The Heart of the Snake

«The Heart of the Snake» — a science fiction novella by Ivan Efremov (1908–1972) about the first contact of humanity with extraterrestrials.

The spaceship «Tellur» encounters a ship from another civilization in the constellation of the Snake.

Despite the dangers associated with differences in biology and atmosphere, the crews of the two ships begin to approach each other, striving to establish contact and learn more about each other.

The collection also includes the story «Five Pictures» and the novella «Star Ships».