What is the subtitle of Sagan's The Demon-Haunted World?

The subtitle of Sagan’s The Demon-Haunted World is Science as a Candle in the Dark.

Published in 1995, The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark is Carl Sagan’s extended argument for scientific skepticism and critical thinking. He explains how scientific methods can help people distinguish testable knowledge from pseudoscience, superstition, fraud, and claims that do not withstand careful examination.

The candle is a central metaphor: science does not promise perfect certainty, but it offers disciplined ways to investigate reality and correct mistakes. Sagan emphasizes that skepticism should not mean reflexive disbelief; it means asking how a claim was established, what evidence supports it, and whether alternative explanations have been considered.

Another frequent source of confusion is the book’s authorship. Sagan wrote most of it, while Ann Druyan co-wrote four of its 25 chapters. The work followed Pale Blue Dot and preceded Billions and Billions in Sagan’s bibliography, placing it among his major late-career books on science and public reasoning.