Nor Crystal Tears

In this first-contact novel by bestselling author Alan Dean Foster, Ryo, a curious and knowledgeable member of the Thranx, grapples with feelings of emptiness despite his stable life as an agriculture specialist. After a heroic act that ignites a thirst for adventure, he is drawn into a mysterious cosmic encounter when his premate shares a garbled message about a new alien intelligence. Fueled by obsession and a desire for discovery, Ryo ventures beyond his colony on a perilous quest that ultimately leads him to an isolated military outpost, where he confronts the reality of humanity.