Starts out as old-fashioned military SF, and then it quickly becomes a truly outstanding first contact story. The aliens are truly alien, as self-serving and prone to deception as humans, but not more evil than humans themselves. More intelligent in some ways, filled with potential and also unnerving. A big SF classic, still influential. Very entertaining, too. ( )

I think I'm gettin old... and stuff. It's tiresome to read true hardcore sci-fi where action is mere mote in the eye of the world. So much descriptions, so many explanations, tons of details, endless right and wrong guesses... And much of it ending been just a time filler between some twisting points of story.

Even if it's very good and stylish book, I can only admit that it's not my kind of thing. ( )

It managed to keep my attention long enough to get through the whole book, but I thought the ending was quite disappointing and pretty noneventful. ( )

Highly celebrated novel, somewhat disappointed. Nice premise, great conclusion, but feels, reading today, very dated. One only female character who was just the typical Princess Leia. The Prince, cliched. Loved their Inferno novel. Really enjoyed the Ringworld novels. Maybe I would have enjoyed this if I had been reading it around the time I was reading and thoroughly enjoying Heinlein. ( )

Excellent portrayal of an alien culture and how this could clash with our own through population factors. ( )