Whipping Star by Frank Herbert

Whipping Star, somewhat atypically for Herbert’s work, is mostly focused on communication and language. How do you communicate with an alien whose view on the universe is completely different from yours? Throughout the novel, agent McKie, who is considered very good at such things, is aware of the subtle differences between species. Language is a tricky thing; translating one culturally-loaded concept into another culture’s framework is never a precise fit, and the problems these differences cause can be lethal in some situations.

Berkley Books 1970 paperback edition in good condition, see photos.