Books like Quofum by Alan Dean Foster

Captain Boylan leads a crew of four scientists—a pair of men, a woman, and a thranx—on a seemingly routine transport to the uncharted world of Quofum. Once on the planet, the expedition discovers that Quofum is not a natural, orderly environment. The team encounters three intelligent, warring species, some carbon‑based, some silicate‑based, and thousands of unique, often unclassifiable life‑forms. Their presence suggests that the planet’s biodiversity may have been engineered, raising questions about its purpose and origin. Amid these discoveries, a concealed killer among the crew and the disappearance of the ship’s communications add urgency to the mission. The scientists, though unprepared for the greater threats looming across the galaxy, must uncover the truth behind Quofum’s strange ecosystem and its potential role in confronting the Great Evil that threatens the Commonwealth.

First publish date: 2008