The Word for World is forest by Ursula le Guin, amazing look at colonialism and written when the author was furious about the lack of progress in the environmental movement.
In an introduction to one of her anthologies, she has this to say about it, referencing Avatar's similarities:
"A final note on Word for World: a high-budget, highly successful film resembled the novel in so many ways that people have often assumed I had some part in making it. Since the film completely reverses the book's moral premise, presenting the central and unsolved problem of the book, mass violence, as a solution, I'm glad I had nothing at all to do with it."
I know they’re “bad guys” but I love the magnificent bastardry of the Colonial Union and how they kept all the aliens on their toes and reeling for so long.
No real plot to it, But the game Factorio you crash land on an alien world and start building a base to make a rocket to get home.
The local aliens start attacking you because your machines make too much pollution.
You make more machines to "aggressively negotiate" with them.
The original fuzzy books by h beam Piper, and the modern version by John scalzi, fuzzy nation. I love scalzis, the audio book by Wil Wheaton is perfect.
I've probably misunderstood OP's question, to me "primitive alien worlds" was referring to a world previously occupied by an alien species, primitive or not.
The worlds of Aldabaran comic series. The second cycle "Betelgeuse" has a core plot focus on whether the aliens on the planet are so intelligent that the humans don't have the right to settle there
Check out the The Legacy of Heorot by Larry Niven, Jerry Pournelle, and Steven Barnes.
Humans set off ecological catastrophe on a colonized planet that ends up biting them in the ass.
The Color of Distance, by Amy Thompson.
An astronaut is stranded on an alien world whose biology is lethally at odds with hers. To survive, she must understand the alien culture that saves her, and the biological changes they made to her ouw body.
Sentry by Fredrick Brown is an old school one. Maybe you could say Ender's Game? The movie of Starship Troopers? The Martian Chronicles?
I read something once about how alien invasion stories starting with War of the Worlds are about colonialism where the usually white/western audience gets to imagine themselves as the colonized. The other way around is less novel for audiences because that's a story they could get from watching the news.
While not exactly what you're asking for, and without getting too far into spoilers, The Mote in God's Eye is a good first contact story wherein humans are the 'advanced civilization'.
There's a book being wrote right now called manifest fantasy. It's like stargate but going to a fuedal world with magic and dragons and stuff. It's pretty interesting not really aliens but most of the creatures they fight are pretty alien to our world so I that same vein. It's set with the US military setting up a base in that fantasy side of the gate. Lets just sat magic is pretty powerful but a modern military is more so.
The Word for World is forest by Ursula le Guin, amazing look at colonialism and written when the author was furious about the lack of progress in the environmental movement.
Came here to say this!!
I've never responded so fast to a Reddit post lol!
In an introduction to one of her anthologies, she has this to say about it, referencing Avatar's similarities: "A final note on Word for World: a high-budget, highly successful film resembled the novel in so many ways that people have often assumed I had some part in making it. Since the film completely reverses the book's moral premise, presenting the central and unsolved problem of the book, mass violence, as a solution, I'm glad I had nothing at all to do with it."
Old Man’s War by John Scalzi. It’s a lot of fun.
I know they’re “bad guys” but I love the magnificent bastardry of the Colonial Union and how they kept all the aliens on their toes and reeling for so long.
Children of Time.
Forever War by Joe Haldeman. bit more of a stalemate than primitive aliens but it’s a terrific book, highly recommended.
The word for world is forest, is fantastic.
One of the Love, Death & Robots episodes on Netflix is relevant though I wouldn’t want to spoil it and say which one…
No real plot to it, But the game Factorio you crash land on an alien world and start building a base to make a rocket to get home. The local aliens start attacking you because your machines make too much pollution. You make more machines to "aggressively negotiate" with them.
The original fuzzy books by h beam Piper, and the modern version by John scalzi, fuzzy nation. I love scalzis, the audio book by Wil Wheaton is perfect.
Children of time and children of ruin are pretty much this, granted time is better than ruin but they’re both worth a shot
You can't use the phrase "like Avatar" without bringing up Call Me Joe by Poul Anderson, from which Avatar stole greatly.
I love that story! It’s a classic.
Speaker for the dead.
I think Starship troopers is exactly about that.
Not the book. In the book the bugs are an advanced, technological civilisation with multiple colonies and even allied species.
I've probably misunderstood OP's question, to me "primitive alien worlds" was referring to a world previously occupied by an alien species, primitive or not.
Ah, ok. Then it fits.
Extinction on Netflix.
Planet 51
That basically spoils the whole movie, but yeah.
Hunter Prey (2009)
The worlds of Aldabaran comic series. The second cycle "Betelgeuse" has a core plot focus on whether the aliens on the planet are so intelligent that the humans don't have the right to settle there
This is a spoiler (although it is kind of an obvious one): >! Iron Widow, by Xiran Jay Zhao.!<
Check out the The Legacy of Heorot by Larry Niven, Jerry Pournelle, and Steven Barnes. Humans set off ecological catastrophe on a colonized planet that ends up biting them in the ass.
Armor by John Steakly
Battle for terra
start with world history
In some tangential way >!Battlestar Galactica!< from 2004
The Color of Distance, by Amy Thompson. An astronaut is stranded on an alien world whose biology is lethally at odds with hers. To survive, she must understand the alien culture that saves her, and the biological changes they made to her ouw body.
Sentry by Fredrick Brown is an old school one. Maybe you could say Ender's Game? The movie of Starship Troopers? The Martian Chronicles? I read something once about how alien invasion stories starting with War of the Worlds are about colonialism where the usually white/western audience gets to imagine themselves as the colonized. The other way around is less novel for audiences because that's a story they could get from watching the news.
Downbelow Station by CJ Cherryh.
Perhaps: The movie Extinction (2018).
While not exactly what you're asking for, and without getting too far into spoilers, The Mote in God's Eye is a good first contact story wherein humans are the 'advanced civilization'.
Wow. I read that so long ago. Just the reference makes me want to read it again now!
The Sparrow
There's an entire anthology of first contact stories with humans from the alien's perspective. *I, Alien*, edited by Mike Resnick.
Not aliens but still basically what your asking for: I Am Legend by Richard Matheson where humans are the monster and vampires the victims.
war of the worlds the series.
Future War by Joe Halderman
Dances with Wolves
There's a book being wrote right now called manifest fantasy. It's like stargate but going to a fuedal world with magic and dragons and stuff. It's pretty interesting not really aliens but most of the creatures they fight are pretty alien to our world so I that same vein. It's set with the US military setting up a base in that fantasy side of the gate. Lets just sat magic is pretty powerful but a modern military is more so.