The Dark Forest (Remembrance of Earth’s Past, #2)

by Liu Cixin

The turbulence was purposeless, but in huge quantities of purposeless turbulence, purpose took shape.

was a spider web. This, the ant knew. It carefully detoured around the sticky hanging strands, passing by the spider lying in wait, its legs extended to feel for vibrations in the threads. Each knew of the other’s presence but—as it had been for eons—there was no communication.