Alien Clay

A deeply interconnected multi-level story diving into structure, communication, and organization from the deep level of biology & chemistry through community and up into society.

You're never going to believe this, but Adrian Tchaikovsky of all people has written a novel about the biology of non-human consciousness & awareness and the implications of that structure for the social structures and creations of such an alien consciousness. This particular novel also engages a little with 20th century authoritarianiam and where that movement might go in the future. That political dimension is connected back as a metaphor for the biology, human connection, & consciousness.

A neat, tight, well-executed novel. Great stuff; lots to consider. Not quite as thought-provoking as Watts' Firefall books which engage with the same material in greater depth. Probably not going to be a perpetual reread for me, but a deeply satisfying read nonetheless.

Another great Tchaikovsky take on the truly alien, this time with added revolutionary fervor. If you like near-to-mid-future scifi rooted in existing social issues and aliens that aren't just humans with weird foreheads, Alien Clay is for you!

This was a bit of a mixed bag. A really cool concept featuring an inverted ecosystem however the plot itself was quite boring.

Slow start, more compelling middle, followed by a disappointing end. It looks to be set up for a sequel though according to the author it’s a standalone.

I enjoyed the comedic touches and the creative narration style but it’s hard to recommend this especially compared to Tchaikovsky‘s other books which are great.