Random Questions

[Randallw]

This isn't related to SE so I suppose that makes it pretty randomn

Back in college, I think, I read a novel that I'm interested in finding again. Recently I read of a supposed sci-fi classic involving life forms that grew on a pulsar. I don't know if it's the same book. Anyhow, in the book I do remember there were a group of explorers who were in a space ship orbitting a planet. The native inhabitants were living at the speed of life or similar. They had the custom of eating their dead and most of what I remember was wars where the victors would eat their enemy dead in feasts. Not in a vicious tribal cannibalism way it was just that for this race it was natural not to let the protein (or whatever they were made of) go to waste. I remember that at one point the observers shone a beam of light on one of the battles and everyone of the aliens caught in the light beam was blinded. I seem to recall it had something to do with the specific frequency.

Anyway I wonder if anyone knows what the book is, and can tell me? I think it might even have been a series as I don't remember reading how the explorers got there.