The Sparrow
by Mary Doria Russell · first published 1996
77% recommend23% neutral
Why HN recommends it
Literary first-contact story about a Jesuit linguist on a mission to an alien world, with strong characters and dialogue. Suits readers who want religion, language and human cost explored through sci-fi.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
The Sparrow is a novel about a remarkable man, a living saint, a life-long celibate and Jesuit priest, who undergoes an experience so harrowing and profound that it makes him question the existence of God. This experience--the first contact between human beings and intelligent extraterrestrial life--begins with a small mistake and ends in a horrible catastrophe.
Affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Mentions per year
What Hacker News says
Related books
2012–2018Among Others
Jo Walton
Recommended by 3 · mentioned by 43 recommend · 4 mention3 recommend · 43 recommend
2014–2024The Riftwar Saga
Raymond E. Feist
Recommended by 4 · mentioned by 64 recommend · 6 mention4 recommend · 64 recommend
2008–2024Tiger! tiger!
Alfred Bester
Recommended by 9 · mentioned by 109 recommend · 10 mention9 recommend · 109 recommend
Fiasco
Stanisław Lem
Recommended by 12 · mentioned by 1412 recommend · 14 mention12 recommend · 1412 recommend
2014–2024The Postman
David Brin
Recommended by 3 · mentioned by 53 recommend · 5 mention3 recommend · 53 recommend
2008–2026The Stars My Destination
Alfred Bester
Recommended by 34 · mentioned by 4834 recommend · 48 mention34 recommend · 4834 recommend
2008–2026Old Man’s War
John Scalzi
Recommended by 42 · mentioned by 8342 recommend · 83 mention42 recommend · 8342 recommend
2011–2024Embassytown
China Miéville
Recommended by 14 · mentioned by 2414 recommend · 24 mention14 recommend · 2414 recommend
…protagonist. My recommendation won't be as strong as these gentlemen though: "I find Hornblower admirable." -Winston Churchill, and "I recommend Forester to everyone literate I know," -Ernest Hemingway The Sparrow - Mary Doria Russell. I found this through another Hacker News book thread. I enjoyed it so much that after reading the sequel I immediately went back and read the first book again. SETI discovers music…
on “Ask HN: Best books you read in 2012” ↗Favorite books of the year: (I'm primarily a sci fi and short story novel reader) The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell I Have No Mouth And I Must Scream by Harlan Ellison Stories of Your Life by Ted Chiang Like Brothers by Mark and Jay Duplass A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter Miller Jr Endymion…
on “Ask HN: Books you read in 2018?” ↗…re-read it so many times that the book fell apart. Hard start for some, since it's written in space King's English, but what they load in the book is a gem. 2. "Eifelheim" by Michael Flynn. 3. "The Sparrow" by Mary Doria Russell. Wow. She's brilliant. 4. "Saturn Run" by John Sandford (crime novelist) and Ctein. 5. "Hunter's Run" by George R. R. Martin, Gardner Dozois, and Daniel Abraham (from the Expanse)…
on “The Challenges of First Contact” ↗It's not really necessary for anyone, but it is quite a nice luxury. I was at the beach last week and a friend (a highschool English teacher) recommended a novel that she teaches her students ("The Sparrow" by Mary Doria Russell; it's great so far). I was so intrigued by her explanation of it that I bought it then and there, sitting on the beach, and started reading it 30 seconds later. So I expect that…
on “New Amazon Kindle announced: $139 WiFi-only, $189 3G, available August 27th ” ↗The Sparrow - Mary Doria Russell. Hands down one of the best sci-fi books I've ever read. Oh, and anything by Neil Stephenson (except Zodiac).
on “Ask HN: What sci-fi books are you reading?” ↗And if you wonder about the opposite - how human contact would affect the behavior of intelligent life elsewhere - I highly recommend The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell.
on “A Universe Full of Planets” ↗The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell The Hyperion Cantos by Dan Simmons. I read the trilogy but my sister did the audiobook and enjoyed it.
on “Analyzing Hacker News book suggestions in Python” ↗Along these same lines, I would recommend _The Sparrow_ by Mary Doria Russell. An interesting story about religion meeting extraterrestrial life, and the implications thereof. Plus the dialogue, characters, and world building are wonderful!
on “The Star – Arthur C. Clarke (1967) [pdf]” ↗The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell. https://marydoriarussell.net/novels/the-sparrow/ Almost didn't finish it. Whatever your feelings on religion are, it's a fascinating and heartbreaking exploration of how far a…
on “Ask HN: What book bit, stung and shook you deeply?” ↗Ah, an opening to recommend The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell, about a Jesuit going to space to speak with aliens. It won the Arthur C Clarke Award in 1998. I read it recently and it has stuck with me very strongly!
on “Magnifica Humanitas (Encyclical Letter)” ↗…it's made a lasting expression. I've started rereading it recently. I also liked the Blue Ant trilogy and The Peripheral, but have so far missed the more recent work. More in the one-off category: The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell is one of my all-time favorites, and mixes deep SF with psychology and religion in interesting ways. There's a sequel, but it's not as good. I also liked The Time Traveller's Wife…
on “Ask HN: What are the best Sci-Fi books you've ever read?” ↗How about The Sparrow from Mary Doria Russell. An amazingly deep and personal tale about humanity's first encounter with alien life. Sci-fi in the way that "Never Let Me Go" is sci-fi - the backdrop to a literary exploration…
on “Sci-Fi Novels You Should Read” ↗I really enjoyed "Children of God" and the sequel "The Sparrow" by Mary Doria Russell. Great sci-fi.
If LeGuin disappoints but you enjoy a sociological take then may I suggest Samuel R. Delaney's "Triton" and Mary Doria Russell's "The Sparrow?"
on “The Imaginative Reality of Ursula K. Le Guin” ↗Everything from Asimov. The Mars trilogy by Kim Stanley Robinson. The Culture books from Iain Banks. The Rama series from Clarke although it got tiresome after a while. The Sparrow and Children of God from Mary Doria Russell. Contact by Sagan which by the way is one of the very few sci-fi books that were successfully depicted in movies. Brave new world from Huxley. Old one but…
on “What are your favourite sci-fi books?” ↗