Science Fiction

Is your image a reference to events from “thousands of years ago”?

Firefly and cowboy bebop both kinda come to mind. Not amazing examples, but seemed worth mentioning

I think Odo's complicated relationship with the Founders was an interesting take on it: he had to choose between his found family on DS9 and his kin whose values went against everything he believed.

I love and hate the Expanse because it's entirely believable that we'd finally clear out the bullshit infighting/politics on earth today just to trade for bullshit infighting/politics in space. It's realistic if a bit depressing in such. :-) The actual acting is also pretty great in the show, and the relationship between the crew kinda reminds me of Firefly.

As far as sci-fi shows go, The Orville was also cool this way, if a bit goofy at times. The crew acts like a large family in many ways but with a diversity of cultures/personalities that are used to reflect real societal issues kinda like the old Star Trek series did.

In terms of books... the Spellmonger series has a bunch of characters that aren't all related but have a fairly familial relationship with each other.

Self-made vs inherited/familial greatness is a pretty major theme in The Diamond Age: Or, A Young Lady's Illustrated Primer by Neal Stephenson. First thing that comes to mind.

The Wayfarer Novels by Becky Chambers https://www.waterstones.com/book/the-long-way-to-a-small-angry-planet/becky-chambers/9781473619814

@Tenthrow for your consideration... https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/A-Second-Chance-for-Yesterday/R-A-Sinn/9781786188274

Fast and Furious is pretty sci-fi these days, and that's all about family

Lilo and Stitch is a pretty blatant example.

I recall Becky Chambers' "A Long Way to a Small Angry Planet" emphasizing the found family theme pretty heavily over the course of the story, especially non-traditional relationships. In fact, the ship crew's relationships with one another forms the crux of the drama. Even though there are big "Important" events happening in the background, the narrative is focused on what those events mean for the characters on the ship, rather than what they mean for the galaxy as a whole.

I would say the first book of Dune has a pretty strong amount dealing with family throughout.

"The Varkosigan Saga" follows generations of family Varkosigan, and their friends-become-family.

Unforgettably eventually arriving at "Miles, where have you left your brother?"

Spoiler for late in the series:

Adrian Tchaikovsky's The Final Architecture -trilogy's one main theme is this meeting of people due to circumstances and growing into a made-family, with the good and the bad that such units entail. All in all its a fun space opera trilogy.

The Road
Firefly

CJ Cherryh's space stuff has repeated themes of finding and making your own family.

All of Octavia Butler's books. Not that all the stories are uplifting tales, not by a long shot. But the perspectives of the characters are rooted in family, she explores the ideas of family a lot.

Voy was great for this. One of the things that make it so rewatchable despite the clunk

Well that and the crack

‘The Lurking Fear’ by HP Lovecraft is about family. Actually a lot of his stories are. Just never in a good way.

For a less snarky answer I’d go with the original Star Wars trilogy as a good answer. Yes, I know the meme phrase regarding this, but it’s true that what elevated the trilogy above mere space adventure was the reveal (retcon, but who is counting) of Darth Vader and Luke’s connection. It gave the entire conflict a real sense of weight. The showdown in Return Of The Jedi where Luke cracks and goes beserk, followed by Vader sacrificing himself and unmasking is really great emotional closure for that story.

To Sail Beyond the Sunset by Heinlein, but probably not in the way that you're thinking.

This image remind anyone else about antitaco legislation?