Forerunner Race

A long-extinct species, which usually once had great power, of which only artifacts remain. Usually has left behind megastructures or weapons that are either inoperable, or not understood.

Examples

• 1968 2001: A Space Odyssey

  The civilization that created the monoliths created many and sent them to planets with potential for intelligent life. The monoliths induced intelligence in humanity, for instance. By the time of the main events of the novel, they seem to not have much presence.

• 1970 Ringworld

  Slavers, a species once prolific in Known Space, left behind disintegrator weapons, stasis fields, and weaponized flowers.

• 1979 Ringworld Engineers

  Humanity are revealed to be immature Pak, a species which needs "Tree of Life" to advance to its final stage, Protector.