First Contact

E850720

"First Contact" is a classic 1945 science fiction novelette by Murray Leinster that helped popularize the concept and term of humanity’s initial encounter with an alien civilization.

Try in SPARQL Jump to: Statements Referenced by

Statements (48)

Predicate Object
instanceOf science fiction novelette
short story
author Murray Leinster NERFINISHED
William Fitzgerald Jenkins NERFINISHED
centralTheme first contact between humans and aliens
mutual distrust
problem of revealing homeworld location
technological parity between species
countryOfOrigin United States of America
surface form: United States
depicts attempts to avoid strategic disadvantage
negotiation between human and alien crews
editor John W. Campbell NERFINISHED
features alien starship
human starship
firstContactType spaceborne encounter far from either species’ homeworld GENERATED
firstPublishedIn Astounding Science Fiction NERFINISHED
form novelette
genre science fiction
hasConcept reciprocal hostage exchange to ensure good faith
technological secrecy in interstellar diplomacy
hasFictionalTechnology advanced detection instruments
faster-than-light starship
hasInfluenceOnTerm "first contact" in science fiction and popular culture
hasTitlePhrase "First Contact" NERFINISHED
helpedPopularize concept of humanity’s initial encounter with an alien civilization
term "first contact"
influenced later first contact narratives
later space opera works
isConsidered classic science fiction story
languageStyle pulp-era American English
laterIncludedIn science fiction anthologies
literaryPeriod Golden Age of Science Fiction NERFINISHED
medium print
narrativePerspective first-person narration
notableFor early rigorous treatment of first contact protocol
influence on later first contact stories
originalForm magazine publication
originalLanguage English
periodicalType pulp magazine
protagonistOccupation astrogator
publicationYear 1945
publisher Street & Smith NERFINISHED
setting interstellar space
subgenre first contact science fiction
themeCategory space exploration in fiction
xenology in fiction
wordCountApproximate 15000–20000 words
workOf Murray Leinster bibliography

Referenced by (1)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Murray Leinster notableWork First Contact