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Exploring rich Alien Flora and Fauna
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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
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
![Trike | 706 comments](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1525980079p1/2135825.jpg)
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.
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Books mentioned in this topic
Flora Curiosa: Cryptobotany, Mysterious Fungi, Sentient Trees, and Deadly Plants in Classic Science Fiction and Fantasy (other topics)Midworld (other topics)
Ringworld (other topics)
Darwinia (other topics)
Annihilation (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
James H. Schmitz (other topics)Janet Kagan (other topics)
Mackey Chandler (other topics)
Janet Kagan (other topics)
Sue Burke (other topics)
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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