Space Opera Fans discussion

I never got over liking when the author narrates rich alien Flora and Fauna. They leave permanent impressions in my mind, which I can still remember so many days after reading them.

The first book that comes to mind is Semiosis by Sue Burke


Other books that I really liked are The City in the Middle of the Night by Charlie Jane Anders and To Be Taught, If Fortunate by Becky Chambers

One of my favorites, Hellspark by Janet Kagan, has some interesting flora and fauna.

Hellspark has amazing flora and fauna!

More books on this theme:
Mirabile by Janet Kagan
The Long Voyage of the Little Fleet by Mackey Chandler
Secrets in the Stars by Mackey Chandler
Odds are a bunch more that I’ll think of later

The Demon Breed
by James H. Schmitz

Oh my yes! Demon Breed had extremely memorable flora and fauna!

The sunflowers onRingworld blew me away because they’re A) cool, as B) the pun is just right there.

The petals are nearly mirror-bright, and the plants are just mobile enough to focus reflected light onto a target, such as a passing flock of birds, to kill them and drop them to the ground in order for the plants to be fertilized. (Or maybe they were carnivorous. It’s been a while.) Anyway, quite an obstacle for our heroes to encounter, because they are a significant barrier.

Then there are his “stage trees”, which are genetically-engineered to terraform planets by themselves by concentrating explosive biomatter in their core with extraordinarily tough bark. They have two distinct forms: the bush and the tree. The bush often explodes, spreading seeds in a wide area. A mature tree can be something like a half-mile tall with a solid fuel core. When those go off, they launch themselves into space, to travel through the galaxy. If they land on a suitable planet, they germinate and begin the process all over again.

In Darwinia, all of Europe is replaced by a land of bizarre plants and strange creatures. Time to explore! If you liked Annihilation, you’ll love Darwinia.

There was a book that came out a few years ago on the subject of unusual plants in Science Fiction, but I can’t recall the title offhand.

Edit: its Flora Curiosa: Cryptobotany, Mysterious Fungi, Sentient Trees, and Deadly Plants in Classic Science Fiction and Fantasy.

Oh, and Midworld has a cool ecosystem. The flora and fauna interact in an unusual way. I can’t say more without spoiling it, but the story is about the descendants of a crashed starship living on Midworld, focused on a young guy and his intelligent native animal companion. Then more humans come to the planet looking to exploit its natural resources. Trouble ensues, and the native ecosystem plays a huge role in that. Pretty sure this is one of the stories Cameron based Avatar on.

Teresa wrote: "Oh my yes! Demon Breed had extremely memorable flora and fauna!"

Reading = Want Otter Friend

That's so many great suggestions