Article snapshot taken from Wikipedia with creative commons attribution-sharealike license.
Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat.
We can research this topic together.
This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 97.112.128.36 (talk) at 03:32, 26 May 2011 (Removed section "The Winner," which was uncited and largely subjective anyway.). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.
Fans and scholars of Star Trek and Star Wars compare the franchises' merits while merchandisers compete to sell rival products. Media critics and analysts have compared and contrasted the two works in particular because of their great impact and similarities. The franchises are both huge bodies of work that make up billions of dollars of intellectual property providing work and entertainment for millions of people.
David Brin contrasted the moral and political messages of the two works in "Star Wars" despots vs. "Star Trek" populists, characterizing the philosophy of Star Wars as elitist and authoritarian, as compared with the more progressive and egalitarian spirit of Star Trek.
A key difference between the franchises may be that Star Trek is science fiction while Star Wars is science fantasy. Contrasting the focus of the two franchises, The New York Times argues that
Trek fandom revolves around technology because the Star Trek universe was founded on ham-fisted dialogue and Gong Show-caliber acting. But the fictional science has always been brilliant. The science in Star Wars is nonsense, and everyone knows it. But no one cares because Star Wars isn't about science. It's epic drama. It's about those incredibly well-developed characters and the moral decisions they face. People don't get into debates about how the second Death Star works. They get into debates about the ethics of blowing it up.
The Denver Post highlights two differences in approach, noting Star Wars' "swashbuckling" and "gunslinger" style compared with Star Trek's "broader themes of utopian living, justice and identity". The Post says the spiritual aspect of Star Wars contrasts with the balance of emotion and logic in Star Trek.
In 2001, the documentary Star Wars vs. Star Trek: The Rivalry Continues was released on DVD by Passport Video. It covers a brief history of the development of both franchises.
