Edo-period farmhouse

Damn good science fiction. Brin has several other books set in the "Uplift" universe, but this is by far the best. A starship crewed by evolved dolphins (who often speak in haiku!), a few humans, and a chimpanzee planetologist, have made a discovery that could turn the eons-old galactic civilization on its ear -- and the other species of the galaxy are not happy about this.