short story is told from the point of view of a human captain's lieutenant, who is very nervous and timid. The captain is bold and brash. The two are on a mission to explore past their solar ...
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6
votes
1
answer
385
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I'm looking for a story about card catalogs and aliens
I'm looking for a story about aliens who are about to make first contact with Earth. These aliens are definitely better than humanity. The President of Earth, or the USA, tells people to destroy ...
6
votes
1
answer
240
views
Explorers find pre-industrial culture that is not conscious/self-aware
Looking for a story (maybe novelette or novella, not a novel), probably in Analog, probably in mid- to late-70's, in which extra-planetary explorers encounter a population that is intelligent but not ...
- 63
15
votes
1
answer
869
views
Distant aliens receive signal with instructions on how to construct humans, long after Earth is extinct
I'm looking for a specific scifi book that I read years ago, I only partially remember the story, and I don't remember the author or the title.
What I remember of the story is:
An alien race picks ...
- 503
7
votes
2
answers
1k
views
First contact story where aliens are (discovered at the very end to be) anti-matter
Does anyone recall the name of a SF first contact story where humans encounter an alien ship, and use the weak force to define left and right. At the very end, as the human and alien space walk out to ...
- 388
9
votes
1
answer
1k
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First Last? Contact
I am looking for a short story published in an anthology in either 2014 or 2015 (more likely 2015).
In the story, the universe is undergoing a Big Crunch and SETI suddenly begins to get thousands of ...
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8
votes
0
answers
402
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Cannot find simple first contact "mood" story
I read a first contact science fiction story in class in 1976 that I found fascinating but cannot find anywhere after many searches. It was perhaps written by Pohl or Asimov or Leinster ? but every ...
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6
votes
1
answer
299
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Alien survives crash, dies from medicine
This is an old (1950's or 60's?) short story, possibly Soviet or European author. An alien ship crashes near an isolated village (might be a fishing village?). One alien survives the crash but is ...
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6
votes
0
answers
348
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Looking for short story about alien scavengers chasing space whales on earth
I read this short story years ago on the net, and a lot of details have faded from my mind since then.
The premise is that there are these gigantic space-borne creatures that eats just about ...
- 71