Book cover for 'The Listeners' by James E. Gunn, featuring a large radio dish in a desert landscape under a dark blue sky with yellow title text.
A close-up of a book's interior title page with printed copyright and publisher text on aged beige paper, partially shadowed on the right side.
The front cover of the book 'The Listeners' by James E. Gunn, published by Ballantine Books.
A close-up of a brown paper book bag with red printed text reading 'THE BOOK RACK' and smaller text below, photographed against a matching brown background.
The back cover of the book 'First Contact' featuring a dark blue background with orange and white text, a gold barcode box at the bottom, and a New York Times quote box.
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Book cover for 'The Listeners' by James E. Gunn, featuring a large radio dish in a desert landscape under a dark blue sky with yellow title text.A close-up of a book's interior title page with printed copyright and publisher text on aged beige paper, partially shadowed on the right side.The front cover of the book 'The Listeners' by James E. Gunn, published by Ballantine Books.A close-up of a brown paper book bag with red printed text reading 'THE BOOK RACK' and smaller text below, photographed against a matching brown background.The back cover of the book 'First Contact' featuring a dark blue background with orange and white text, a gold barcode box at the bottom, and a New York Times quote box.

The Listeners by James E. Gunn

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Price:
$49.95

Description

Title
The Listeners by James E. Gunn | First Del Rey Printing 1985 | Classic Science Fiction | Vintage Paperback
Author
James E. Gunn
Title
The Listeners
Publisher
Del Rey Books / Ballantine Books, New York
Publication Year
1985
Edition
First Del Rey Printing (May 1985)
Original Publication
1972
ISBN
0-345-30036-X
Binding
Mass Market Paperback
Language
English
Genre
Science Fiction
Subgenres
Hard Science Fiction, First Contact, Classic Science Fiction
Condition
Very Good+ vintage condition. Bright, attractive covers with light shelf wear consistent with age. Binding is tight and square with minimal evidence of reading. Interior is clean with expected age-related toning. Small vintage bookstore stamp on the front endpaper, not affecting the text. Protected in a new archival-quality removable sleeve.
Description
James E. Gunn's The Listeners is widely regarded as one of the finest first-contact novels ever written. Originally published in 1972 and reissued as this First Del Rey Printing in May 1985, the novel follows humanity's decades-long effort to communicate with an intelligent extraterrestrial civilization after receiving a radio signal from the star Capella. Praised by Carl Sagan as "one of the very best fictional portrayals of contact with extraterrestrial intelligence ever written," the novel combines scientific realism with profound philosophical questions about communication, civilization, and humanity's place in the universe. A landmark work of hard science fiction and an essential addition to any collection of classic speculative fiction. Protected in a new archival-quality removable sleeve.
About the Author
James E. Gunn (1923–2020) was one of the most respected figures in science fiction as both an author and scholar. A Grand Master of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, Gunn wrote influential novels exploring communication, space exploration, and humanity's future while also helping shape the academic study of science fiction. The Listeners remains his best-known novel and a classic of first-contact literature.