Введение
Вымышленная древняя раса существ.
An elder or progenitor race, in science fiction, fantasy, or horror fiction, is an ancient race that not only preceded but helped shape the races that followed, often playing a significant role in the basis of the story. Humanity may have been descended from them, or they may be a different fictional race, such as elves, dwarves, or aliens. While in some cases, whether they currently exist is unclear, in other instances, members of an elder race still inhabit the world, either openly or in secret. In order to hide their existence, they may make use of a wainscot society, inhabit a parallel universe, only visiting the current one occasionally, or disguise themselves as a fool, deity, magician or trickster. Elder races are typically either technologically or spiritually powerful, as well as wise. While sometimes benevolent, assisting younger races, they can also often be amoral, as in H. P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos, where the Elder Gods are indifferent to humanity's "petty" concerns. They are usually presented as having drifted apart from humanity in the present of the story, sometimes as lost empires whose inhabitants either left their former home for a new one, or were destroyed by a catastrophe and only live on in legend, such as Atlantis. They may appear both as enemies, or as allies against a greater threat. In the Babylon 5 TV series, the Vorlons, representatives of order, and the Shadows, Lovecraftian proponents of chaos, are elder races manipulating younger species throughout history in a surrogate war of ideals. Their presence is used in the show "to create an effective sense of the epic", The struggle of humans and their partners to break free from the influence of the "First Ones" is a pivotal climax of Babylon 5.
Старшая или прародительская раса в научной фантастике, фэнтези или литературе ужасов – это древняя раса, которая не только предшествовала, но и помогла сформировать последующие расы, часто играя значительную роль в основе сюжета. Человечество может быть их потомком, или они могут быть другой вымышленной расой, такой как эльфы, гномы или инопланетяне. В некоторых случаях неясно, существуют ли они в настоящее время, в других – члены старшей расы всё ещё населяют мир, открыто или тайно. Чтобы скрыть своё существование, они могут использовать общество, обитающее в параллельной вселенной, лишь изредка посещая наш мир, или маскироваться под шута, божество, мага или обманщика. Старшие расы обычно обладают либо технологическим, либо духовным могуществом, а также мудростью. Хотя иногда они благожелательны и помогают молодым расам, они также часто бывают аморальны, как в Мифах Ктулху Г.Ф. Лавкрафта, где Древние Боги безразличны к "мелочным" заботам человечества. Обычно они изображаются отдалившимися от человечества в настоящем времени повествования, иногда как утраченные империи, жители которых либо покинули свой прежний дом в поисках нового, либо были уничтожены катастрофой и живут лишь в легендах, таких как Атлантида. Они могут выступать как враги, так и как союзники против более серьёзной угрозы. В телесериале «Вавилон-5» ворлоны, представители порядка, и Тени, ловкрафтовские приверженцы хаоса, являются старшими расами, манипулирующими молодыми видами на протяжении всей истории в суррогатной войне идеалов. Их присутствие используется в сериале «для создания ощущения эпичности». Борьба людей и их союзников за освобождение от влияния «Первых» является ключевой кульминацией «Вавилона-5».
An elder or progenitor race, in science fiction, fantasy, or horror fiction, is an ancient race that not only preceded but helped shape the races that followed, often playing a significant role in the basis of the story. Humanity may have been descended from them, or they may be a different fictional race, such as elves, dwarves, or aliens. While in some cases, whether they currently exist is unclear, in other instances, members of an elder race still inhabit the world, either openly or in secret. In order to hide their existence, they may make use of a wainscot society, inhabit a parallel universe, only visiting the current one occasionally, or disguise themselves as a fool, deity, magician or trickster. Elder races are typically either technologically or spiritually powerful, as well as wise. While sometimes benevolent, assisting younger races, they can also often be amoral, as in H. P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos, where the Elder Gods are indifferent to humanity's "petty" concerns. They are usually presented as having drifted apart from humanity in the present of the story, sometimes as lost empires whose inhabitants either left their former home for a new one, or were destroyed by a catastrophe and only live on in legend, such as Atlantis. They may appear both as enemies, or as allies against a greater threat. In the Babylon 5 TV series, the Vorlons, representatives of order, and the Shadows, Lovecraftian proponents of chaos, are elder races manipulating younger species throughout history in a surrogate war of ideals. Their presence is used in the show "to create an effective sense of the epic", The struggle of humans and their partners to break free from the influence of the "First Ones" is a pivotal climax of Babylon 5.
В науке
Идея внеземной старшей расы сопоставима с панспермией – гипотезой о том, что жизнь на Земле могла иметь внеземное происхождение.