A boundary pushing, extremely inventive sci-? epic of ?rst contact by world-renowned graphic designer and comics creator Rian Hughes   When a signal of extraterrestrial origin is intercepted by one of Earth&;s most powerful radio satellites, people worldwide, including a small team of tech outsiders at a software engineering ?rm specializing in arti?cial intelligence, race to interpret the message carried by what could be the ?rst communication from an intergalactic civilization. Has humanity made ?rst contact? Is the signal itself an alien life-form? A threat? If so, how will the people of Earth respond?   Supplemented by redacted NASA reports, magazine articles, secret transcripts, and a novel within the novel, all created by author Rian Hughes, XX is an epic literary sci-? novel that explores the way ideas propagate and presents a compelling vision of humanity&;s unique place in the universe and a realistic depiction of what might happen in the wake of the biggest scienti?c discovery in human history. Propulsive and boldly designed, this captivating narrative of ?rst contact, technological anxiety and innovation, and galactic exploration is an exciting and extraordinary addition to the science ?ction genre.