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Carl Sagan Talks About Books

Carl Sagan Talks About Books

Carl Sagan, the renowned astrophysicist and author, eloquently captured the profound magic of books in his 1980 television series, Cosmos: A Personal Voyage. Reflecting on the unique power of the written word, he remarked:

“What an astonishing thing a book is. It’s a flat object made from a tree with flexible parts on which are imprinted lots of funny dark squiggles. But one glance at it and you’re inside the mind of another person, maybe somebody dead for thousands of years. Across the millennia, an author is speaking clearly and silently inside your head, directly to you. Writing is perhaps the greatest of human inventions, binding together people who never knew each other, citizens of distant epochs. Books break the shackles of time. A book is proof that humans are capable of working magic.”

This reflection underscores the timeless connection between authors and readers, transcending both time and space. For publishers of science fiction and fantasy, Sagan’s words resonate deeply, highlighting the genre’s ability to transport readers to distant worlds and explore the vastness of human imagination. Through the pages of a book, we embark on journeys across galaxies, encounter mythical creatures, and delve into the complexities of futuristic societies. In essence, books serve as portals, allowing us to traverse the boundaries of reality and time, affirming the boundless potential of storytelling.
For a visual and auditory experience of Sagan’s insights, you can watch the segment from Cosmos where he discusses the wonder of books: