Actually, I think, it makes no difference. Look at Star Trek, a large series of civilizations which are pretty much variations on the same human theme.
Claustrophobia starts when acknowledging that there's nothing else but the Universe. And nothing beyond our limited life. That's the scary thought.
If that's the case, why would engineered life ever want to land on a planet? It seems easier to take everything from asteroids and stay near shining stars and away from other gravity wells. Visiting/colonizing planet Earth doesn't make much sense, other than the challenge.
Honestly, without an actual alien sapience to compare ourselves to, we haven't a clue what similarities or differences there can be. Fiction written by human beings is limited to the imagination of human beings and the interest of human beings.
I have never found the authorial claims of how different species or races in science-fiction or fantasy or horror are to be particularly convincing. They're just humans proxying questions of racial stereotypes.