Blindsight

Blindsight is an engaging blend of science, philosophy of mind/being, and futuristic vision that takes an approach to the alien encounter story that, while not entirely new (the idea that we only confront our own inadequacies when we encounter something truly Other has been done in SF before), is nonetheless refreshing. If you are looking for an alien-contact story à la Independance Day, Skyline, or Battle: LA, then look elsewhere. This is not "rockets and ray guns" SF. If you're interested in a heavily contemplative and intellectually engaging first-contact story that is written by a pretty good wordsmith, pick up Watts. What it lacks in heavy action it makes up for in the depth of its ideas. Blindsight is some downright dense hard-science-fiction, but it's engaging because the science is presented through the characters struggles to come to grips with the aliens they are encountering: so it's related through dialogue instead of dry exposition. It's an engaging approach to the first-contact story, a sub-genre that more often than not gives way to cliché. This doesn't mean it wasn't enjoyable, however. On the contrary, it was exciting to follow up on so many varied ideas. For me it smacked a lot of Kim Stanley Robinson, but whereas Red Mars was focused on what we could to today, Watts is looking at what we might be able to do seventy years from now. Watt's depiction of the universe is harsh and unforgiving, but not entirely without hope. It's a highly contemplative text (almost pensive at times) that challenges us to answer some difficult questions about who we are, where we are going, and what our worth is as a species.