Where to find it: It's an out-of-print paperback, and available fairly cheaply from online booksellers (I'm finding prices from $4–$8 USD). There is an ebook version floating around on online libraries that I can link you to.
What is it, in summary?: An excellent and thought-provoking work of xenofiction with 0 human characters and a very solidly nonbinary main character! Labyrinth takes a time-hopping approach to tell the story of Seeker, attempting to find purpose on an extremely hazardous planet known as Labyrinth. Seeker's present is interwoven with glimpses of their past, and the slowly unraveling mystery of what became of Seeker's species and their planet.
What do you love about it?: This was the book that introduced me to scifi and I adore it. There's so much wonder and mystery in the glimpses of Seeker's past, as Seeker searches for the truth about their own origin. The overarching theme of the book is an extremely heavy one; the book focuses on the mixed blessing of sapience, the utterly devastating effects of a sentient civilization on their planet, and the unwillingness to give up a comfortable, civilized life despite the consequences of that decision.
In addition to its very distressing and familiar message, the book does some excellent xeno worldbuilding. Seeker's species has three "genders" with fluid gender identities and societal roles that evolve over their lifetimes. The book goes through these roles with Seeker during their unexpectedly long life, and watching Seeker evolve and find the answers they so desperately need is a pure treat. There are glimpses of other aliens in the book as well, some of them very nonhumanoid, including one that resembles a large crystalline structure.
What sort of things are you likely to request for it?: Worldbuilding! The history of Labyrinth itself. More on the fascinating history of Seeker's homeworld. Seeker's culture! More scenes from Seeker's life as they mature and attempt to puzzle out the world around them. Seriously just about anything, honestly, I adore this book.
Are there sections of canon (rather than the whole canon) that can be consumed by themselves to fulfil your requests, or that showcase particular characters and relationships?: You could probably read only the "past" sections or only the "future" sections of the paperback, but it's a quite short book. There are a total of three books in the Questioner series, but only the first book really shows Seeker's past and their time on Labyrinth, which is what I'm interested in.
Content warnings (ie, rape, incest, racism, gore/violence): With the caveat that it's been a long time since I've read these books, I don't believe there's anything too graphic or harsh. The main character is forced into a reproductive act unwillingly, but they're a nonhuman species and the physical act (harvesting eggs) bears little resemblance to human sexual assault. There is likely some ableism with regard to mental ability as well—a character's intellect is forcibly reduced to tame their rebellious urges. There is some death by alien planet misadventure as well, but I don't remember it being especially horrific or gruesome.
Labyrinth (The Questioner Trilogy)
Title: Labyrinth – Dennis Schmidt
Media: Book
Approx length: 179 pages
Where to find it:
It's an out-of-print paperback, and available fairly cheaply from online booksellers (I'm finding prices from $4–$8 USD). There is an ebook version floating around on online libraries that I can link you to.
What is it, in summary?:
An excellent and thought-provoking work of xenofiction with 0 human characters and a very solidly nonbinary main character! Labyrinth takes a time-hopping approach to tell the story of Seeker, attempting to find purpose on an extremely hazardous planet known as Labyrinth. Seeker's present is interwoven with glimpses of their past, and the slowly unraveling mystery of what became of Seeker's species and their planet.
What do you love about it?:
This was the book that introduced me to scifi and I adore it. There's so much wonder and mystery in the glimpses of Seeker's past, as Seeker searches for the truth about their own origin. The overarching theme of the book is an extremely heavy one; the book focuses on the mixed blessing of sapience, the utterly devastating effects of a sentient civilization on their planet, and the unwillingness to give up a comfortable, civilized life despite the consequences of that decision.
In addition to its very distressing and familiar message, the book does some excellent xeno worldbuilding. Seeker's species has three "genders" with fluid gender identities and societal roles that evolve over their lifetimes. The book goes through these roles with Seeker during their unexpectedly long life, and watching Seeker evolve and find the answers they so desperately need is a pure treat. There are glimpses of other aliens in the book as well, some of them very nonhumanoid, including one that resembles a large crystalline structure.
What sort of things are you likely to request for it?:
Worldbuilding! The history of Labyrinth itself. More on the fascinating history of Seeker's homeworld. Seeker's culture! More scenes from Seeker's life as they mature and attempt to puzzle out the world around them. Seriously just about anything, honestly, I adore this book.
Are there sections of canon (rather than the whole canon) that can be consumed by themselves to fulfil your requests, or that showcase particular characters and relationships?:
You could probably read only the "past" sections or only the "future" sections of the paperback, but it's a quite short book. There are a total of three books in the Questioner series, but only the first book really shows Seeker's past and their time on Labyrinth, which is what I'm interested in.
Content warnings (ie, rape, incest, racism, gore/violence):
With the caveat that it's been a long time since I've read these books, I don't believe there's anything too graphic or harsh. The main character is forced into a reproductive act unwillingly, but they're a nonhuman species and the physical act (harvesting eggs) bears little resemblance to human sexual assault. There is likely some ableism with regard to mental ability as well—a character's intellect is forcibly reduced to tame their rebellious urges. There is some death by alien planet misadventure as well, but I don't remember it being especially horrific or gruesome.