Ever since reading Children of Time, have never thought of Portia Spiders the same way again. Read it back to back with Blindsight, and it really shifted my view of consciousness.
And even current societies concepts of male/female. In Children of Time the Portia Spiders are Female dominant, and eat the males. Scale that up to an intelligent society and it was pretty interesting perspective change to see female characters debating if they should go hunt some males for dinner. And later discussing 'rights' and "of course males can't be equal, can't they just be happy if we let them live.."
And even current societies concepts of male/female. In Children of Time the Portia Spiders are Female dominant, and eat the males. Scale that up to an intelligent society and it was pretty interesting perspective change to see female characters debating if they should go hunt some males for dinner. And later discussing 'rights' and "of course males can't be equal, can't they just be happy if we let them live.."