I’m slowly getting through This Alien Shore by C.S. Friedman. There’s some really interesting worldbuilding going on around neurodivergence and how social customs can facilitate understanding and mutual respect, but I’m a little turned off by the capitalistic, predatory, cyberpunk space opera setting, hence the slowness.
Yeah, the alien part was definitely more interesting. I also really enjoyed the sequel, and can definitely recommend it if you liked Children of Time. The alien perspective is even more interesting there.