In the Ocean of Night

About “In the Ocean of Night”

In 2019, NASA astronaut Nigel Walmsley is sent on a mission to destroy a rogue asteroid heading toward Earth. Instead, he discovers the asteroid is the shell of a derelict space probe that emits a single electronic signal. In 2034, a reply to the signal is received. Nigel investigates and discovers a sentient ship from outside the solar system. The ship communicates directly with him and reveals that it was created by an alien race that has spent billions of years searching for intelligent life—only to destroy it. The novel, published in 1977 by Gregory Benford, explores the dangers of contact with an advanced and hostile alien civilization.