A classic of science fiction, this book predicted and inspired the creation of the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI)--the organization dedicated to the search for extraterrestrial life. A tale of contact with alien life hailed by leaders of SETI organizations and today's leading science fiction authors as hugely influential, the story appeals to both science fiction readers and the hundreds of thousands of members of various SETI organizations.

James Edwin Gunn was an American science fiction writer, editor, scholar, and anthologist. His work as an editor includes the six-volume Road to Science Fiction anthology series. He won the Hugo Award for "Best Related Work" in 1983 and he has won or been nominated for several other awards for his non-fiction works in the field of science fiction studies. He was inducted by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame in 2015. He was a professor emeritus of English and the Founding Director of the Center for the Study of Science Fiction at the University of Kansas.