Even in the eponymous "warp drive" sci-fi: Star Trek, The Federation's Prime Directive states that uncontacted civilisations are not to be contacted until they are capable of initiating contact themselves.
Usually this is by that civilisation achieving warp drive capabilities (which would allow that species to meet other species) but it can also happen with a species achieving subspace (faster-than-light) communications (which would allow that species to overhear or talk with other species).
Sci-fi got it both ways.
Even in the eponymous "warp drive" sci-fi: Star Trek, The Federation's Prime Directive states that uncontacted civilisations are not to be contacted until they are capable of initiating contact themselves.
Usually this is by that civilisation achieving warp drive capabilities (which would allow that species to meet other species) but it can also happen with a species achieving subspace (faster-than-light) communications (which would allow that species to overhear or talk with other species).