Just finished the Ender series with the Last Shadow and I loved everything about these books when it came to humans meeting and learning about other alien species/civilizations.
Left me with a major itch to read more like it. Specifically I’d like a book where the aliens are still alive and there are more than one species. The more the merrier because my favorite part of these books was when they kept meeting more species like the pequeninos. Could be a book about humans interacting with them or discovering them. Could also be a book with just aliens and no humans. I just like reading and learning about new alien species and have the itch to read more.
I guess I’m looking for xenology focused books but anything with more than one species of aliens would be ideal.
Sorry if this isn’t a great explanation it’s hard to put into words. I just really love reading about aliens and especially learning about more species as the books go on.
by Mkachy
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Hyperion by Dan simons
Hyperion by Dan simons
Solaris is this, but maybe more intellectualized than what you’re looking for.
Children of Time explores these themes.
Bobiverse for a really fun, lighthearted take, which doesn’t make the aliens very alien.
Adrian Tchaikovsky’s Children of Time trilogy. The main “aliens” in the novels aren’t strictly aliens because they’re genetically modified creatures (I don’t want to post too many spoilers) but the civilization they develop is very alien to human ways of thinking/doing.
A Fire Upon the Deep by Vernor Vinge. A few alien species in this one.
The Doona trilogy by Anne McCaffrey may count. Humans meet the (apparently) primitive bipedal/feline species called Hrruban and things get complex, especially since Humans have a failed First-Contact in their history.
In Book 3, another species (more Ursine-like) shows up and the book ends with a *third* alien species being mentioned as approaching the planet for First Contact.
A Beautiful Friendship by David Weber has Humanity meeting a stone-age non-human sentient species that promptly uses Cuteness to persuade humanity to become their protectors. Telepathic/Empathic abilities help a lot with that decision.
The Culture series by Iain M Banks
The Empire of Silence books