One of the best First Contact novels.

Message:

It's from the 1970's. A few things have aged poorly (mostly in the tech, but the entire universe posits a "Co-Dominium" of US/USSR alliance), but the central problem is amazing, and the Moties are one of the best thought out aliens in SF.

The Gripping Hand is a wonderful, action-packed sequel. It's actually my favorite of the series as the setup is done and we can jump to complications.

Outies, the second sequel, is more introspective and is harder to find as Larry and Jerry granted Jerry's daughter Jennifer permission to play with their creation. Jenny herself is a multi-doctorate anthropologist and archeologist, so she's a great choice to continue exploring Moties and build upon the general history of Co-Dominium.

Yours,