First Contact (short story)
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| "First Contact" | |
| Author | Murray Leinster |
|---|---|
| Country |  USA |
| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | Science fiction short story |
| Media type | Print (Magazine) |
| Publication date | 1945 |
First Contact is a science fiction short story by Murray Leinster originally published in 1945.
[edit] Plot summary
A spaceship from Earth on a scientific mission to the Crab Nebula encounters an alien ship on a similar mission. The aliens are humanoid, though they communicate with microwaves rather than sound, among other differences. The crews of the two ships soon devise a means of communication, and find that they get along well. However, each group realizes that it would be a terrible risk to allow the other to leave, as it might provide strategic information back to its home planet that could lead to the destruction of the other side's entire species.
Months pass with the ships in stalemate before a junior scientific member of the human crew comes up with a proposal that allows both crews to return home without destroying each other.
First Contact was among the stories selected in 1970 by the Science Fiction Writers of America as one the best science fiction short stories of all time. As such, it was published in The Science Fiction Hall of Fame Volume One, 1929-1964.
