Stardists

Stardists are a fictional designation used within certain speculative fiction contexts to refer to individuals or groups who engage in or advocate for the long-term, large-scale terraforming and colonization of celestial bodies, particularly planets and moons. This term often implies a deep commitment to expanding human or sentient civilization beyond a single planetary origin, with a focus on creating self-sustaining off-world settlements.

The concept of stardists typically involves ambitious technological and engineering projects aimed at making inhospitable environments habitable. This can include altering planetary atmospheres, introducing life forms, and managing vast resources over centuries or even millennia. The motivations behind stardist endeavors can vary, ranging from ensuring the survival of a species against existential threats on their home world to a philosophical belief in the inherent drive for exploration and expansion.

In narratives, stardists may be portrayed as visionary pioneers, detached idealists, or even as figures whose actions have unintended consequences for existing ecosystems or indigenous life, if any is present. The term can also sometimes carry connotations of a deliberate, planned approach to interstellar expansion, as opposed to more spontaneous or accidental colonization. The underlying principle is the long-term, intentional transformation and inhabitation of space.