this post was submitted on 28 Aug 2023
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Science Fiction

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Lemmy World Rules

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What the title says, I'm tired of the trope where humans are the least advanced in the universe.

I'd like to read something different where we're the more advanced ones (not necessarily the most advanced). As an example I quite enjoyed the Ender's Game sequels and the angle of us being the more advanced ones was quite interesting.

Do you have any recommendations?

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[–] Kolanaki@yiffit.net 5 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

The video game X3. Of the races in the game, two of them are human. One is the Argon, descendants of a group of humans flung across the galaxy hundreds of years ago and developed into their own little niche. And then the actual Terrans, who somehow managed to develop technology much more advanced than the Commonwealth (what the collection of Argon, Split, Paranid and Teladi are called, since they mostly all work together peacefully) without even having the ability for warp travel, only making contact with the rest of populated space because of a disaster that linked one of their catapults with the network of ancient gates that have been the primary means of exploration.

While they have better shielding, faster thrusters, and devastating weaponry, they are completely lacking in economy, having control of just a single star system against factions that have control of most of known space. The game's actual economy ends up reflecting this quite hard, and the terrans are usually bankrupt super quickly unless you mod the game to give them some support.

[–] Kingofthezyx@lemm.ee 5 points 1 year ago (2 children)

"Songs of a Distant Earth" by Arthur C. Clarke

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[–] Ertebolle@kbin.social 4 points 1 year ago (2 children)

There are quite a few series where humans are on about the same level as most of the other aliens except for one specific race that's way more advanced but driven by some weird internal logic that keeps them from lording it over everyone - John Scalzi's "Old Man's War" and Adrian Tchaikovsky's "Architects" e.g.

[–] WarikCastil@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago

Basically everything by Adrian Tchaikovsky But specifically Children of Time series. Humans are essentially the "ancient" alien race. It's a unique spin on it.

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[–] havokdj@lemmy.world 4 points 1 year ago
[–] TnSb@lemmy.beckmeyer.us 4 points 1 year ago (2 children)
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[–] lugal@sopuli.xyz 4 points 1 year ago

I have seen some recommending Star Trek but you should know that the humans there have about as much in common with modern humanity as the other races. I wouldn't count it even though I love Star Trek and watched all of it.

[–] mindbleach@sh.itjust.works 4 points 1 year ago

HFY fare is a coin toss.

The Jenkinsverse rapidly goes from humans being assumed nonsentient (because our planet is a deathtrap) to cheating our asses off with galactic-standard technology. For example: teleportation is possible, but only between pre-set endpoints, and with a lengthy charge-up. So humans crammed obscenely large capacitors into standard hulls and instantly bip between microsatellites. Our ships have no staying power, but they're absolutely infuriating to fight.

Our main problem is being 99% confined to one vulnerable rock.

[–] Persen@lemmy.world 4 points 1 year ago

Stanislav lem has a couple books about it.

[–] Moc@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Some episodes of Star Trek

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[–] Crack0n7uesday@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago

Stargate, earth humans are not the least advanced, but there are humans on other planets that are less advanced.

[–] AdrianTheFrog@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago

Children of time, kind of

[–] zovits@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago

The short story Three worlds collide (read for free at https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/HawFh7RvDM4RyoJ2d/three-worlds-collide-0-8 ) has humanity at the middle of an interspecies first-contact triangle with a more and a less advanced race.

[–] JollyTheRancher@kbin.social 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Mike Resnick’s Birthright is an anthology series going through a future where humanity is the dominant species in a very filled galaxy. He has many other books that fit somewhere in the timeline, like Purgatory, Inferno and

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[–] Scarronline@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)
[–] rikudou@lemmings.world 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

You mean the movie? If so, it was a great one!

[–] Scarronline@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago

I do indeed!

[–] downpunxx@kbin.social 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

well, since humans haven't mastered interstellar travel, aliens would by definition by the more advanced race were they do appear in or around earth first, and vice versa i.e. star trek when humans visit planet bound aliens first

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