[VladVladikoff]

If you’re into this kind of fantasy bioengineering I highly recommend reading The Tainted Cup and the sequel, A Drop of Corruption. And if anyone has read these, please tell me about any other books in this similar bioengineering genre, or even just highly unique fantasy worlds (I’m just so sick of books about dragons and boring magic).

[yreg]

Tress of the Emerald Sea is set on quite a unique world. The planet is covered by oceans of magical "spores" which react violently to water.

For example the spores in the Emerald Sea, where the hero is from, instantly grow into massive vines that destroy everything in their path. That makes sailing rather dangerous.

The story is whimsical, perhaps an adult fairy tale (or just a fairy tale?), so I don't know if it fits your taste.

[foobarbecue]

You might like some of the Paolo Bacigalupi windup world stuff. Some great belivable ideas, some that go too far beyond belivability for my taste, but I enjoyed it a lot. The basic idea is that there's an advanced society where for some reason electricity & electronics tech was never developed, so mechanical mechanism technology progressed instead.

[VladVladikoff]

This was an excellent suggestion. Just got to the chapter where Isaac accidentally takes dream shit. Fun book! Thanks!

[dekhn]

A long time ago, Harry Harrison wrote a series (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_of_Eden) where dinosaurs weren't wiped out, evolving for millions of years before primates showed up. The dinosaurs have a genetic-engineering based industry.

[doorpheus]

Try the children of time it's a great scifi book about a spider civilization evolving with all the different tech they create

[georgeecollins]

I second the recommendation of Children of Time! A cracking fun novel that goes in some weird directions. Very well realized "aliens" that have their own culture and technology.

[yreg]

I haven't read it yet, but I keep seeing it recommended on this website again and again, so something about it must be good.

And I think there is one more similar spider civilization book that's also popular – A Deepness in the Sky by Vernor Vinge.