The five people you meet in space

I am doing some world building and have come to a interesting problem that I am sure everyone who has tried to make a complex world has encountered. I am noodling out races for my game that takes place in space. And keep coming time and time again to old cliches form greedy corporations and militaristic empires. To machines and genetic experiments gon awry with pirates and other rebel riff raft.

So what do you think are the most over used archetypes in SciFi and Fantasy? Or what is your idea that gives these a new spin?

Not sure about OVERused, but perhaps UNDERused is the technologically-advance-yet-highly-tribal civilization. Basically, think of Black Panther from the Avengers/Marvel Comics.

Overused, I'd say off the top of my head, are the fixed steretypical races. That if they're "beastly" in nature, they're rather barbaric or more tribal and less prone to logic or reason. Why not have them still be barbaric but more advance with a twisted logic? Like "organized crime"?

Another idea is the "middle-man" of humanity. Where they may be technologically advanced, but they're not exactly "as far" as other races. It doesn't always fit with typical narratives we expect as stories are often meant to relate with us - the real humans partaking in the fictional adventure - but let's put humanity in spots they're not usually found in...even if it does seem off.

The humanoid type is definitely overused, especially when you consider that vertebrates look remarkably similar in the embryonic state.

I mean to the point that you can not tell the difference between a mouse, and a whale in the beginning.

I am sure there is still a great human being on space but I know there are also the incredible creations there.

depending on the planet condition, organism evolved, so thinking about the planet, could give idea's on how the creature adapted to it, and what happens if you evolve from something other than apes ??

artificial intelligence and humanoids becoming cyborg is pretty archetype, but also very likely

and further also maybe creatures that control elements of nature and psychic abilities

heh this is pretty interesting for idea's:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_psychic_abilities

One classic that I always hated was "Pure Energy" beings.

What is "pure" energy and how does something even evolve into it?

I have always wondered though if someone has ever made a militaristic race in a sci-fi that was actually beneficial/benevolant. So a race that was tough and expansionist but the annexed worlds were genuinely improved into paradises due to their influence.

Anything that looks like it is a monster but still very capable of creating advance technology (like xenomorphs) is pretty lame.

I really liked the aliens from the Edge of Tommorow. They were just crazy.

Also the single mind- race is interesting idea to explore in cases not related to pure expansionism.