I had never before heard of Cameron Reed before this book, but I love a good first contact story and was intrigued when I got an advanced reader copy from Tor and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This book reminded me a bit of Hellspark by Janet Kagan, which I had just recently read for my book club at work, but What We Are Seeking was far superior (and I enjoyed Hellspark a bunch).
What We Are Seeking follows John, a doctor from a human colony who joins another colony on a semi hostile planet populated by aliens referred to as “basket men” for their weaving capability. The distinction between plant and animal life on this planet is minimal, with the life cycles intertwined between the two. The human colonists are trying to learn to communicate with these aliens, as well as deal with an observer from Earth who seems rather posthuman in her development. John has to deal with the aliens and the Earther as well as with the hidebound anti gay pro marriage human colonists, whose background differs greatly from that of the liberal anti marriage society of his home planet. This book is a quiet, thoughtful novel with minimal action and a great deal of conversation in the best possible way. I highly recommend it and would not be surprised to see it on next year’s Nebula or Hugo shortlists.
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