132
Any sci-fi with aliens where humans are not the less advanced race? (lemmings.world)
submitted 2 years ago by to c/books@lemmy.ml
87 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

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?

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] 20 points 2 years ago (5 children)

The culture series? It's not outright said they're human, but they're clearly human. And they outscale basically every single thing in the universe. Or at least in the first few books. Might change later.

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • hideshow 10 child comments
    •
  • [–] 10 points 2 years ago (2 children)

    In Excession it felt more like

    spoilerThe Culture is a race of intelligent starships that keeps humans as pets.

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 4 child comments
    •
  • [–] 4 points 2 years ago

    "Never forget I am notthis silver body, Mahrai. I am not an animal brain, I am not even some attempt to produce an AI through software running on a computer. I am a Culture Mind. We are close to gods, and on the far side."

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • parent
  • [–] [S] 2 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    Thanks, will check it out.

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 2 child comments
    •
  • [–] 6 points 2 years ago

    If you haven’t read The Culture by Iain Banks, it’s among the best and most enjoyable sci-fi ever, in my opinion. The humans of the culture are quite near the most advanced in the universe, but there are entities more advanced, their own AI ships, prominently, but other species too that chose to “sublime” and exist outside of the normal universe, but because of that such ones are ever barely around. The humans of the culture could evolve that far too, but didn’t choose to do so yet in the series.

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • parent
  • [–] 1 point 2 years ago

    My understanding is that the 'humans' of The Culture are a genetic melange of several different, but similar species who decided to merge with one another. They essentially chose the best genetic traits of each species and ran with those. It should be noted that Earth is not a part of The Culture, if it matters to OP that the humans in the story are Earthlings or not.

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • parent