Tchaikovsky is probably better known for his novels (eg Children of Time) but I second your recommendation of The Elder Race. It's one of my favorite science fi

Tchaikovsky is probably better known for his novels (eg Children of Time) but I second your recommendation of The Elder Race. It's one of my favorite science fiction/fantasy novelas. The other one that really stuck with me and that I randomly think about from time to time (which IMO is the sign of a good thought provoking one!) is The Merchant and the Alchemists Gate, which in included in Exhalation from the list. Edit: I'll also mention that Network Effect is my fav in the Murderbot Series, the novel length was a nice change of pace. Id avoided the series for a while because the name sounded cringy, but I'm glad I finally gave it a shot.