http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Crystal_Spheres
"In a universe filled with habitable worlds, why have we had no contact with extra-terrestrial intelligence? "The Crystal Spheres" offers a fantastic explanation for the Great Silence. Instead of being late-comers -- might humanity have come upon the scene too early? This haunting tale was voted one of the "most beautiful of the eighties."
Interesting.
Thanks for the short story. I read it tonight and liked it a lot.