Eridu

Based on the work of Zecharia Sitchin, Eridu is fiction that tells the story of ancient aliens, the ana-nagi, arriving on Eridu, an earthlike planet, and discovering a valuable mineral they desperately need on their home planet. When the surface deposits of the mineral play out, mining becomes necessary, and the aliens, while used to living underground, are not used to the manual labor involved in digging and transporting the heavy ore to the planet’s surface. Discord in the ranks leads to near mutiny, and a scientist suggests an alternative: genetically modify a native humanoid species to do the hard work. Once accomplished, the results are so satisfactory that other uses are found for the slaves. Eventually, the slaves come to worship their masters as gods because of their longevity and technological superiority. When the Galactic Council belatedly discovers the ana-nagi have violated treaty restrictions about not tampering with native species, they are banished from Eridu, leaving the slaves alone to try and cope with life without their gods.