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Dragon's Egg

Robert L. Forward

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Similar in premise + setting

These books are ranked using the premise + setting labels extracted for Dragon's Egg. Books rank higher when they are close on every selected axis.

Premise labels used: first contact, neutron star life, alien civilization, time dilation, extreme environment, scientific discovery

Setting labels used: neutron star, solar system, extreme gravity, extreme magnetism, hard SF world

This does not mean the books share the same plot, setting, quality, or difficulty. It means their premise + setting embeddings are close.

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They're Made Out of Meat

Terry Bisson · 1991

Two aliens debate a shocking discovery about Earth: the intelligent species there is made entirely of meat.

Why this is here

Premise labels: first contact · alien perspective · sentient life · humanity as meat · intelligent life · Fermi paradox · misunderstood species · cosmic discovery

Setting labels: outer space · the universe · Earth · far-future implied · alien civilization · first-contact setting · cosmic scale

Semantic match: ranked by premise + setting

Distance: 0.1584

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Incandescence

Greg Egan · 2008

Two interwoven far-future searches uncover a hidden alien world and the physics needed to survive it.

Why this is here

Premise labels: first contact · lost species · scientific discovery · physics discovery · galactic mystery · survival problem · transhuman quest · archaeological investigation

Setting labels: far future · galaxy-spanning civilization · galactic core · neutron star environment · asteroid habitat · post-singularity · post-biological society · relativistic setting · space habitat · alien world

Semantic match: ranked by premise + setting

Distance: 0.1635

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Rama II

Arthur C. Clarke, Gentry Lee · 2012 · Rama

A second mysterious alien ship enters the solar system, sending an expert crew into a tense mission of secrets, science, and drama.

Why this is here

Premise labels: alien spacecraft · second contact · scientific expedition · mystery ship · human-alien encounter · solar system crisis

Setting labels: solar system · future Earth · outer space · alien spacecraft · interplanetary setting

Semantic match: ranked by premise + setting

Distance: 0.1750

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The Clockwork Rocket

Greg Egan · 2011 · Orthogonal

An alien scientist races to decode her universe’s strange physics before an incoming cosmic threat destroys her world.

Why this is here

Premise labels: alternate physics · alien civilization · planetary threat · scientific discovery · generation ship · time dilation · world-saving mission · cosmic disaster

Setting labels: alien world · alternate universe · non-Einsteinian physics · Riemannian universe · orthogonal geometry · planetary system

Semantic match: ranked by premise + setting

Distance: 0.1752

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Vacuum Diagrams

Stephen Baxter · 2001 · Xeelee Sequence

A mosaic of far-future stories traces humanity’s survival, transformation, and conflict across cosmic time.

Why this is here

Premise labels: future history · humanity across time · far-future civilization · cosmic scale · first contact · alien occupation · end of universe

Setting labels: far future · deep time · solar system · galaxy-scale · universe-scale · space colonies · heat death · alternate realities · outer planets

Semantic match: ranked by premise + setting

Distance: 0.1759

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Quantum Void

Douglas Phillips · 2023 · Quantum

Quantum physics opens a route to the stars, but first contact and a dimension-shifting crisis threaten everything.

Why this is here

Premise labels: first contact · interdimensional travel · quantum physics · space compression · alien contact · scientific discovery · galactic communication · dimensional travel · research-driven adventure · humanity at the frontier

Setting labels: near future · Fermilab · Texas · outer space · alien planet · watery planet · fourth dimension · 3D to 4D · multiverse · galactic civilization

Semantic match: ranked by premise + setting

Distance: 0.1813

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Pushing Ice

Alastair Reynolds · 2006

A comet-mining crew chases a runaway Saturn moon into deep space, only to face alien mysteries and crew fracture.

Why this is here

Premise labels: comet miners · runaway moon · alien artifact · first contact · deep time · survival

Setting labels: near future · outer solar system · deep space · future human society · interstellar travel · time dilation · hard SF future

Semantic match: ranked by premise + setting

Distance: 0.1817

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Timelike Infinity

Stephen Baxter · 1997 · Xeelee Sequence

Under alien rule, humans use a wormhole-linked time gate in a bid to alter their fate across centuries.

Why this is here

Premise labels: time travel · alien occupation · human resistance · wormhole technology · time gate · future humanity · cosmic-scale conflict

Setting labels: far future · deep space · Solar System · Jupiter orbit · Earth occupation · relativistic travel · cosmic scale · end of time

Semantic match: ranked by premise + setting

Distance: 0.1837

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Rendezvous with Rama

Arthur C. Clarke · 1953 · Rama

A scientific expedition races to inspect a vast alien structure passing through the solar system before it vanishes forever.

Why this is here

Premise labels: alien spacecraft · mystery object · first contact · space exploration · scientific investigation · interstellar artifact · humanity vs unknown

Setting labels: future solar system · interplanetary civilization · deep space · giant cylindrical habitat · artificial world · low gravity environment · near-Sun trajectory · outer solar system

Semantic match: ranked by premise + setting

Distance: 0.1846

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Bowl of Heaven

Gregory Benford, Larry Niven · 2012 · Bowl of Heaven

A human starship on a colonizing mission encounters a colossal artificial bowl-world and becomes split between escape and exploration.

Why this is here

Premise labels: first contact · megaconstruct · artificial world · colony ship · interstellar expedition · supply shortage · survival · alien encounter

Setting labels: deep space · interstellar travel · star system · artificial habitat · planet-sized structure · habitable megastructure · alien world · far future · outer space

Semantic match: ranked by premise + setting

Distance: 0.1852

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Death's End

Liu Cixin · 2016 · Remembrance of Earth's Past

A female aerospace engineer wakes into humanity’s fragile peace with aliens and helps decide the fate of civilization.

Why this is here

Premise labels: first contact aftermath · civilizational survival · alien deterrence · cosmic conflict · future history · cosmic stakes · catastrophic escalation

Setting labels: Solar System · deep space · future Earth · future humanity · interstellar civilization · multiple universes · higher dimensions · post-hibernation future · cosmic scale · future history

Semantic match: ranked by premise + setting

Distance: 0.1876

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Remembrance of Earth's Past: The Three-Body Trilogy

Liu Cixin · 2017 · Remembrance of Earth's Past

A Chinese hard-SF trilogy where first contact becomes a vast, philosophical struggle over humanity’s survival.

Why this is here

Premise labels: first contact · alien invasion · existential threat · humanity vs aliens · civilizational survival · cosmic threat · contact with superior beings · hidden strategy · dark forest · future history

Setting labels: China · Cultural Revolution · Earth · Solar System · deep space · interstellar · far future · future history · cosmic scale · hard SF universe · non-Western setting

Semantic match: ranked by premise + setting

Distance: 0.1889

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