At the moment of contact, when man first meets beings from outer space, how will we recognize the alien? Can we assume that we will be able to see, hear, feel or smell the alien? If we do, will we be able to communicate with it? The alien may be friendly, hostile or indifferent. But if it has no mouth, no voice, no method of transmitting its thoughts — if it has thoughts — how can we find out? It may have a purpose. And then again it may not. But how can we know if we've never experienced anything like it before?
CONTACT represents the efforts of the world's greatest science fiction writers to provide the answer to a question which may confront us in actuality tomorrow. What will man's inevitable contact with extra-terrestrial life be like?
Contents:
First Contact - 1945, by Murray Leinster
Intelligence Test - 1953, by Harry Walton
The Large Ant - 1960, by Howard Fast
What's He Doing in There? - 1957, by Fritz Leiber
Chemical Plant - 1950, by Ian Williamson
Limiting Factor - 1949, by Clifford D. Simak
The Fire Balloons - 1951, by Ray Bradbury
Invasion from Mars - 1938, by Howard Koch
The Gentle Vultures - 1957, by Isaac Asimov
Knock - 1948, by Fredric Brown
Specialist - 1953, by Robert Sheckley
Lost Memory - 1952, by Howard Browne