well, I finished _Blindsight_ by Peter Watts, and while I liked it very much at the start, this effect faded as I moved through the book. I guess "not as annoying as Alastair Reynolds, but in the same way" is about the best I can do here.

anyhow, imo VanderMeer's Southern Reach trilogy in unchallenged as the best first contact novel of the 21st century. this is a genre that I generally enjoy, and would appreciate suggestions if people know of more books along these lines