Thanks. My guess so far is that it's an "interpretation" written by one of the human characters — which is fine in principle, but I find it really off-putting.

Thanks. My guess so far is that it's an "interpretation" written by one of the human characters — which is fine in principle, but I find it really off-putting. The mixing of hard science fiction with this Jules Verne-like fabulism just doesn't work for me.