First Contact: The Story of Our Obsession with Aliens

A narrative and visual exploration of humanity's age-old search for and fixation with extraterrestrials.

First Contact explores the ancient idea--and epic quest to prove--that we are not alone in the universe. Presented in a heavily illustrated cabinet of curiosities format, the book explores our fascination with aliens from early history to present day, including chapters on alien conspiracy theories, aliens in science fiction, the actual science behind our search for aliens, and what happens if and when they come...or, if we are in fact descended from them.

Each chapter is filled with bite-sized explainers and longer sections on meatier topics such as habitable zones, xenolinguistics, and UFO religions. Smaller topics include alien abductions, ancient astronauts, exodinosaurs, Project Cyclops, and the Great Moon Hoax.

Author: Becky Ferreira
Binding Type: Hardcover
Publisher: Workman Publishing
Published: 09/30/2025
Pages: 272
Size: 8.25h x 6.25w x 0.93d
ISBN: 9781523527755


Review Citation(s):
Booklist 08/01/2025

About the Author
Becky Ferreira is a science writer based in Ithaca, New York. She has bylines in The New York Times, Motherboard/VICE, WIRED, Popular Science, MIT Technology Review, and The Washington Post, among other publications. She has also appeared as an expert guest on the Science Channel and hosted the Motherboard video series "Space Show."