Actually, there is a science fiction story very similar to your opening section. I'm putting author and title in rot13 because the story got much of its effect because I read it under normal science fiction protocols. Surely humanity would eventually get into space-- but it doesn't and dies out. Well, then aliens will manage-- but there aren't any.

On the other hand, that's just one story in a large field, and I think it's only been reprinted once.

Zhecul'f Unyy ol Cbhy Naqrefba.