The Steerswoman series by Rosemary Kirstein and many of the stories by Greg Egan and Hal Clement. They show people who are curious about the world, care about t

The Steerswoman series by Rosemary Kirstein and many of the stories by Greg Egan and Hal Clement. They show people who are curious about the world, care about the fate of others and try to be open-minded. They also show (perhaps somewhat idealizedly) how patient adherence to such principles can spread in a society.