Progressors

Progressors in sci-fi literature are people (or other sentient beings) of an advanced space-faring civilization who "progress" less technologically advanced civilizations and races, i.e. helping them to achieve a higher technological level and, thus, a higher standart of life.

Lukyanenko's Progressors

Unlike Strugatky's progressors who were selfless knights of altruism and science, Lukyanenko's ones are mere an instrument of power employed by the government of one of the most technologically advanced civilizations in the universe described in "The Stars are Cold Toys" and "Starshadow". This civilization (called Geometers (Геометры), because of their love for geometrical figures: e.g. they even reshaped the two continents of their home planet to resemble a circle and a square) bears a striking resemblance to the Earth of Noon Universe. The author himself commented that he wasn't really sure that a system described by Strugatsky brothers could function properly and presented his own vision of it.

Related Topics:
Altruism - The Stars are Cold Toys - Starshadow - Circle - Square - Earth

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Geometers were obsessed with an idea of building an interstellar brotherhood of races (in other words, a form of imperialism - a doctrine not common in Noon Universe) by covertly adjusting all other civilizations to their level of technology and then offering them friendship. This is where progressors came in: they were necessary to raise the technological and social level of those races, who were still less developed than Geometers. And, of course, for the "over-developed" races (also called "Elder Races" in the book) there were the regressors, who secretly destroyed cultural and scientific developments of a civilization, until it was ready to join Geometers.

Related Topics:
Imperialism - Noon Universe

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