This is hardly a surprise considering the author, but my first thought after finishing the book was it'd make for a pretty alright movie. A sci-fi thriller that may be light on deep, profound statements, but is nonetheless entertaining, full of interesting characters and world building, and fast-moving enough that I couldn't put it down. It hits enough touchstones of the first contact genre (I was reminded at times of Childhood's End's first section, for example) while bringing its own ideas to the party.