Astronomers discover an interstellar comet on a collision course with Venus. Not since Comet Shoemaker–Levy 9 struck Jupiter in 1994 has a collision captured the public's imagination, but all is not what it seems. Additional observations reveal a second comet also on a collision course with Venus, sparking speculation about the possibility of extraterrestrial involvement. NASA astronaut Dice Newman is already in space, heading to Venus to observe the impact, when confirmation comes of an alien spacecraft entering the solar system. "Gold gave birth to cities and cemeteries alike.” —John David Borthwick, California (1854) FIRST CONTACT is a series of stand-alone novels that explore humanity's first interaction with extraterrestrial life. This series is similar to BLACK MIRROR or THE TWILIGHT ZONE in that the series is based on a common theme rather than common characters. This allows these books to be read in any order. Technically, they're all first as they all deal with how we might initially respond to contact with aliens, exploring the social, political, religious, and scientific aspects of First Contact.