| "First Contact" | |
|---|---|
| Short story by Murray Leinster | |
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| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | Science fiction |
| Publication | |
| Publisher | Astounding Science Fiction |
| Publication date | May 1945 |
"First Contact" is a 1945 science fiction novelette by American writer Murray Leinster, credited as one of the first (if not the first) instances of a universal translator in science fiction.[1] It won a retro Hugo Award for Best Novelette in 1996.
Two technologically-equal species are making first contact in deep space. Both desire the technology and trade the other can provide, but neither can risk the fate of the home planet based on unfounded trust.
It was among the stories selected in 1970 by the Science Fiction Writers of America as one of the best science fiction short stories published before the creation of the Nebula Awards. As such, it was published in The Science Fiction Hall of Fame Volume One, 1929-1964.
- ^ "Hic Rhodus, His Salta" by Robert Silverberg, Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine, January 2009, page 6.