Providence by Max Barry

​A handful of astronauts go into deep space to rid the galaxy of some pesky aliens who attacked a research ship. They travel in a brand new A.I. driven spaceship but letting the ship run itself and all the attacks prove difficult for the human crew and soon they begin to lose faith in why they are even there at all.  The Salamanders (pet name for the alien race attacking them) seem to be outnumbering them and learning from their encounters with the spaceship.  Can they rid the universe of the Salamanders and will they ever get home?  First-rate space thriller that delves into the human psyche and other issues about space travel that should give us pause.  Maybe humans aren't cut out for this.
Fans of space exploration with human dilemmas like THE MARTIAN will absorb this faster than a black hole.